Upon leaving the hospital after being diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), I was given instructions on how and when to take medication, how to understand limitations, what to do if I fall, how to call for help, and a bunch of other information I’ve since forgotten.
NMOSD is a rare autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system, which can cause vision loss and paralysis. In theory, I was given what I needed to deal with my disease.
What I wasn’t given? How to deal with life AND a chronic illness. Before my diagnosis, I never knew the strain that having a chronic illness could have on a person.
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