“I really believe that you can’t focus on the past and you can’t focus on the future. Acknowledge it, yes. But do not let it control your life. You are in control of your life.”
Making the Best out of the Diagnosis
Sophie still vividly remembers the events leading up to her diagnosis:
“I was diagnosed in 2015. The season of festivals was starting, and I was an agent at the time. It was around the month of May. And everything was off. My hearing was off. My balance was off. I kept bumping into corners. It was crazy. And then, there was a tingling in my foot. I thought it was from an old waterskiing accident. But it got worse. It started going up one of my legs, and then it went up my torso area.”
After a period of uncertainty and a slew of tests, Sophie’s doctor broke the news. “He came to my hospital room. I was with my mom. And he told us that I had multiple sclerosis. All I could say was “Wait, what? This cannot be happening to me. I’m Sophie.”
This is Sophie’s story.
P.S., I Have MS
It wasn’t easy news to digest. But still to this day, Sophie remembers one thing her doctor told her that she has been forever grateful for. He said, “some people, they take this news and decide to make some great changes that really do lead to a better life”. She made up her mind, then and there, to only make great changes to her life.
Sophie decided to get involved with her cause. She created the P.S., j'ai la SP (P.S., I Have MS) social media platform on which she shares her lived experience to support those who are also affected by MS and to encourage them to live better with the disease.
The first post was a video to explain what the platform was, and it took off like crazy. “My dad just kept texting me about the views on the video. By the time I went on to Facebook, there were thousands of views, and I was like ‘What is happening?!’”
Today, Sophie works closely with MS Canada as an ambassador and, through the Research Fund created in her name, helps finance projects conducted by students. She also had the pleasure of acting as a co-chair of the Youth Committee coordinated by MS Canada.
From Work 24/7 to Self-Care 24/7
“Someone asked me what MS has changed in my life, and I was like everything. Absolutely everything. And the main thing I’ve learned is – I have to be super connected with myself.”
“I had a very dark moment after my diagnosis – I didn’t know what to do with myself. I had to close my artists agency, a project and a dream that I put all my heart, my time and my energy into. I did not know who I was if I was not an agent. I had to find a new path. I had to find other passions other than my work. I didn’t love exercising. But I loved being outside. It wasn’t part of my day-to-day routine. But it is now. Now, exercising is at the top of my to-do list. The research is very clear on how being active can help people with MS in so many ways.”
My MS. My Rules.
When asked about what “living by her rules” means to her, Sophie responded passionately:
“It means everything. It's actually my philosophy. I feel like there's a different kind of MS for everybody. The experience is never the same. It goes back to listening to yourself, finding your center and making your own rules.”
Sophie’s vigour and relentless attitude are nothing less than infectious. Catch up with Sophie and the rest of My Krew on Facebook and Instagram, and share your stories and experiences using #MyKrew!
Catch up with My Krew