Evangeline was diagnosed with MS in 2010 after experiencing sudden numbness and vertigo. Now 46, she reflects on the emotional journey of navigating MS while building a demanding career, learning to listen to her body, and discovering how movement, physical therapy, and meaningful personal motivation have helped her continue moving forward even on the hardest days. In this conversation with InforMS, Evangeline shares honest insights about perseverance, adapting expectations, and why “kicking and screaming” still counts as showing up.
To start, could you share a little about yourself and your MS journey?
Evangeline: I’m 46, and I’ve been living with MS since around August or September of 2010. My diagnosis really came out of the blue. I definitely wasn’t expecting it. At the time, I was working with a company where everything was going great. I hadn’t really had major health issues before. Then suddenly I started having numbness, tingling, arm pain, and vertigo that would last for days or even a week at a time. They actually thought I was having a heart attack or something severely wrong. I went through several MRIs, a spinal tap, and eventually received the MS diagnosis. It was a huge shock.
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I think I mourned the person I was before MS. Then that mourning turned into anger and frustration, and I didn’t really know what to do with it. So I threw myself into work. I built a career and focused on staying active and mobile because everything I read about MS scared me. You mostly read the worst-case scenarios, and I just didn’t know how to process all of that.
Evangeline and her dog Emily.
How has your relationship with movement and exercise evolved over time?
Evangeline: Movement has become more challenging as I’ve gotten older, especially after spending 20 years in a physically demanding job. There was a lot of standing, lifting, bending, pushing, and pulling. So now it’s not just MS; it’s also joint pain, arthritis, stiffness, swelling, fatigue. Everything feels compounded.
Some days it’s incredibly hard to get up and do anything. But I’ve learned that motivation matters. For me, that motivation is often my dog, Emily. She’s 16 years old and she’s my best friend. She still needs walks and movement too, so getting outside with her helps me keep going.
I also love being near the water. I love fishing, hiking, wading into lakes and rivers, even just the movement of casting while fishing. Those things kept me active in ways that didn’t necessarily feel like “exercise.” Now that some of my mobility and cognitive symptoms have progressed more, physical therapy has become a really important part of my life too.
You spoke candidly about how difficult movement can be while living with MS. How do you keep yourself going on hard days?
Evangeline: Honestly, sometimes it’s kicking and screaming. Even now, there are days where I’m asking myself, “Am I going to go? Am I going to cancel?” right up until the last minute.
But I think you have to find your “why.” For me, I have a bucket list. I love small towns, nature, lakes, traveling to places that still feel rooted in their culture and history. In order to get to some of those places, I have to be able to move. And I remind myself that movement is what allows me to keep experiencing the things I love.
And I also think you have to give yourself grace. Are you going to miss days? Absolutely. I do. I’m not perfect with my routines or exercises. But if you beat yourself up every time you miss, it becomes this vicious cycle where you stop wanting to try at all. So I tell myself: it’s okay if you showed up kicking and screaming. You still showed up.
What role has physical therapy played in your life?
Evangeline: Physical therapy has really opened my eyes to what movement can look like. I started PT around the end of 2023 because I was experiencing increasing weakness in my legs and arms and more mobility issues. Looking back, I ignored a lot of symptoms while I was working because I felt like I had so much to prove to myself, to my company, to everyone around me.
I didn’t listen to my body enough. Eventually there were moments where I had to physically pick up my leg to get into my car, or use two hands to hold things so I wouldn’t drop them. That was a reality check.
My physical therapist has helped me understand that movement doesn’t have to mean some overwhelming full-body workout. There are exercises I can do sitting down, laying in bed, leaning against a wall, or using simple resistance bands at home. That completely changed how I viewed exercise.
What surprised you most about physical therapy?
Evangeline: How adaptable it is. I think a lot of people imagine physical therapy as this strict, regimented thing where you’re handed a giant workout plan and expected to push through no matter what. But my therapists really listen to what’s happening in my body that day.
If I come in exhausted or swollen or in pain, they adjust things. They work with me instead of against me. And they look at the whole body. If I’m struggling with my arms, we work on my core and my back because everything is connected. That knowledge has been incredibly valuable. I truly don’t think it’s ever “too early” for someone with MS to start physical therapy. I wish I had started earlier.
You also mentioned accommodations at work. Can you share more about that experience?
Evangeline: Yes, and I really encourage people to talk with their doctors about accommodations if they’re still working. My doctor noticed changes in my mobility and helped me get ADA accommodations. I was no longer allowed to work beyond certain hours or lift certain things, and those accommodations truly helped me continue working longer.
I wish I had pursued that support earlier. Growing up, I was taught to just push through and “suck it up.” But with MS, there comes a point where your body is screaming at you, and you need to listen.
What advice would you give to someone with MS who wants to become more active but feels unsure where to begin?
Evangeline: First, talk to your doctor. I think physical therapy is one of the best starting points because it helps you realize, “Okay, I still can do things.” And once you start moving, it becomes easier to build confidence and try other activities.
Second, remember that your mental health matters too. And connection and support matter. I’ve found groups online for people with MS who enjoy hiking and being outdoors, and I’m slowly getting more involved in those communities.
And finally, do it for you. At the end of the day, this is our life and our choice. Start with something simple. Even small movement matters. You don’t have to do everything perfectly. You just have to keep getting back up.
