Articles

I turned 39 on February 8th, 2023. I celebrated my birthday in the hospital, recovering from my 2nd hip replacement. In 2012, I first got sick from, unbeknownst to me...

In May 2016, I received my NMO diagnosis over the phone. “You have something called neuromyelitis optica, and we must treat you immediately.” I was confused, and I thought it...

From the beginning of my NMO diagnosis until now, I’ve recorded every major portion of my rare disease health journey - from the doctors telling me I have an NMOSD...

Prior to my NMO diagnosis, I never took my mental health seriously. I was always told by doctors to basically "get over it" and that "things will get better." But...

Good ol' Facebook sure knows how to bring the memories back, good and bad. The little feature on there every day, if you didn’t know, showcases memories from previous years...

Traumatic experiences can be life-changing. It is well known that these experiences can have long-term health effects. In addition to mental health challenges, traumatic experiences can lead to substance use...

It was pre-pandemic when I decided to start sharing my NMO story on social media. I started sharing my story online because I was getting tired of people asking what...

This video is about how I've been feeling recently and another side of how I cope with NMO. Life isn't always about being positive. It's okay to feel down about...

I began painting in late 2017, shortly after experiencing a catastrophic episode of vision loss due to bilateral optic neuritis. Since then, my vision and physical capabilities have diminished quite...

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune disease. This means it is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the body. It typically causes vision issues and weakness, pain, or spasms...

There was a shift in my behavior in August 2021. From being sad, weepy, and depressed, I found this community of people with Neuromyelitis Optica and was glued to neuromyelitis-optica.net. First...

For months I was experiencing an increase in my NMO symptoms. While I communicated this to my neurologist, I had no new lesions to back up a new acute treatment...

It has been a whole year since I’ve been on rituximab as my NMO preventative treatment. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have this treatment available to me for...

Being diagnosed with NMO, I’m sure we've all felt and heard from our peers that what was happening to us wasn’t real. For lack of a better phrase, everyone thinks...

I watched the YouTube makeup artist Tallia through her entire journey from the minute she posted her first video to the very last. I watched her whole story unfold right...

I had just gotten out of the hospital. I informed my daughter that 2nd dose of the Corona vaccine had triggered the NMO. Now, my immune system, which was supposed...

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) does not have a cure. But there are treatments aimed at preventing attacks or reducing relapses. Unfortunately, sometimes these medicines can have harmful side effects. One serious...

After being diagnosed with NMO, change has been very scary to me. It took more of my vision with every attack. With each bit of vision loss, I started to...

Something never felt quite right when I was diagnosed with NMO at 19. This was before I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder. Part of the NMO diagnosis process meant...

With all honesty, the day I was told I would receive the rituximab infusion every six months, I thought it would fix all my problems caused by NMOSD. My neurologist...