NMO Warriors Inspire My Daughter and Me

My daughter and I are truly indebted to this website, and to our community family members, the warriors and there are heartfelt reasons for it…

NMO, mental health, and acceptance

After coming to my senses post 9 months of NMO, I explained to my daughter; I was living in guilt of mental health and there was so much fear of death that was created by the doctors. So even though I wanted to live, the horror took over me, and being in India is not easy, even my daughter knows.

People who came to see me instead of being supportive did the opposite, they were judgmental, gave unnecessary pieces of advice, and even said that I had got this illness because of tattoos - almost anything and everything. My neighbors started to call me cuckoo. And when I went out they stared like I was pretending to be sick.

Every word, every action, every stare, was pushing me into the dungeons. And all the while my daughter was there, witnessing and absorbing what was happening to me. I can’t thank this website and NMO warriors enough for normalizing the situation and for giving me hope to live, which was so so important for me.

Diet, spasms and lesions

Another major thing that happened, which is no less than a miracle, is that my spasms stopped which even medicine could not do for me. I told my daughter that I had read an article on gluten-free life on the same website. I was a foodie yet I made major adjustments to my diet, and it affected my spasms. And for 6 months and continuing, I have been spasm free. And she is keeping a note of my days.

I do complain about heat waves, pain in my joints, and stiffness but no more spasms. Which my daughter says she is truly grateful and thankful for.

She saw me screaming in joy when I saw my last MRI reports because the lesions were gone. By Jan 2023 I was already wheelchair-free and stick-free. My daughter knows the real me, we are so much alike and resilient. She is giving and loving, and most importantly, she knows my loneliness.

She is happy that I have done a minor contribution to the website by posting articles, and she knows how elated I am when I officially became part of the family.

My daughter is 9 and turning 10, she is still a very naughty kid, and now that I am recovering she makes sure to get on my nerves again. And this illness has taken so much away from us, yet given way more. Especially another family to go to and the true meaning of life.

NMO warriors

Be grateful, be thankful, live in the moment and make memories because you never know what the next moment will bring. Be there for someone as much as you can, as you never know how much of a difference you can make..

My daughter understands very well that NMO is a different ballgame. Every day, sometimes every minute, might be different for us. And she knows each one of us is a warrior (and that goes true for any other illness too). She feels it is not easy to have this illness, with the assistive devices and wheelchair and losing hair. Also, pain has a different definition to her now, especially when she looks at all of our warriors.

And most importantly she loves me, and she loves all of you unknown beautiful souls who are going through the NMO journey. She prays for all of you out there and we are forever grateful for you all. Our saving graces.