Meet MS Warrior Anita Mehta Iyer
Learning to live, thrive and smile; with MS as a new entrant in my life’s journey
written by Anita Mehta Iyer
I am learning to live and enjoy, as full a life as possible as a MSer, with the support and encouragement of the medical fraternity, fellow MS Warriors, MS care groups and the love of family and friends, along with several lifestyle changes of positive thinking, diet regimen, yoga, regular walks and curtailing stress.
Background
I am a 54 year old, Indian national, living in Mumbai since the past 4 years and have most recently relocated back to Singapore in end September 2020, following my husband’s transfer.
I have had the good fortune of living across several cities in India and the world, thanks to my Dad’s work transfer to London when I was very young (age 3-7), my own work transfer to Melbourne, Australia as a young working adult (age 24-25) and then work related moves along with my husband and thereafter, daughter too! – Mumbai, Delhi, Miami and New York, Singapore, Dubai and currently back to Singapore, as part of a dual career, married couple’s life story! (age 29+ to current).
Personal Profile
I completed my education in India, with an undergraduate degree in Advanced Accountancy and thereafter a MBA, from India’s leading management institute, IIM Ahmedabad. I have worked in banking with ANZ Bank and thereafter in management consulting at Coopers & Lybrand, PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM in India, Singapore and Dubai. I’ve enjoyed my 27 year working career and achieved several personal goals and aspirations; with some compromises made, while maintaining work-life balance, given a dual career family, husband’s work transfers and adjustments to my own career and trying to keep our small, happy family trio together in most locations.
My diagnosis of MS brought some significant changes to my professional career and has led me to make a tough decision to seek early retirement in August 2014, with strong encouragement by my young daughter and husband to ‘let go’ and be satisfied with what I’d accomplished, by overcoming several challenges – my own health (spinal surgery in 1999 and MS in 2012), aging parents and attendant responsibilities and sacrifices made as a trailing spouse to keep the family together. My young daughter never forgets to acknowledge my contribution to her growing up as a full family trio household for most of her childhood till college. It’s a blessing to have a wonderful and loving daughter and husband, who are my strongest supporters and cheerleaders, goading me on to face MS bravely as just one more challenge that I can manage and learn to live with.
Brief background of my MS Diagnosis and Treatment
I was diagnosed with optical neuritis in mid-April 2012 in Singapore (where we lived from mid 2007-2016), following hazy vision in my left eye. It naturally went back to regular vision in about 3-4 weeks (without medication) as suggested by an ophthalmologist.
Thereafter in mid-June 2012, my gait was a little unsteady per those who observed me closely, especially at work (though not apparent to me!). I also experienced a few cases of incontinence, which I initially attributed to age (46.5 years), and didn’t take too seriously.
However, I was advised to meet a neurologist to assess my case. I met a senior doctor in Mumbai (home base) and was asked to get a few tests conducted. After a Brain MRI, lesions were found in the left optic nerve. The brain MRI results and Visual Evoke Potential and Somato Sensory Evoke Potential test results reflected that there was a delay in conduction from the brain to the nerves. I was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) in end July 2012 in Mumbai.
I was hospitalised in Singapore in August 2012 and was on steroids (methylprednisolone) for 3 days. The doctors also did a lumbar puncture* on my spine and oligoclonal bands were found in my spinal fluid. (*I cannot get a spinal MRI done, due to an earlier surgery to insert a metal rod in my spine in 1999).
I have been on the interferon beta 1A injection (Rebif 22 mcg from Merck Serono) since mid-August 2012. I inject Rebif subcutaneously on my tummy and/or thigh** (**I had to discontinue injecting my left thigh after 3 years, as I had developed huge cavities in the flesh from too many jabs. Likewise, I discontinued injecting my right thigh after 6 years, due to similar reasons.
Complementary Lifestyle Changes made in addition to Medication
There is no medical evidence to support the following changes I have made to my lifestyle; some advised by other fellow MSers, and I have adopted. However, I have found them useful and continue to follow them; and so am sharing.
– I have made diet changes and am now gluten free and dairy free since the past 7.5 years+.
– Walk for at least an hour daily (5 days a week at minimum) as part of an exercise routine
– Retired from regular professional life, earlier than planned as the stress of a senior role that required managing client expectations, leading a team and achieving financial targets; along with travelling with MS medication at recommended low (2-6 degrees C) temperatures is not always possible.
– Joined a Breath & Meditation program conducted by the ‘Art of Living’ Foundation focused on learning rhythmic breathing techniques and guided meditation.
– Learnt yoga and have been practicing with good yoga instructors in Singapore since late 2012 and thereafter in Mumbai since August 2016. I have had the good fortune of learning yoga postures (‘asana’ in Sanskrit) and rationale behind some of these asana from my instructors.
Contribution of yoga to my well-being
Yoga has helped me with achieving flexibility, exercise, peace and calm.
– Flexibility: Yoga has helped me regain confidence in my ability to move/swing and bend my limbs and make my body more flexible. It also helps provide mild exercise to the whole body.
– Balance: It has been most helpful to me in terms of managing my balance while standing, including on one leg, with arms upraised (e.g. the standing tree pose or tadasan).
– Calm: I find the different breathing techniques called Pranayama (Control of Life Force or Extension of Breath) very calming and helpful by focusing on the breath. The techniques I practice in my yoga session are: Anulom Vilom (alternate nostril breathing), Kapalbhatti (Skull shining – breathing out to help clear the air passage, reduce bloating, relieve congestion, increase lung capacity and Ujjayi breathing (Victorious breath or sound of the ocean)
– Peace: I have found the mindfulness meditation that I do at the end of my yoga session very relaxing and peaceful. I listen to a pre-recorded mindfulness meditation track for about 14 minutes (e.g. Body Scan that makes one focus on different body parts from toes to the top of the head, in a focused, systematic and structured manner)
I have been blessed with three great yoga instructors who have helped me find peace and tranquillity through these postures, breathing exercises and mindfulness meditation.
On a personal and happier note, I’d like to refer to another nice fact, that one of the yoga instructors (who is an ex-neighbour too!) and I have become good friends as well, by serendipity! Here’s to the power of yoga as having given me peace, calm and friendship too!