Patients

Love Conquers NMO
Active Duty Navy Sailor Discovered NMO

I was a 26-year-old working in the Pentagon in the Navy Executive Dining Facility. I was Active Duty Navy for almost 8 years. October 18, 2017, I had a colonoscopy because I was losing weight, bowels had blood and mucus coming out. After, that I started having tingling in my thighs and few fingers. I…
Decoding My Medical Mystery

The last two months have been full of bloodwork, medicine, needles. On the day before mother’s day (May 12, 2018), I was admitted from my 3rd ER visit in 6 weeks for what we thought was a MS flare. I had previously had a bout of Optic Neuritis (2016), weakness and tingling in my extremities-…
SEE LIGHT IN THE DARK

SEE LIGHT IN THE DARK I am Verónica C. Herrera Vega and I want to tell you my TESTIMONY WITH OPTIC NEUROMIELITIS (NMO). I am 29 years old and I live in a small city in Valledupar, a small city in Colombia. Unfortunately, one-and-a-half years ago I was paralyzed from my neck to my feet in just…
Living with NMO – An Evil Disease

My name is a Patty Frazier, I am 59 years old. I was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) three years ago. I awoke one morning to a stabbing pain in my lower back, I could barely move. I was admitted to St. Luke’s hospital. The first few days all I would do is vomit and…
New to NMO

My story starts in August 2017. I had a burning sensation in my upper torso. Thought it was the start of shingles, but never broke out in the rash. Week later right leg went numb, went to the doctor he set up a nerve testbyo br run the following week. By the next Monday both…
Yuel Temesghen’s NMO Story

Yuel Temesghen shares a story about living with neuromyelitis optica (NMO). Hello, my name is Yuel Temesghen. I have been living with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) since May 2014. It started for me with a rash on the left side of my face that felt like severe sunburn, but I hadn’t been in the sun, so…
My NMO Diagnosis in Canada: Part Two

Last time I wrote about my [neuromyelitis optica (NMO)] diagnosis I had returned to university in hopes of finishing my degree. Two months after writing part one of my story (Spring 2015) I was getting very stressed, overwhelmed with school, social life and trying to accept that my illness has become a part of my life…
Dani Americano, The Courageous Girl

I was diagnosed with Neuromyelitis Optica in June of 2012 after two hospitalizations totaling 5 months, during which I lost all my strength, ability to move and all feeling from my chest down… My first symptoms, during August and September of 2011, were nausea and vomiting. Nowadays, I know that those are very peculiar characteristics…
Stronger than NMO

I was born with Bilateral Choanal Atresia, a malformation of the nasal passage. On my first day in the world I had my first surgery. Since then I’ve had multiple surgeries and it has been corrected. We thought that was the end of my fighting, but then I woke up completely blind when I was…
New NMO Truck Driver

Well, my story began on July 5, 2017. I woke up with my left eye partially blind, at first I thought I had something in my eye, so I rinse my face and nothing it was same. So since I’m a truck driver and I drive a lot I thought ok I need some sleep…
Avery’s Tomorrow

My name is Avery, and I’m a 19-year-old adventurous female. I live in the great state of Colorado where rock climbing and cliff jumping are part of my normal regime. I am a collegiate athlete and run track on scholarship for Augustana College in Illinois, and track is truly my passion. On July 20th, myself and my friends packed our…