b'Life with MSLLiivviinnggWWiitthhaaTTwwiinnWWhhoohhaassMMSSSibling helps get you to out of the bubblemore quicklyBy Ria Parker My name is Ria. I dont have multiple sclerosis I say? She was not always nethats whybut my twin sister, Kiana, does. When she was she missed school. Shes not sick where sherst hospitalized, it was confusing and scary. has something like cancer, but MS is a medicalShe left school early to go to the eye doctor condition for which there is no cure, wherebecause she wasnt feeling well and had double she has a lot of physical symptoms, and willvision and the next thing I know, she was most likely always have to take medicines soadmitted to the hospital for a brain MRI and she doesnt have a relapse. other tests.As a sibling and especially for me as a twin,Finding out later she had MS, I didnt really its hard to see youre going through this. Andknow what it was but we knew there was no cure I did wonder at the beginning how come Ifor it and, in the beginning, she had to take didnt get MS and she did, or if I would getinjections three times a week. Sometimes our dad MS later. gave her the injections, then me and my mom. My advice for a sibling of someone whoKiana having to take the injections was hard has MS, you are probably the person closestfor her and me giving the injections was hard to them so just be there for them, listen tofor me. She now takes pills instead of getting them, and hang out with them. injections and thats worked so much better. The one thing thats helped me understandKiana missed a lot of school and people MS better is attending the MS camps eachwould ask me how is Kiana doing? I would year for families of kids who have MS. At thesesay shes ne. But what else should I or could camps, we discuss MS and the siblings gettogether and talk about what its like having asibling who is sick. What we nd is that weusually have things in common. Its also nicemeeting others from all over the United Stateswho are going through similar feelings. Whenyou are young, you are in a bubble and mainlyjust concerned about yourself and the thingsyou want and you dont really pay too muchattentiontotheproblemsotherkidsface.Having a sibling who has MS, you get out ofthis bubble sooner. You pay more attention tothe suerings of others.msfocusmagazine.org 40'