[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/11\/megans-story-multiple-sclerosis\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/11\/megans-story-multiple-sclerosis\/","headline":"Navigating a Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis at 23 \u2014 Megan\u2019s Story","name":"Navigating a Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis at 23 \u2014 Megan\u2019s Story","description":"<p><\/p>","datePublished":"2025-11-04","dateModified":"2026-03-11","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Magee_MS_Care_Center_Aug2025-3658-1-e1762280515154.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Magee_MS_Care_Center_Aug2025-3658-1-e1762280515154.jpg","height":866,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/11\/megans-story-multiple-sclerosis\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Neurosurgery and Brain Health"],"wordCount":1137,"articleBody":"When Megan C., 25, of Canonsburg, Pa., was in middle school, she found herself facing a juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) diagnosis. Though she hadn\u2019t felt any pain, a lump on her right hand had appeared, which prompted a visit to UPMC Children\u2019s Hospital of Pittsburgh.There, Megan met Daniel Kietz, MD, a pediatric rheumatologist. Initially, Dr. Kietz treated her JIA with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroids, and methotrexate (MTX). After 18 months of that regimen, he prescribed her Humira, a medication that helps calm down the immune system\u2019s attack on the joints. She received this medication as an injection every two to three weeks.The lump subsided, and Megan was able to complete high school and college without any issues. Then, in August 2023, strange new symptoms began.\u201cIt started as numbness in my feet during my walks,\u201d Megan says. \u201cEventually, the numb feeling started spreading up my legs and into my hands.\u201dBy the end of summer, the symptoms were affecting her daily life.Flipping her head down to brush her hair would send a wave of pins and needles through her whole body, which she attributed to sciatic nerve pain. Then she began stumbling, struggling to walk, and having bladder issues.\u201cIt always felt like I had to go to the bathroom, but then I\u2019d struggle to actually go,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s when I really knew something bigger was at play.\u201dSearching for AnswersA visit to her primary care provider didn\u2019t yield any answers, so Megan sought out Dr. Kietz once again. She already had years of experience working with him and trusted his advice beyond her arthritis.Dr. Kietz referred her to the UPMC Neurological Institute at UPMC Presbyterian. After she shared her symptoms with the team, they ordered a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam.\u201cAs my mom and I were driving home from the MRI, I got a call asking me to go to the emergency room as soon as possible,\u201d Megan recalls. \u201cThat\u2019s when everything got real.\u201dAt the emergency department (ED), doctors ran several tests on Megan, including a lumbar puncture, and administered a high-dose steroid IV.\u201cI remember I had gone bowling the night before with co-workers and my feet had felt the most numb they had ever felt,\u201d she says. \u201cI could hardly feel the doctors taking off my socks and examining my legs.\u201dAfter an unsettling overnight stay with little rest, Megan was having a rough morning when attending neurologist Ingrid Loma-Miller, MD, came in to discuss her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis for the first time.\u201cI was exhausted and overwhelmed, which sent me into a panic attack,\u201d Megan says. \u201cI don\u2019t remember much, but I do remember how understanding and lovely Dr. Loma-Miller was.\u201dUnderstanding Multiple SclerosisMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes the protective covering of nerves to break down.This can cause:Muscle weakness or spasms.Numbness or tingling.Trouble walking.Vision problems.If left untreated, MS can cause permanent nerve damage. Some people lose the ability to walk or function in life on their own.Though MS can occur at any age, it is more likely to develop in women and young adults between the ages of 20 and 40. For Megan, receiving this diagnosis at 23 was not easy.\u201cIt was absolutely terrifying,\u201d she says. \u201cI was so upset for months \u2014 in a bad place mentally and physically. It was so hard.\u201dStarting Infusion TherapyAfter the ED discharged Megan, she did another steroid infusion at the MS clinic and met with Dr. Loma-Miller, who further discussed her diagnosis and treatment phases.\u201cShe explained everything in such a great way, and she\u2019s so encouraging,\u201d Megan says. \u201cI truly love her so much.\u201dFirst, Megan underwent plasmapheresis every other day for two weeks at UPMC Mercy.During each session, a wide-bore IV enters one arm to draw blood out of the body. The blood then passes through a machine that separates the plasma \u2014 the liquid part of the blood \u2014 from the blood cells.It then removes and replaces the plasma with donor plasma before mixing it back in with the blood cells. Finally, a standard IV in the other arm returns the cleaned blood to the body.This procedure helps to remove harmful antibodies from the blood and replace them with clean donor plasma.\u201cIt\u2019s a rough procedure, and my arms were struggling in the end,\u201d Megan says. \u201cBut I will remember the nurses there forever because of how nice and helpful they were. They made it so much easier.\u201dNext up for Megan\u2019s treatment regimen was infusion therapy at UPMC&#8217;s MS clinic.These sessions delivered medication directly into her bloodstream to reduce immune attacks and slow the disease progression. The first two sessions are the longest, lasting up to six hours each, and happen only weeks apart. After the first two sessions, Megan\u2019s next infusions happened every six months, a schedule she continues to this day.This course of treatment also helped to treat Megan\u2019s JIA, which allowed her to stop taking the Humira.At this point, Megan is confident in proclaiming herself symptom-free of her MS.\u201cMy lesions are fading, and there aren\u2019t any new ones,\u201d she says. \u201cI currently don\u2019t feel any symptoms at all, and for that I am so thankful.\u201dThe Impact of a Supportive CommunityBeyond the medical procedures, Megan credits her support system and UPMC staff with keeping her spirits high.\u201cI give my parents a ton of credit \u2014 they were scared, too, but they stayed by my side every step of the way,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd the nurses at the hospital and in the clinics all genuinely love their jobs and care about you as a person, not just an illness. That made all the difference.\u201dA Focus on Holistic HealthFor Megan, infusion therapy and a support system were only parts of the puzzle for her recovery.\u201cI knew I wasn\u2019t going to fully heal unless I took care of my mental and physical health in other ways, too,\u201d she says.Lifestyle changes \u2014 such as eating healthier and focusing on whole foods \u2014 helped her lose 50 pounds. Daily walks keep her body active without causing flare-ups from overexertion.And committing to therapy helped Megan process the trauma around her diagnosis and find positivity in her story.\u201cI have such a great outlook on life now \u2014 I cherish time with people more and feel like I\u2019m living life to the fullest,\u201d she says. \u201cI want to show people that there are so many modern advancements with MS today that it is possible to thrive even with this diagnosis. I\u2019m living proof of it!\u201dEditor's Note: This article was originally published on November 4, 2025, and was last reviewed on March 11, 2026.Sources"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2025","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"11","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/\/11\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Navigating a Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis at 23 \u2014 Megan\u2019s Story","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/11\/megans-story-multiple-sclerosis\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]