Lauren, Multiple Sclerosis
Lauren: When I was 16 years old, that's when I started noticing my very first symptoms.
Anthony (Lauren’s Boyfriend): Lauren was tripping and falling, even when we were just walking down the street together. She was in musical theater, and she was tripping during her dance routines.
Lauren: I didn't know what was happening. It was really frustrating.
Anthony: You could just even tell by the strain in her voice that she was having a really difficult time with it.
Lauren: I started feeling ostracized. I just didn't feel like I was me. I was a different person. I was so depressed because I had gained weight since I couldn't really exercise anymore because I was tripping and falling.
It took two years for me to finally see a neurologist. He took a spinal tap and an MRI, found lesions on my brain and told me that I have MS. Finding out that I had MS was incredibly devastating, especially because it was five days before I graduated from high school.
Anthony: Especially when you could see her getting worse. Then you hear the doctor say that it has progressed. It's really scary, because then you start asking yourself, "Well, how far does it go?"
Lauren: Everyone in my family, and my boyfriend, were incredibly understanding and right there by my side helping me and supporting me. We all just knew that we were going to get through this together. And it was scary, but we've done it.