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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Life really is good’

Ten years on, MS patient says support is key

Val Vissia has always been plagued by poor vision.

“I need to put my glasses on to find my contacts,” she joked. But after she turned 40 her vision problems worsened. Eventually she was diagnosed with optic neuritis, an inflammation of the optic nerve.

Then her legs began to bother her. One summer while working in her garden she suddenly experienced severe weakness. “Boom! Out of nowhere it felt like my legs were encased in concrete,” she recalled. “I could barely make it the 50 yards from the garden to my house.”

Vissia had always been healthy and assumed these new issues were just an unwelcome byproduct of turning 40. However, after she had a bad fall at work, her doctor said, “Val, I think you might have MS.”

From the second floor commons area near her office at Gonzaga University’s Crosby Student Center, Vissia recalled her reaction to her diagnosis in 1999. “At first I was just mad as heck! I felt like the life I thought I was going to have was over.”

She certainly wasn’t alone. According to the National MS Society Web site, the Northwest has a higher incidence of MS than most anywhere on earth. Ten years ago, treatment for MS was in its infancy, with many drugs still in clinical trials. Vissia said she chose the medicine that was the most convenient. “I was an MS virgin back then,” she said with a laugh. “I think I was still in the denial phase.”

With her long, light brown hair and vivid blue eyes, Vissia appears vibrant and healthy. “I have Relapsing-Remitting MS, which means you’re fine or you are not.”

People with RRMS have unpredictable attacks of symptoms but usually return to normal health between relapses. The symptoms are myriad and vary from person to person. Most, like Vissia, will experience vision problems and muscle weakness. Others suffer nerve pain, heat/cold intolerance, temporary paralysis, and bowel or respiratory problems.

As the reality of her diagnosis sank in, Vissia began to take charge of her life. “I got the proverbial kick in the butt,” she said. She and her husband sold their Newman Lake home and bought a tree-restoration ranch near Davenport. Vissia said it was something they’d long wanted to do. “MS said to us, ‘Take a chance, you’ve got nothing to lose!’ ”

That move wasn’t the only one Vissia made. “I started a new career at 50 and came to work at GU,” she said. She also got her yoga certification and now teaches classes at the university and in Davenport.

In addition, she changed her treatment plan and started a new medication. But one of the most significant things she did was to become an ambassador for MS Lifelines, an education and support group for those living with MS.

“MS is crappy. It makes you feel crappy. Sometimes you just need someone who is in the trenches – someone who has been there,” Vissia said.

Locally, MS Lifelines sponsors C.H.A.T. (Connecting, Helping, Aspiring, Teaching). The program is a series of discussion groups facilitated by a nurse educator. The meetings are free and open to anyone with MS.

For those who prefer one-on-one communication, Vissia said MS Lifelines launched a program called Peer to Peer Connection. “It’s a scheduled telephone call with a mentor,” she said. The program is especially beneficial for those who live in small towns or rural areas where resources may be limited.

Though she’s doing well at the moment, the knowledge that she’s living with a chronic, incurable condition is never far from her. “It’s hard looking down the road,” she admits. “I still always wonder when the big one (relapse) is coming.”

But she’s optimistic about the new medications available to help manage MS symptoms. For those newly diagnosed, Vissia said, “If you have MS, get on therapy, be knowledgeable. The sooner you get in treatment the better. You can still have your dreams. Your life isn’t over.”

She paused and looked out at the snow falling across the campus. “Do I wish I didn’t have MS? You bet.” Yet 10 years after the diagnosis that changed her life, she leaned forward in her chair, and her eyes flashed. “I feel like I know a secret most people don’t know – that life really is good.”

Cindy Hval can be reached at dchval@juno.com.