Lisa’s Story

Lisa talks about finding community through the B.Fit! program at The Boston Home.

In 1984, I was diagnosed with RRMS. I was a very active athletic person at the time, and I had no idea that I was living with an illness that I would carry for the rest of my life. I was blessed to get married to a man who is willing to believe that we could wage this war together. The blessings kept coming and we had three beautiful children within 33 months. I was so thrilled and distracted by them that it helped me get through years of the disease without focusing on the ups and downs.

Initially pharmaceuticals were the go-to for my treatment. Now decades later, and in a progressive phase of multiple sclerosis, medication is no longer at the forefront of my treatment. I was fortunate to be referred to Dr. Bouley of The Elliot Lewis Center. He has always been very supportive and understanding of my medical concerns. He seemed to end every exchange with a question whether I was familiar with The Boston Home (TBH). He explained that it was a residential facility for people with neurological disabilities, 90% of whom have MS. He encouraged me to visit. I found it to be bursting with natural light and smiling faces. I felt very comfortable there and observed the camaraderie and mutual respect between the people living there and the staff.

There is a program at The Boston Home called B.Fit! which has a virtual Zoom component once a week. This gives me the opportunity to share in a safe social environment with other members of the MS community who live in different parts of the country. More recently, there were some events at The Boston Home where I was able to visit in-person. What a thrill to personally meet up with the people I’d been talking with all summer! In addition, it was such a gift for me to connect with a member from Cleveland, Ohio. We made plans for Mary to visit me in my home in Acton. While she was in the area, she visited The Boston Home and met people there, much to our delight.

Emily, our leader, brings her beautiful spirit to our meetings every week. To know that I can look forward to sharing my moments with kindred spirits is very comforting to me, and I look forward to the B. Fit meetings every week!