Guest blogger: My amazing daughter, age 14

       I have always been very protective of my mom. When she only had MS, I always walked right beside her, sometimes even holding her hand, because she needed me. Now that she has had her CCSVI treated, she still needs help, but not nearly as much as she did before. A couple of years ago, we knew the limitations of what we could and couldn't do as a family because of that stupid thing called Multiple Sclerosis. The CCSVI treatments have changed all of that. Every day there's something new. Last week my mom worked with her trainer on strengthening her core, and she went on the bike for eight minutes. Just a few minutes ago I learned that she walked on the treadmill for 10 minutes! For most people that wouldn't mean anything, but for me every improvement brings more possibilities of what I can do with my mom.
     The other day, I had to go get pants hemmed (bleh). We got to the person's house that was helping us and her driveway was at an incline. A year and a half ago I would have had to come back with my dad because my mom couldn't make it up the hill. But now, she can do it. Slow and steady, side by side, we walked up the driveway,  with my arm out just in case.  We got up the hill with no trouble at all, and I couldn't have been more proud. That is the type of thing that finding and treating CCSVI has done to not only change the life of my mom, but of our whole family.
      I think that having a mom with MS and CCSVI has caused me to mature faster than most kids my age. I have learned to be very understanding when there's something that I want to do that I can't because of my mom's limitations. I have learned to be very cautious and aware of where there are any obstacles that might get in her way. But most of all, I have learned to be very appreciative of everything in my life. I am so lucky that it is a physical, and not mental problem that my mom has, because even though she might have trouble walking, or get tired very easily, she's still always there when I need her. I can still tell her anything, and we can have real mother-daughter conversations that are not at all affected by MS, or CCSVI, or however else you might think of it. I am so lucky, because it could have been much worse, and every day I am so grateful for the life that I have.
     My mom is still just like any other mom. She makes dinner, she does laundry, she yells at me when I don't deserve it... and she loves my sister and me the same way any other mom would, CCSVI or not.