It’s March, which is MS Awareness Month. It doesn’t get much attention, but this year it should, and it’s more important than ever.

Why is it more important now? I have insurance, so I shouldn’t have to worry, right? Yes, I have insurance through Kaiser PNW, which is absolutely useless. The closest neurologist that I can see is 5 hours away, which is not an option for me. I have not had any preventative checkups, medications (No IVIG, No Rituxan), or any other form of treatment for MS in over a year. Kaiser PNW doesn’t even have an MRI machine in Eastern Washington!

Of course, Kaiser PNW will refer me out to someone closer, but then I have to pay out of pocket as they refuse to cover it.

I have not had any MS medication or even an MRI since Jan of 2025, which is used to keep track of the status of my MS, which I normally get every year. I am doing a GoFundMe to help with my medical costs to get me back on track, as well as a donation to the MS Society for helping me get a wheelchair at no cost.

Not having medical care has affected my quality of life. I feel invisible, dismissed, and totally unheard by everyone. This disease has stolen everything from me: my career, my friends, my hobbies, and even the person I was.

The Rosemary everyone and I once knew no longer exists. I am just a shell of the person I once was. Multiple Sclerosis is a debilitating disease, one that no one deserves. Let alone, no one deserves to have to go through it without access to prompt, proper medical care and MS treatments.