Marti’s MS Life, 1001 Rose Bowl Dr (2026)

11/03/2026

Fertility was never supposed to be this complicated, or this painful.

I’ve sat in countless waiting rooms, done the bloodwork, tracked the cycles, taken the shots. I’ve watched test after test come back with results that left me questioning everything.

And with MS in the mix, the weight of it all feels even heavier. This disease doesn’t accommodate doctor appointments, hormones, or emotional exhaustion. It just keeps going, no matter what else you’re carrying.

This journey has come with deep sadness. It’s forced me to face parts of myself I didn’t want to. It’s made me reassess what hope looks like. I’ve smiled when I didn’t feel like smiling. I’ve tried to stay optimistic in rooms that felt impossible.

Right now, I’m stepping back. I need space to process what I’ve been through and decide what I want next. And that choice doesn’t come from weakness, it comes from protecting my peace.

Some seasons aren’t about pushing. They’re about pausing.

10/03/2026

Motivational quotes are great until you have MS and your body has a full list of terms and conditions.

Keep pushing forward. Just maybe not uphill. Or in the heat. Or after 3pm. Or on a day when the fatigue decided to show up unannounced.

We move at our own pace around here. And that is still moving.

09/03/2026

MRI season hits different when you have MS.

It is not just a scan. It is days of quiet dread before you even walk through the door. It is a cage locked around your head, a cold table, an IV, and being completely alone inside a machine while your mind is very much awake.

I take a Xanax beforehand. Prescribed. Intentional. No shame attached.

I bring Mariah and Whitney into that tube with me. And when it is over, I do not rush back to normal life like it was nothing. Because it is not nothing.

Ice cream. A smoothie. A chair massage. A book I did not plan to buy. Something that says I made it through and I deserve care now.

If MRI anxiety hits you harder than you think it should, you are not being dramatic. You are responding to something real.

I go into all of it, the prep, the scan, the waiting, and the ritual I built around it, in this week’s Substack. Link in bio.

06/03/2026

Sometimes the hardest part of healing is realizing not every friendship will make it to the other side with you.

There was a time when I would bend myself into pieces to keep a connection alive, even when it no longer fit who I was becoming.

I’d over-explain, over-give, over-apologize, just to avoid the quiet ache of someone walking away.

But what I’ve learned is this: letting go doesn’t make you cold. It makes you honest.

When you’re living with something like MS, your energy becomes sacred. You don’t have the bandwidth to chase people who don’t check in, who don’t make space for your hard days, who make you feel like you’re “too much” for needing more care than you used to.

If a friendship fades or falls apart, you’re allowed to grieve it, but you don’t have to resurrect it. You can close the door. And you don’t owe anyone an apology for locking it behind you.

Not every ending needs to be revisited. Some are just the beginning of honoring yourself better.

04/03/2026

Every year I show up to the Rose Bowl and walk for every single one of us living with MS. This year is no different, and I would love for you to be there with me.

March 29th. Pasadena. The MS Walk. One mile. You can absolutely do one mile.

If you have ever wanted to walk alongside someone who will be fully emotional by the halfway point, I am your person. Join my team and let’s do this together.

And if walking is not in the cards right now, a donation goes directly toward research and support for people living with this disease. Every dollar matters more than I can say.

Twelve years of diagnosis and I still show up to that Rose Bowl because this community keeps me going. Let me return the favor.

Link in bio to join my team or donate. Either way, I am grateful for you.

03/03/2026

The what-ifs have been loud lately.

What if I get worse? What if my mobility changes? What if the fatigue becomes something I can’t work around?

My brain fog has been getting worse. Words slip away mid-sentence. My vision has been shifting in ways that are small but noticeable enough to make me pause.

Living with MS means living alongside uncertainty. Not as an abstract idea, but as a daily, quiet companion.

I’ve been sitting with the harder questions too. What it would mean to need more care. The financial weight of a disease that is impossible to predict. What legacy I leave behind if my world gets smaller.

There’s grief in that. Some days it feels manageable. Other days it sits heavy.

But I’m still here. Still paying attention. Still naming what’s changing instead of pretending it isn’t.

The what-ifs don’t make me pessimistic. They make me honest.

If you’ve been feeling this too, you’re not overreacting. You’re responding to your body with awareness. And that matters.

I go much deeper on all of this in this week’s Substack. Link in bio.

03/03/2026

19.3 miles. With MS.

My body had other plans out there. The numbness crept in, the spasms started, and at some point the pain was sitting at an 8 even after the medical team at worked their magic on me. Someone on that course told me to quit and use a wheelchair.

I kept going.

Not because it was easy. Not because my body cooperated. Because I have spent too long letting this disease decide what I am capable of. That ends on my terms, not MS’s.
March is MS Awareness Month, and I could not think of a better way to kick it off than crossing that finish line. 19.3 miles of proof that this disease does not get the final word.
I am so proud of myself. Not in spite of what happened out there, but because of it. This is what it looks like to run for every one of us who has been told to slow down, sit down, or give up.

We are not our diagnosis. We are so much more.

To , my family and friends who chased me from park to park, and everyone who found me on that course, and every single person at home watching my location tick through each mile marker, thank you. I felt every bit of it. I could not have done this without you.

This one was for us.

26/02/2026

Some days, I can walk into a room and no one would guess I have a disability. That’s the complicated part of living with an invisible illness like MS.

From the outside, everything might look fine, but inside, my body is fighting battles no one can see.

There’s a strange kind of pressure that comes with that. Because when people can’t “see” your disability, they assume it’s not there. You’re expected to keep up, push through, prove you’re not “exaggerating.”

And if you ask for help? Sometimes you’re met with confusion, or worse, judgment.

But the truth is, my disability is real, even when it’s invisible. And one day, it likely won’t be. That’s a reality I live with every day. MS is a progressive disease. My body will change. My mobility might change. And with that, the way the world sees me will change too.

There’s so much stigma around disability, especially when it doesn’t look the way people expect. But disability isn’t one thing. It’s not always visible. It’s not always obvious. And it’s not something to be ashamed of.

I share this because the more we talk about it, the more we normalize it. The more we push back against the stigma. The more space we make for every kind of body, every kind of experience.

And if you’re navigating that same in-between space, I get it. You’re not imagining it. Your pain is real. Your experience is valid.

Let’s keep opening the door for deeper understanding. For compassion. For visibility.

ProgressiveDisease MSAwareness AccessibleFuture

23/02/2026

Just had my first appointment with my new concierge doctor, and she’s a Black woman.

That combo? Feels like striking gold.

As a Black patient, having a Black doctor means more than comfort. It means I’m seen in ways that go beyond my chart.

There’s a shared understanding, a cultural shorthand, and a trust that doesn’t have to be earned from scratch.

Add to that the fact that she’s a woman, and suddenly I’m not having to over-explain or defend my own pain. She gets it. She listens. She believes me.

In a world where Black women are so often dismissed or misdiagnosed, this feels radical. Necessary. Healing.

Representation in healthcare isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s life-changing.

HealthcareEquity MSAwareness ChronicIllnessSupport

29/01/2026

I hope you didn’t think there was really a $47 supplement that cured my MS. If it were that simple, believe me, we would all know by now.

But what is real is my frustration and heartbreak over what’s happening in our country. The systems meant to protect people are harming people, and that’s not okay.

If you feel the same way, do something about it. Call your senator and your representatives, tell them what matters to you, and let your voice be heard. Support or boycott companies based on what they choose to stand for. Use your dollars and your voice to push for change.

Healing and health don’t come from shortcuts. Change doesn’t happen by staying silent.

Let’s care about each other and about justice in every way we can. 🧡

StandForChange BlackLivesMatter HumanRights MSAwareness

26/01/2026

Rebuilding after a relationship that broke me open wasn’t just about healing my heart, it was about finding my voice again.

Loving the wrong person while living with a chronic illness adds layers most people don’t see, like learning to trust your instincts again, setting boundaries that protect your energy, and grieving the parts of yourself you quieted just to keep the peace.

My latest Substack article is personal. It’s raw. And it’s for anyone navigating the aftermath of dating someone who made you feel like your needs were too much.

If you’ve ever been there, or you’re still in it, I wrote this for you.

Read the full piece at the link in my bio.

RebuildingYourself RelationshipRecovery

22/01/2026

Mark your calendars, our annual MS Warriors Brunch is back!

Whether you’ve been before or always wanted to come, this is your sign to save the date for one of the most heart-filling events of the year. We’re bringing together the MS community for a day of incredible food, drinks, silent auction goodies, luxe swag bags, and soul-nourishing connection.

✨ Los Angeles: 03.21.26
✨ Orlando: 10.10.26

You’ll laugh, cry, eat well, and leave feeling less alone and more empowered than ever. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

More details soon, but for now, save the date and tell a friend. 🧡

MSStrong

Marti’s MS Life

11/03/2026

10/03/2026

09/03/2026

06/03/2026

04/03/2026

03/03/2026

03/03/2026

26/02/2026

23/02/2026

29/01/2026

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