Learning About MS
- Angelina Cubero’s brain fog and migraines were dismissed by doctors as anxiety, but she knew something wasn’t right.
- After fighting for the answers she needed, she was finally diagnosed at 24 with multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating neurological disorder.
- Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), according to the Mayo Clinic.
- Symptoms may include fatigue, numbness or weakness in one or more limbs, electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, tremor, and lack of coordination or unsteady gait.
- We’ve heard many stories of dismissed symptoms when it comes to MS, so it’s important to speak up for yourself when you know something is wrong with your health.
In honor of World MS Day, we’d like to highlight Cubero, 27, and share her inspiring story of resilience in the face of the neurological disease. Given that the 2020-2023 World MS Day theme is 'connections,' we hope her story can help other people dealing with MS feel less alone and inspire them to search for a community of support.
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After nearly a decade of searching for answers, Cubero finally underwent an MRI that revealed multiple lesions, or plaques, in her brain. From there, she received her multiple sclerosis, or MS, diagnosis at 24.
“I’d never heard of MS,” Cubero said. “I had to do my own research to figure out what is MS, and that was scary.
“There were so many questions I had, and it was really hard to find those answers… I didn’t really find much information on how it affects the Hispanic community … and I didn’t know how it affected young people.”
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Hispanics/Latinx people are diagnosed at a much younger age than others with the disease. They are also more likely to have more severe MS with an earlier onset of symptoms.
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It took some time, but eventually Cubero found an MS specialist/psychiatrist who understood her condition and gave her the proper treatment.
“He understood what was anxiety and what was MS, and he heard me out and he said, ‘No, you actually have relapsing-remitting MS. Those are MS symptoms,'” Cubero said. “That was when I finally felt validated and secure, like, OK, I can trust my doctor moving forward and we can come up with a plan that works best for me.”
Most people diagnosed with MS start off with the relapsing-remitting type. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, it is characterized by flare-ups of the disease, or relapses, with periods of recovery, or remissions, in between.
Two years after getting her diagnosis, Cubero began to share her MS journey on social media. She’s also partnered with pharmaceutical company Genentech for its #MSVisibility: Breaking Barriers campaign and written a song about her MS experience. Her hope is that speaking up with raise awareness and provide support for others dealing with MS.
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“I wish I had that when I was searching for answers,” the young singer who goes by the stage name Lina Light said. “It’s bittersweet for me, but I’m really happy to help others because I feel like I’m going through this for a bigger purpose. It wasn’t just my story, it was to help others to get through their diagnosis too and to support each other.”
Her advice for others dealing with a health issue or living with MS? Don’t hesitate to speak up.
“I really want people to be their best advocate, to speak up,” she said. “I know that it can be intimidating. I know that it can be hard, but you have to speak up. You deserve the best care.”
What Is Multiple Sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), according to the Mayo Clinic.
When a person has MS, their immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers. This leads to communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body. Eventually, MS can cause permanent damage or deterioration of the nerves.
Most people with MS go through periods of new symptoms or relapses followed by quiet periods of disease remission, like in Angelina Cubero’s case. These relapses can develop over days or weeks, and the remission periods can last for months or even years.
Know When to Speak Up
Signs and symptoms of MS can vary widely from person to person, but it’s important to be aware of possible MS symptoms.
“Having a diagnosis leads to treatments, which leads to a better experience,” Angelina Cubero said. “I’m just grateful to have a diagnosis because it led me to an MS center, which has a lot of resources for me to improve.”
Signs and symptoms of MS may include:
- Numbness or weakness in one or more limbs that typically occurs on one side of your body at a time, or your legs and trunk
- Electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, especially bending the neck forward (Lhermitte sign)
- Tremor, lack of coordination or unsteady gait
- Partial or complete loss of vision, usually in one eye at a time, often with pain during eye movement
- Prolonged double vision
- Blurry vision
- Slurred speech
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Tingling or pain in parts of your body
- Problems with sexual, bowel and bladder function
If you experience any concerning changes to your health, make sure to talk with a doctor. You never know when speaking up about any issues could lead to a crucial diagnosis.
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It’s also important to remember that advocating for yourself may be necessary to get to a correct diagnosis. We saw that to be true with Angelina Cubero’s story above, but we’ve also seen it with many other MS warriors.
With 32-year-old Kayla Moreno, for instance, her symptoms first arrived as fatigue and tingling sensations. An active gym-goer, she assumed she had simply pinched a nerve. But once it got the point where she was unable to walk and one of her tingling sensation experiences lasted for several days, she knew it was time to bring her concerns to a doctor.
"No one knows my own body better than me and sadly I could feel it deteriorating," Moreno told The Mirror.
Moreno was diagnosed with MS in May 2022, but she’s since found ways to embrace living with condition.
"MS is life-changing and absolutely terrifying, but a positive attitude will get you a long way," she said.
Moreno listening to her body and addressing her concerns with a doctor was enough to lead to a diagnosis. But some people, like Cubero, had to push doctors for a correct diagnosis. In the case of Antonio Perez, 22, doctors though he might have had cancer when he came to them reporting constant fatigue and urination issues.
"At first, my doctor thought I had urine cancer," Perez told Metro. "I used to go to the bathroom about 25 times a day before I was diagnosed. I was just breaking down crying because I thought it was cancer.
“I didn't realize at the time it was a symptom of MS.”
'Don't Stop Me Now' Is Inspiration for Anybody With Multiple Sclerosis
His other symptoms have included trouble walking, drop foot (difficulty lifting the front part of his left foot) and tremors in his right hand. He’ll admit that MS has kept him from doing some of his favorite activities, but he’s since learned how to stay active with the disease and embrace his condition. In sharing his story and becoming a BelongMS mentor, Perez hopes to raise more awareness of the condition and give support to the larger MS community.
@mswarriorantonio Replying to @jamilamom it is what it is. #ms #positivity ♬ original sound – Antonio Perez
“I knew it was going to be long lasting. So I was going to talk about it and bring awareness to it, because I noticed the younger community wasn't really talking about it,” he reportedly said in a TikTok. “I thought people were going to look at me differently. But there was so much love and support from my followers, my family, my friends. It was really nice.”
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