The Day My Vision Became Clear

By Imari

I am empowered and poised because I faced being diagnosed with a chronic disease and used it to motivate myself and empower others…  

The day I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis was the day my life changed completely. Not in a bad way but it actually enhanced my perspective on life in general. I entered the doctor’s office that day with my mind set. I told myself that no matter the outcome, I would walk out with my head up and face the reality of the news. Promising myself that I would not cry, I sat and listened to the doctor utter the words “well it looks like you do have MS.” At that moment my heart sunk into my stomach.

Let’s rewind back to the mid-part of 2017. We were fresh off a beautiful beach vacation and I began to experience blurred vision. Not thinking much of it, I self-diagnosed myself with exhaustion.  Fast forward to a week later and my eyesight was completely fading away. This had to be one of the most intense moments of my life.

However, at that time I didn’t take the normal route of crying and breaking down. I actually held myself together. For some reason I had a gut feeling that everything would work out for the good. And it did! 

I had no idea what was going on with my body but my faith told me that everything would be okay. People around me were amazed at my temperament and how I was able to be so calm in the mist of all that was occurring. I honestly owe it all to my support system. Being surrounded by positive energy is vital when managing any form of adversity.  

At that moment I honestly believe that God was positioning me for something bigger that I could not physically see. I’ve always believed that things happen for a reason.  This moment allowed me to slow down and take note of things that were right in front of me. I had a different viewpoint on life. I now felt the need to live out loud and to grab hold of each day, minute, and second of my life. I am now ready to take on things that I was once afraid of. Now is the time to step out on faith and do the things I am created to do. Now is the time to chase my dreams. Some things we have no control over but for those things that we do have the power to change, we must do so.

I am currently using writing as a coping mechanism to enhance and take advantage of each day. It is so important to keep yourself busy with something constructive and mind stimulating. My husband and I started a blog entitled The Daily Dose 101 with the goal of sharing the good news. We created this blog to help inspire and uplift others by sharing our own experiences. The experience has truly been rewarding and it has been a wonderful treat connecting with our audience. We have met some pretty amazing people that have been inspired by our stories and we are focused on delivering a daily dose of good news. This blog was created during a challenging time for our home. In return, this platform has formed an outlet for us to express ourselves creatively. Who knew that writing could be so therapeutic.

This process has been very life changing to say the least. I have decided to take the positive route because I have too much to be thankful for. Often things are taken away in life that we may question or not understand.  When my vision began to fade away I told myself that God would make my path clear as he would my vision. He would guide me out of this and whatever the outcome, I knew for sure that it would be okay.

Every day someone is diagnosed with some type of disease and I never imagined that I could possibly fit into that category. What makes me so different? Right…. The moral of this story is no matter what hits you in life you have to keep pushing, keep living, and continue to stay positive. Oh, and just relax!! Easier said than done, but I challenge you to make it a part of your daily process.

Now, earlier I mentioned that things worked out for the better after my diagnosis. I meant that my case of MS isn’t as severe as others.  After several treatments, my vision is almost back to its original state. Yes, some days are difficult but most days are pretty awesome. I keep hearing this message over and over again; there is power in the tongue.  Did you know that you have the power to speak things over your life?

I honestly feel that we can change our outlook and outcome by what we say out of our mouth. Speak something good over yourself today.

My journey isn’t over and MS doesn’t consume my life. There is a saying that states “I have MS but it does not have me!” This statement is so true! At the end of the day, you are what you think.