Five years ago today, my life changed forever. For better or for worse, I've struggled with that question for a bit of time. On September 12th, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I was 3 years into a 6-year Active Duty contract. I was scared as the world I worked so hard to build crumbled before me. My symptoms started as horrible double vision and a bit of dizziness; it took a few days for the medical team to narrow down what was happening. I had multiple brain/spine scans and a few spinal taps. The brain scans showed 4 lesions in my brain, which were causing the issues I was having. At first, I was pretty broken and distraught. I thought the life I had built was ending. Some of the medical professionals tried to push for me to get out, they said I wouldn't be able to stay on Active Duty. Throughout this process, I found that exercising, running, and being with close friends helped change my mindset and gave me a better outlook on life. I am incredibly thankful for the people who supported me throughout the first year of diagnosis. When people hear that I have MS, they say things like, "But you look so healthy" or "You don't need a wheelchair?". People don't know the other symptoms individuals with MS deal with daily (brain fog, numbness, balance issues, slurred speech, heavy legs, depression, MS hug, etc.). It is an invisible disease that goes unnoticed by many. All the symptoms, and I still continue to strive forward. I am pushing myself to my limits. Since the diagnosis, I've pushed myself harder than before; I strive to improve my life and live life to its fullest every day. I was allowed to stay on Active Duty. However, there are some frustrations with that. Still, I've been allowed to earn some great opportunities, attending Phoenix Raven school and US Army Air Assault. I will be deploying soon, as I've finally been able to get a medical waiver approved for deployment. I've accomplished a goal of running my first ultra-marathon (50 miles), and I am working my way up to running 100 miles straight soon. I no longer let this disease take control of my life. This unpredictable disease has beaten and broken me down in so many different ways, leaving me with little to no confidence. There's been so many hard days but also so many good days. So if you're in a bad spot in life and want to change, I say this to you: Stop comparing yourself to others. Concentrate on yourself. Find your reason to keep pushing. Find those things that make you happy. I would compare myself to others in the past. It did suck when my peers would progress ahead of me or medical would deny me opportunities. I used to live in my head and be scared to do certain things because I would tell myself I wasn't normal or good enough. Still, after this diagnosis and processing it, I've changed my outlook on life. I now realize that all of this was meant to be a part of my story, and it is nowhere close to ending. I will keep pushing and striving for greatness. This is only the start.