Articles

Well my trip to visit my mother is winding down and it’s been quite a trip. My emotions have been on red alert and life took me down hard. From...

I scroll through this website every day, seeing pain in different types and forms. People will talk about life before their NMO took over. Something that we don't talk enough...

My wife is also my caregiver. It’s a fine balancing act between our romantic relationship and the practical support I need due to my Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO). We’d only been...

For my whole life, I have been an athlete. I have always been active and tried my best to stay in shape. I also never really paid attention to a...

After my last eye attack from NMO and because of my vision loss, I made an oath to myself that I wanted to see the world before I lost more...

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...