Summer is an MS warrior from the state of Utah and now calls Ohio home. Summer was in her last year of her residency when she started her MS journey. Summer explains how her program director physician had a private conversation with her and discussed the possibility of Summer having MS. Summer's program director ordered MRI's and a lumbar puncture and Summer was diagnosed with MS in 2017. We talk about how Summer didn't have time to process her diagnosis because she had so much going on around her with raising two kids as a single mom and her residency. Summer explains how she went into a wheelchair 18 months into her diagnosis and her doctors changed her diagnosis to NMO (Neuromyelitis Optica), which was considered an aggressive form of MS with very little treatments. Summer then explains how she went 6 years under the diagnosis until her doctors changed her diagnosis back to MS except now she is SPMS. We have a great conversation about how her teenage kids understood the disease and how they support their mom in her new journey. We also talk about how she met her husband and how he has been there for her. Summer talks about how her diagnosis has given her empathy with seeing her patients. We also talk about how some doctors are not good with communication and also how doctors have difficulties getting answers because they are limited to 15-30 minute appointments. We have an awesome discussion about how the patient and doctors are handcuffed by the system. We also have a great conversation about how to prevent getting gaslit by physicians. Summer talks about how to advocate for yourself and how doctors work for us. I had so much more to talk with Summer about we are going to have a Part 2 discussion Wednesday.

Follow on TikTok @msmichiganman64 Instagram @msmichigan64 FaceBook @Brian Wallace Brunswick Ohio