SARASOTA – Channing Barker, who is fighting MS, says even she can admit it: Millennials just like to do things a bit differently.
“You’re possibly finding a spouse or partner, you may be having children or be traveling a lot, so we tend to put that at the forefront rather than taking care of ourselves and our health,” Barker said. “That’s why I think it’s really Important that you have a working relationship with your doctor.”
She remembers the first day she had a MS symptom.
“It was January 24th of 2006. I was at a basketball game, and I very vividly remember feeling the right side of my body, and then suddenly I was unable to walk the next day and was in and out of the hospital for a number of months,” Barker said.
She says because she immediately advocated for herself and her health, she found a disease modifying therapy that worked.
“Upon diagnosis starting that therapy immediately is so important because it can delay disability progression,” Barker said.
“I’ve been able to lead this life that I imagined before MS entered my life, before it entered my vocabulary,” Barker said.
She wants the same for others with the disease, as does Anne Gilbert of Can Do MS, a national MS advocacy group.
“When you receive that diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in your 20’s and 30’s what comes with that is fear, shock, and denial; and you may not think to proactively take those steps you need to manage your disease,” Gilbert said.
She says the only one who can fight for your health is you.
“It helps you not only for your current life that you’re living but also for your future,” Gilbert said.
Click here to learn more about MS, types of treatment, and how to talk to your doctor about finding a treatment plan right for you.