Disease and the Genealogy of Suffering
How multiple sclerosis has pulled me and my sister apart and brought us together
Slumped over like a question mark, my sister shuffles across the first floor of her house. Her feet drag and her legs collapse beneath her from time to time, leaving her in a crumpled pile. Once in a while, her boyfriend or her 15-year-old daughter finds her, and she can’t recall how long she’s been lying there.
She can no longer lace her fingers around a glass of water and bring it to her lips. Her right hand flutters like a bird with a broken wing, unable to lift itself and sustain its own weight.
Yesterday, my sister sent me an Edible Arrangements bouquet for my birthday. She addressed it to an apartment I moved out of three years ago. I didn’t tell her about her mistake.
My sister is 36 years old.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system. It disrupts the connection between your brain and your body. Symptoms range from difficulty walking and thinking to weakness and fatigue. My sister has a version called Relapsing-Remitting MS, meaning she experiences unpredictable relapses in her symptoms followed by periods of remission and relief. This relapse has lasted four months so far.
