Symptom Free...

 Written June 19, 2020

Most common question that I have received in the past 9 months is...

How is your MS while being pregnant?

I can honestly say it has been a dream. Funny thing to say but SO true. My MS symptoms have been in remission since we found out that I was pregnant PLUS I have been off DMTs for MS. I can say that the pregnancy symptoms stepped in such as nausea, but I can handle that any day over leg pains or numbness in the body. The body's immune system does not feel that there is a threat during pregnancy due to the lowered immunity which makes it more essential when growing a baby.

I am currently 39 weeks, our little one is strong and should be joining us very soon. The journey to get this far was a bit stressful especially after we decided that we would like to have a family of our own. I had been diagnosed with RRMS in 2017 and in 2018 I started taking Tecfidera as my chosen form of DMTs. Our plans were put on hold when I was diagnosed because we wanted to focus on my health and see what all we needed to do to ensure that I could take care of myself before we welcomed a bundle of joy into our world. My MS was a little more on the advanced side of progress than most individuals which most doctors were shocked that I was responding so well to Tecfidera.

After a good year of positive results on my MRI's (no new lesions or active lesions) and communicating with my MS specialist we decided in September 2019 that it was time to try for a family since we are not getting any younger and together as a team (husband, doctor and myself) we all felt that I was stable enough for the next step.

It wasn't as easy as ready, set, go we had to make adjustments to my medication. Tecfidera does not have any positive studies showing that it would not affect the fetus while trying to conceive. We had to play the game of communicating with insurance and switching DMTs. We chose to go with Copaxone (actually generic version Glatopa)which many individuals stay on through pregnancy if they choose. Thats right... I chose to go from taking a pill 2x a day to stabbing myself 3x a week with an injection. I never knew how strong I was as an individual until the day that I took a syringe with about a 1/2-inch needle and administered my very own medication. I have always been someone who can handle blood or anything gruesome but when it comes to the sight of my own blood or having my blood taken, I have to look away otherwise you will be picking me up off the floor. The ability to give myself shots was a win win for me. Not my favorite thing to do and definitely fewer side effects but I wanted to ensure that I was okay during the trying to conceive process. October 2019 was one of the most nerve-racking months as we found out that we had a positive result, we were pregnant and yet the most rewarding because I decided to let my body adjust and not take MS medication. Like I said in the beginning... A dream come true :)

We have a new challenge to conquer once baby is born but until then I will be soaking up the last few days of not worrying about my MS. These past few months have been amazing as I focused on my family and preparing to be a first-time parent without the distraction of pain or numbness. When the time comes, I will be ready to step back up to the plate and focus on getting back on track with my health. For now, grow baby grow.