© 2024 KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area
KALW Public Media / 91.7 FM Bay Area
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Crosscurrents

StoryCorps: Living with Multiple Sclerosis

Melanie Rowen was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in her late twenties. She remembers the first symptoms, such as bad vision and physical numbness, and her unsuccessful attempts to diagnose herself. As an attorney, normal tasks like writing briefs and remembering what was said at meetings suddenly became much more difficult.

The cost to treat the disease is over $700 a month. Rowen describes in detail how she deals with these financial burdens while trying to forge a new identity for herself.

Click the audio player above to listen to the story. Melanie Rowen spoke with her friend Kristina Wertz at the StoryCorps booth in the Contemporary Jewish Museum of San Francisco.

Tags
Crosscurrents StoryCorps