b'MS Focus Activities Getting older as a new beginning For Cherie Binns, theres always time to create a new narrative.By Kimani HendricksAs a preteen who fell head over heels forproblem, anxiety, depression, psychosomatic the title character of the popular sixties dramasymptoms. And I began to believe it, resulting series Dr. Kildare, Cherie Binns decided on ain my plummeting self-worth," Binns said.career in the medical industry, concentratingNineteen years after her hospitalization in in nursing. Although her family physicianHouston, she was diagnosed with multiple advised against her aspirations, Binns persisted,sclerosis. "My three primary care doctors, all completing a rigorous 37-month program. Byof whom were men, already knew about my the mid-70s, she transitioned from triage tocondition but refrained from telling me years head nurse at an inner-city clinic in Houston.before because, according to them, it would In the early autumn of 1975, an outbreak ofhave been senseless due to there being no western equine encephalitis saturated southeasttreatments and because I was busy changing Texas, and Binns ended up hospitalized. careers and supporting my family.I thought I was dealing with a bout of thatMy income was the bulk for the four of us virus, as my symptoms included an endlessin the household for a long time. So, I didn\'t headache, neck stiffness, leg and arm spasms,feel I had the luxury of taking care of myself. and limited left-eye vision. It took 12 weeksWhile knowing I had MS earlier on would have to recover from that, but one thing I noticedbeen helpful, we didn\'t have our rst approved was that in and around the autumn of eachmedication until 1993. And I was diagnosed year that followed, I had these inexplicablein 1994, which was right at the start of MRI symptomsthatIcould,sometimes,workusage outside of the research arena. I was very through and other times, couldn\'t. That\'s howfortunate to get that diagnosis when I did, be-my wellness journey began," she said. causeeventhoughtherewasn\'tanything Not so professional opinions availablethen,itmademeaware.Andit Binns\'s determination to discover the causehelped me focus on what I could do," she said. of her seasonally ill health was often challengedWisdom of older personsby the dismissive and sometimes belittlingAfter beginning therapy, the severity of opinions of the professionals responsible forBinns\'s symptoms decreased, and a couple her care. "I was written off as having an emotionalof meds later, she was well enough to return msfocusmagazine.org 32'