Mary-Jo was 52 years-old when I met her in 1994, and it soon became apparent that she had diabetes, a thyroid condition and severe arthritis - which was painfully obvious in the cruel swelling and deformation of her fingers. I told her not to worry, her ills will be gone completely in no time flat. If she included about 6 oz of any kind of seafood in her diet every day, I said, she'll be as good as new in three months.

My name is Cheryl and I'm just a mom and housewife, three kids and one husband. My daughter began some really strange movements when she was 8 yrs. old. We saw so many doctors early on that I lost count. We even made two trips to the emergency room because she just "couldn't stand it" another minute. We had no idea what was wrong with her.

I've been dealing with insomnia and problems with my sleeping pattern for about as long as I can remember. As a matter of fact, I had just allowed my mind to adjust to the fact that I was never going to be able to get a good night's sleep. Sometimes, I would toss and turn at night and be unable to fall asleep at all and then the next night, I would fall asleep immediately.

The day my hands refused to work properly I sensed my “superwoman” days had ended! My body hurt all over, and I was so exhausted that it felt as though water, not blood, was running through my veins. Physically unable to carry on as senior teacher in a special school, I returned home believing that I’d be fine after a few days’ rest.

It all began with an incredible eye ache. I suffered for about a week. Then I went to an evening engagement where I drank several glasses of wine. I recall that detail due to the fact that my head stopped pounding. I felt cured, until the next morning. Then I assumed that I was experiencing a hangover but the following day, the ache was still there. I called my doctor, who then referred me to an eye doctor. I went that day. After a “light” exam, I was asked if I new what MS was.