The most important thing that I've learned since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis is that my life didn't end when the doctor said, "You have relapsing MS." After diagnosis, I went through the stages of grief, denial, anger, bargaining and acceptance. But after acceptance, I still thought that life as I knew it was over.

Of course, I've had to make some modifications in my life as a result of my diagnosis, but it's far from over. For a couple of years after diagnosis, I scaled back the amount of activities I took part in. Most of this was due to the fear of not being able to complete what I started. However, as time progressed, I realized that I could do more than what I was limiting myself to.

Now, I'm as active as I was before diagnosis, just in a different way. I know my limits and listen to my body to make sure I don't over do it. Had I known how to adjust my activities and not just quit them, I would have been able to do so much more for those first couple of years after I was diagnosed. The good news is that now I know, and I can tell all of you not to make the same mistakes I did.