Dawn is a Parkinson's Warrior diagnosed in 2011 that was fighting that fight for 11 years when she experienced a stroke in 2022. The stroke completely disabled Dawn, including her ability to talk. Dawn and I have an amazing conversation how Dawn battled through her first diagnosis of Parkinson's at a young age and still managed to fight the fight that is Parkinson's. Dawn talks about her path to her diagnosis and how the symptom's started so slight and gradually became more noticeable. Dawn shares her path of Parkinson's medications and the emotions she went through and how that affected her mental health. Dawn also shares her incredible experience she had of going to an ER six times before they found a stroke because her symptoms were being blamed Parkinson's related. Dawn and I also have an awesome discussion of how she battled for a year going through OT, PT and Speech Therapy to get her abilities back. Dawn talks about the importance of family support and also the important of he faith. We talk about depression and how the death of her support dog really caused her mental health to decline until she found God and her Faith as a means of fighting her fight. Dawn is such an amazing warrior she is writing a book to spread awareness about Parkinson's. We talk about the importance of talking about your disease to spread awareness of any chronic disease. We also have an unbelievable conversation about how many healthcare professionals use mental health to label our symptoms with our diagnosis. We talk about how important it is to advocate for yourself and the importance of staying positive and never give up!

Thank you so much Dawn for helping me spread awareness about Parkinson's and sharing your experience having a stroke and how you will never quit!

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

Brooke is an MSer from the state of Florida that was diagnosed in 2000 after experiencing pain, balance and vision issues. Brooke , at the time, was working as an RN in the emergency room and asked one of the doctors if they could check her out. After a quick exam, the doctor told Brooke she needed to see a neurologist because a cranial nerve defect was discovered. Brooke worked in the radiology field prior to becoming an RN so Brooke used her connections to get an MRI before she saw a neurologist. Brooke looked at her MRI scan and she saw her lesions and knew her diagnosis before it was official.

Brooke talks about how the diagnosis caused her fear because she had two small children and a husband that wasn't supportive already in her life. We talk about how her mental health was affected having a husband telling her nobody would ever want her because she had MS and two babies. Brooke stayed in the abusive relationship for 18 years because she had no family because she was controlled by her husband verbally and mentally.

Brooke finally said she was done after her father was injured in a boating accident where the yacht he was on blew up and Brooke's husband said he would take her to see him if he was still alive after he played golf. Playing golf actually meant he was going to see his dirtbag girlfriend he was cheating on Brooke with. Brooke finally had enough and called her friend to help her get down a flight of stairs on a mattress to get away from her abuser. They packed everything they could of Brooke and her children's things into suitcases and Brooke called the principal of her kids school to inform them what was going on. The school staff where very supportive of Brooke's decision knowing what she had been dealing with for years. Brooke and her friend went to her brother's house who was now living in Florida. Brooke's sister -in-law then drove her to the hospital and pushed Brooke in wheelchair to be with her dad who coded twice after explosion. With the help of family, Brooke filed for divorce and escaped her abusive marriage.

Brooke is just absolutely the definition of resilience. We get into an amazing story of how she met the love of her life a year and a half ago on Facebook dating. The incredible thing about this is, he is from the same state of Ohio and he had dreams of her about her childhood home and her childhood friend. They are actually from the same small town and he played basketball for Ohio State University. The last sign this was destiny, is Brooke and Bruce actually lived right around the corner from each other and they are both Buckeyes.

Brooke is absolutely amazing to talk to! Her attitude of never give up no matter what MS throws at you is inspiration to say the least.

Thank you so much for recording with me Brooke! You are just awesome and I love your message of taking every day for what it is and enjoy the good ones!

Follow on TikTok @msmichiganman64 Instagram @msmichiganman64 Facebook @Brian Wallace Brunswick Ohio

Shakey (Episode 11) is a returning chronic disease warrior that was diagnosed with Parkinson's when he was 44 years old in 2002. Shakey explains how he experienced young onset Parkinson's in his 20's until his diagnosis of Parkinson's in 2002. Shakey shares what he describes as two halves of his life. The first half he talks about how the medications for Parkinson's took over his life and the decision he made to admit himself into a hospital to detox off the medications. Shakey chose to not go back on his Parkinson's medication and take control of his own rehabilitation and started walking. Shakey also used boxing as a way to get stronger. Shakey has gone from Stage 4 Parkinson's to a Stage 3 by utilizing attitude and hard work and exercise. Since 2019 Shakey has been walking to raise money for the Michael J Fox Foundation and has currently walked more then 5500 miles!

Shakey is 66 years old and he explains how he ran his first 5K in 2019. Shakey was doing great physically but he was having mental health issues he needed to address. Sakey was diagnosed with CPTSD after a few sessions. His counselor recommended a treatment called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Shakey goes into depth of what he did for this therapy and the amazing success he received from the therapy. Since these therapies, Shakey has no more nightmares or anxiety and has helped so much with his mental health.

We have an awesome discussion on the tools that he uses for better sleep through meditation. Shakey has also found a stem cell patch called X-39 Stem Cell Activation Patch. Thank you for helping me spread awareness about Parkinson's Shakey! If you want to talk to Shakey message me on social media and I'll connect you.

Follow on: TikTok@msmichiganman64 Instagram@msmichiganman64 Facebook @Brian Wallace Brunswick Ohio

These are links to information about X-39 Stem Cell Patch

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NpNpCfhCidY

https://static.showit.co/file/ilaH5F0ITp2C4M10M6okQQ/117381/lifewave-the-story-of-the-x39.pdf

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=9d3d6247a3&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-a:r6153943194986150116&th=195f3e7ffe8b9be7&view=fimg&fur=ip&permmsgid=msg-a:r6153943194986150116&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ8YnOIUpYu-Fyya3PVpL2f2hQphZQc9quvXoGf_j6sp4yzfpJKwRoypOFU41o-PYf-RJyCDdQZHnGJqR_XjB1-X281o2WEy-XavBKI6i4RHwlUFYT4S4yiBpe8&disp=emb&realattid=172D9A93-0FED-4DBB-9CA3-CAA8917877CE&zw

Nelle is an MS warrior from the state of Utah that is also an Autism warrior's mom diagnosed with MS in 2022. Nelle has a 16 year old daughter that is Autistic and is high support needs. Nelle thought her plate was completely full working as an x-ray tech for 17 years, being a wife and mom when she started experiencing vertigo and left side weakness. Fortunately, Nelle worked as an x-ray technician for a neurology office and they were able to help get Nelle diagnosed quickly.

Nelle and I talk about the mental health part of her diagnosis where she felt angry. Angry that she was trying to balance everything and felt overwhelmed already when MS entered her life. Nelle talks about the difficulties she had when MS took her ability to work after 17 years as an x-ray tech. We talk about how we use antidepressant medications and counseling as a tool to help fight the mental part of this disease. We also have a great discussion about finding an MS community on TikTok or Facebook to help with our mental health.

Nelle shares how her diagnosis affected her family. Nelle's husband was also in the same game trying to raise a family with a special needs daughter and balancing work when she was diagnosed. Nelle explains how although he was saddened by her diagnosis he become her number one supporter with helping her manage her MS. Nelle also explains how having a special needs daughter helped her family understand her chronic disease easier because of being understanding. Nelle and I also have a great discussion about how her son and daughter are more compassionate towards other people because they have a sister on autism spectrum and a mom with MS.

Nelle and I talk about how having a special needs child is a blessing and also how we take our MS diagnosis as a blessing because it has made both of us more understanding. We discuss the importance of awareness because autism and MS have so many different looks to them.

Nelle shares her experience of her DMT choice she and her husband researched and chose. She explains how she was given a choice of Ocrevus but after doing her homework decided to go with Tysabri because the cancer risk was not there and Nelle has a history. We talk about the importance of researching your choices before deciding on DMT. We also talk about different tools we use to help with physical and mental health.

Nelle thank you so much for taking time to talk about your journey with MS and being the mom of an Autism warrior! You are amazing with your attitude and the way you handle adversity!

Educate yourself about what it's like living with MS and Autism. Ignorance is a choice!

Follow on: TikTok @msmichiganman64 Instagram @msmichiganman64 Facebook @Brian Wallace Brunswick Ohio

Mike is an MSer from the state of Alaska and was diagnosed in 2019 after being misdiagnosed since the age of 11. Mike explains when he was 11 years old he suffered with numbness and tingling in is feet, pain and balance issues. Instead of ordering an MRI, the doctors felt surgery on his feet would fix the problem. Three surgeries later, Mike had no relief from the symptoms and spent the next 18 years of his life with doctors dismissing his symptoms and labeling them as anxiety and depression. After vision issues and an eye doctor finding optic neuritis, Mike went to the ER and had to fight with them to order an MRI which revealed lesions and an MS diagnosis.

Mike's wife is from the Philippines and he shares their story of how they met and how he used his wife as motivation to fight this disease. We talk about how she came to USA when Mike was at his lowest and how she supported him with unconditional love. Mike explains how he made the decision to stop his DMT and attack MS his way and how he and his wife agreed to it as long as he doesn't have another episode and get worse.

Mike and I discuss attitude and how we got pissed at MS and fought with exercise and how our approaches are very similar but different because we customized what worked best for us. When Mike got angry at MS he set out to be the strongest man in the world. Mike started out 6' 2" and 210lbs on a stationary bike, only able to complete one minute, today, Mike is 6' 2" 280lbs of pure muscle and has not had an episode in the last 3 1/2 years. He found diet, supplements and lifting weights 6 days a week his medicine to fight MS.

Mike is amazing with how he absolutely is kicking MS's ASS! Mike even is in the process of getting his CDC, chemical dependency counselor license, so he can help individuals with addiction issues. Mike thank you so much for helping me spread awareness about what its like living with MS. I love your attitude my friend! FUMS!!

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

Traci is an MSer from Ohio that was diagnosed with in 2020 after having symptoms for about a year. Traci worked as a hairdresser and had numbness and tingling in her hands that were being treated as back issues and she experienced vision issues that were blamed on allergies. Traci's family encouraged her to see a neurologist and she was diagnosed with MS.

Traci and I discuss her DMT journey with Ocrevus and how after being on it for two years, decided to stop taking her DMT, and fight without it. Traci explains how her family did not support her decision at first but how they ended up understanding her feelings and supporting her.

We have a great conversation about the mental health part of the diagnosis and how Traci did not handle the diagnosis well because of lack of knowledge with the disease. Traci learned through support groups tools to help cope with living with MS. Traci and I discuss the importance of finding a community to help with support as well as the importance of family support for our mental health.

We also get into an awesome conversation about how we use humor to cope. We also discuss the good things we have found that we never would have found without getting diagnosed like Traci's husband.

Traci gas an incredible attitude with how she does not let MS stop her! Thank you so much Traci for helping spread awareness about MS so people understand a little better! Never quit fighting the fight!

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

Darren and Destiny are two MSers that are engaged to be married in September of 2025. I sit down with both of these MS Warriors and they explain how they were diagnosed with MS and how they met and fell in love. Darren was diagnosed with PPMS when he was 28 years old and Darren has dysphagia because of the MS, which affects his voice. Destiny was diagnosed with RRMS when she was 31 after having vision issues.

They both explain their knowledge and lack of knowledge at diagnosed and how they handled their diagnosis. Both of these MSers absolutely attacked MS and learned to accept their journey with a positive attitude. Destiny explains Darren's DMT experience and how he is on a clinical trial drug that was originally used to treat cancer patients. Destiny explains how Darren was asked if he was interested in participating in the trial. Destiny goes into great depth of the process Darren went through to get in the trial.

Destiny explains her DMT journey starting with copaxone. She made it a year and a half on it but was switched to an oral because of new lesions. She did not do well on the oral med so she was switched again six months later to Kesimpta and she is doing well on that DMT.

Darren and Destiny tell me the beautiful story of how they found each other through his aunt after they were both diagnosed. What started out as a friendship grew into a love story and they are now referred to as the MS DUO! We talk about how each of their kids, which are from different relationships, absolutely accepted two MS parents.

Darren and Destiny, thank you both so much for sharing your journeys with MS and for sharing your amazing love story! You both are so inspirational with how you take MS and have as much fun as you can with it.

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

Jeff is an MSer that was diagnosed in 2003 after moving to Texas from Ohio in 2000. Jeff is a former Division 1 football player that played for the coaching legend Jim Tressel at Youngstown State University before he took the Ohio State position. Jeff and I have a great conversation about how playing football in college prepared us for life with MS. We discuss how we use our tools we learned from playing football for legendary coaches like Bo, Gary Moeller, Lloyd Carr and Jim Tressel.

Jeff explains how he had vision problems and he stopped to have his eyes checked by an eye doctor right after their move. The eye doctor told him he couldn't let Jeff drive home because his optic nerves were so inflamed causing his vision issues. Shorty after, Jeff experience cognitive problems, slurred speech and paralysis so his wife took him to the hospital and a battery of tests done with no answers. Jeff spent the next couple of years battling through until he was finally diagnosed in 2003.

Jeff is dyslexic and he explains how he didn't know the difference between MS and MD. Jeff and his wife found themselves in a world they knew nothing about so they had to educate themselves about MS. Jeff talks about how he has had to battle his whole life being dyslexic and he wasn't going to treat MS any different.

Jeff and I talk about the mental health part of the disease and also how we hide our diagnosis from employers because of ego and fear. We also talk about other diagnosis's that can happen after your MS diagnosis. Jeff tells me how he was diagnosed with POTS after the Covid years and how he lost consciousness and injured his head.

Four years ago Jeff found the art of sculpting as a form of therapy for his MS. While at a gas station the idea of the Canotizer came into vision. Jeff went home and sculpted his vision and then he designed and had made the Canotizer, which is a tool to disinfect the tops of cans and bottles before you open them.

Jeff now has a patent on the Canotizer.

Jeff self taught himself five years ago how to sculpt even though he struggles to use his hands because of MS. He explains how he uses a hand massager in order to get his fingers to work and goes through multiple massagers a year because he burns them out from use. Jeff's sculptures are absolutely amazing!

We also have a great conversation about how we want to use are experience with MS and our "football" attitude to help people understand this disease better. Jeff and I are enemies as far as football goes but we are going to team up and see what Michigan alum and an Ohio State fan and former player of Jim Tressel can do together to spread awareness about MS.

Thank you Jeff for joining my team in spreading awareness and I'm looking forward to see what Michigan and OSU can do together!

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

David is an MS Warrior from the State of Louisiana that was living his dream of being self employed owning a lumbar company. In 2013, David's son was knocked out playing college football. He received an MRI to check his brain and David's son was diagnosed with MS. That was David's first experience with MS until he, himself was diagnosed with MS in 2015 after experiencing cognitive, digestive and body aches.

David learned so much about MS because of his son's diagnosis but struggled mentally with the disease. Dave lost his lumbar business because of MS. David found out that he has a family history of chronic diseases. Dave explains how his diagnosis cause severe depression because of losing a business and losing a wife. Dave explains how he didn't seek help because he never went to doctors unless they were football injury related and that didn't help hid mental health.

Dave realized he could not quit so he built his strength up in the weight room so he could coach high school football which was his passion. Dave figured it out that he had to occupy his time because life is not over.

Dave explains that because of his divorce he was very couscous but met his future wife after she pursued a relationship by helping him manage his MS. Their friendship grew and they ended up falling in love and getting married because she understood disability.

Dave still is able to coach high school football which motivates him to keep fighting this disease. We also talk about how David uses his MS to teach his players about MS awareness.

Thank you so much Coach for coming on to help spread awareness about what it's like living with a chronic disease! Good luck to your men and I hope they go undefeated in the fall and bring home a State title!

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

Caty is a 38 year old MS Warrior from Iowa that was diagnosed with MS in 2009 after she experienced numbness and tingling in her legs on a Monday. By Friday the numbness had traveled up her body to her neck while she was at work and her supervisor sent her home. Caty went straight to the ER and after having tests completed was immediately diagnosed with MS. Caty explains how she remembered having symptoms as early as her teenage years that went ignored.

Caty explains how the diagnosed affected her mentally after her doctor told he she would be in a wheelchair by the age of 30 and she was just starting out life as a 23 year old.

Caty explains her DMT journey and not being able to do needles. She attempted oral medication but her body did not react well causing liver issues. Caty even tried Ocrevus for a while but it compromise her immune system and she had to be stopped on that DMT. Currently Caty is not on a DMT until she can get her immune system built back up.

Caty and I talk about the difficulties of working while having a chronic disease and how we are treated by employers. We talk about how employers treat us as a liability if we have a chronic disease. We also talk about our children and their understanding of what MS is by how we brought them up. Caty's husband understands the diagnosis and is a huge support for her.

We have a great discussion on our mental health and how we attack this disease. We discuss motivation to continue the fight and how giving up is not an option.

Because of Caty's bad side effects Caty has started trying more natural supplements to fight this disease because Caty will never give up looking for ways to feel better.

Caty is so inspirational with her attitude with how she fights this disease and how she wants people to understand this disease. Caty is so in tune with trying to spread awareness that she dyes her hair orange every year in recognition of MS Awareness in March Caty's daughters even joined her with spreading awareness also as they followed mom and dyed their hair orange.

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