Hi, I am Dr. Kim Logan Nowlin.
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And I'm Arthur Nowlin.
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And welcome to Making It Work.
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Once again Making
It Work comes to you
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and trying to
empower our families
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and help our families
with good information,
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tools to help
you to make it work.
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Today, we have a
very special guest.
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I have known her
since she was a little girl,
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running around
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the Burns
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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in Detroit, Michigan.
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But about I would
say maybe 15, 20 years,
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she will tell you
more and exact dates,
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something changed in her life,
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and we want her to
tell Miss Ayana Gardner
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to tell her testimony.
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Welcome to
Making It Work, Ayana.
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Brother Nowlin
and Sister Nowlin,
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I'm so glad to see you today.
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Be here with
you on this program.
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Oh, well, we
thank you. Thank you.
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We watched you grow and develop
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and just a blessing to
everyone who crosses your path.
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You were such a sweetheart.
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But now...
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And also worked with me
with the Motor City Federation.
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Absolutely.
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There we had great
time too. Yes, we did.
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That was the first federation,
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where was it at the
Coleman Young Rec Center,
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downtown Detroit.
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I believe so. It has
been such a long time.
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Yeah, right. So.
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And the Motor City Youth
Federation is a organization
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that brings our youths
together within our churches,
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within the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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and at one time my
husband served 11 years
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for the Motor City
within Detroit area
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and surround churches.
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Yes, how many
churches? Twenty one.
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Twenty one churches.
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You know, and I was first
lady, I was celebrity, yeah.
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So, Ayana, we want
to hear your testimony
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and like you to take our viewers
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through what happened to
you in the middle of your life
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and the high point of your life.
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Tell us what happened?
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Well, I can tell you that
it has been an uphill battle
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ever since about the year 2000.
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Shortly after I was
married at a young age,
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unfortunately that
situation did not work out,
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but I have been having some
really strange health symptoms
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following that
experience in blindness
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in the matter of three days...
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Really. What?
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In the year 2000,
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I thought it was
just a slight muscle
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or eyestrain in my eye,
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and over the
course of three days,
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lost my eyesight
completely in the left eye.
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Was treated with steroids
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over the course of
maybe three, four days.
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And over the
next couple of months,
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it slowly but surely came back.
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So I thank the Lord for that.
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But my story is like many others
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who start off with the
disease multiple sclerosis
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which is very life altering.
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And at the age of about 22 to 23
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is when I really
started having battles with it,
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lots of fatigue, numbness
and tingling from the legs
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all the way to the waist,
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and then losing
the feeling in my arms
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all the way to my shoulders.
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And walking around
and not being able to feel
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the very hands I
used to shake at school.
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After about a year
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of not disclosing
a lot of these things
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I was going through personally,
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I finally decided
to go to the hospital,
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at a major hospital
in Detroit, Michigan.
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Was there for
roughly three or four days
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while they ran some tests.
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Excuse me.
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Let me interrupt
you for one second.
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Yes.
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Are you saying that
you didn't tell anyone
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when you were going
through these symptoms?
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Did you just
kept it to yourself?
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Lots of times I
kept it to myself
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thinking maybe it's stress
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or post things
from a relationship,
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and I didn't really
disclose a lot of information.
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Okay.
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I went to William
Beaumont where they did
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lots of experiments on me.
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And unfortunately
after three or four days
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of being poked and prodded on,
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they came back
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and said that
without a shadow of a doubt
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that it was multiple sclerosis.
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And that was pretty devastating
not only to my immediate family
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but to my church family.
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You know, there had
been no record of anyone
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that we knew with the illness.
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A lot of information
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had not been out
on it at that time,
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so it was pretty devastating
to find out I had it.
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And at that time it
was an incurable disease.
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My parents who have been
a beacon to me since then,
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they were, surrounded me
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and shielded me
with a lot of things.
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We had some friends who
were medical professionals
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who had attended some
conferences in another state,
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and they were
speaking to my parents
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because they have
recently found out my diagnosis.
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And had learned of some doctors
overseas in the Germany area
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that had done some experiments
or work on multiple sclerosis.
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And was willing to
give my parents the numbers
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to these doctors to
get in contact with them,
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because I was progressing
within the disease quite fast.
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Losing everything,
any bodily function
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you can think of,
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being unable to walk and
be able to use your limbs
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without really feeling them,
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some other things
like the endless fatigue,
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lots of emotional
backdrop to a lot of things.
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It was roughly
about five months later,
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four, five months later
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once my progression
had really got pretty bad,
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that some of our doctor friends
and my parents over the river
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and through the woods,
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they got in
touch with this doctor.
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He was going to
be back in the States
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for another medical conference.
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And so the original plan
I believe if I can remember
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was to fly me to this
other state with my parents,
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and we have a
meeting with this doctor.
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Well, because my
health was really weakened,
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they didn't want to
make me make that long flight
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to another state
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like that not
knowing what would happen.
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Well, with much
prayer and much power,
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somehow the doctor agreed
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that he had a
little bit of time,
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a window of time
between some meetings
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that he was having,
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and he was
willing to fly to Detroit,
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Michigan from half way
across the world to meet me.
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My Lord.
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So they got the
arrangements together
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and the
interesting thing which is,
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one of the most powerful
things of the testimony,
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all of my medical records
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were hung up in
the hospital here.
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Being that he was across seas,
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he had no access
to anything of mine.
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I could barely walk
and was really wobbly,
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but I managed to
get to a hospital here
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that had my medical records.
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Unfortunately the person
that give me the information
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where my records were
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told me the wrong location
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on a very large
hospital facility ground,
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that just by walking would take
every bit of 25, 30 minutes,
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and I knew I couldn't do it.
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And God places you
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at the right
place at the right time.
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A young gentleman
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who was one of the
transport personnel
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for the medical facility
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actually saw me
looking sort of disoriented
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as I was trying to
figure out how am I going to
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get to the other side
of this medical campus,
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and he offered to
take me over there.
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Put me on his transport vehicle
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and dropped me off in
front of the building.
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To make a long story short,
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it was a woman
there who got access
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to all my medical records.
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And mind you, this is
after the office was closed
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because I was dropped
there just a few minutes
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after I knew the
office was closed,
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but my spirit, the Holy Spirit
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I believe told me to go here,
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and someone will be
there to assist you.
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And within hour and
half after being totally
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put from here to there,
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this lady at the hospital
that accessed to my records
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and that's how I was able
to get them to Doctor Frank.
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And within that week they
said, Ayana, it's your choice.
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You can probably
imagine what it felt like to be
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able to have a foreign medicine
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being experimented on
you and done with this,
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not knowing what could happen.
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And just by
faith, trusting that God
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had another plan for
you to accept the treatment,
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to accept the
clinical treatments,
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and progress along
with what the plan was.
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The more they prayed over me
and several people were there
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and they told me the moment
that you feel anything funny,
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you let us know.
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First treatment went
well and second and third
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and fourth and so on.
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And I was treated a series
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of about four to
five different times
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over several
months within the year,
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skipping a few months at a time.
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And to ended all I
will say my sister,
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my younger sister,
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I have two sisters which
I'm oldest of all three of us.
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My youngest sister was
getting married in the year
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that I was treated.
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And I was received
my very last treatment
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the day before she was married,
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and I was able to walk
down the aisle in the heels,
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no walker and no cane.
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And I want to say something.
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Let say to here
welcome the healed.
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I know. I know.
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That's a blessing. God
has been good ever since.
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Oh, that's a blessing.
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I had a few other answers
is where something has happened
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due to some others things with.
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Medical thing
it's so interesting,
00:10:17.45\00:10:19.18
MS can be
triggered by many things.
00:10:19.21\00:10:22.32
And a lot of times,
00:10:22.35\00:10:24.12
even right now I
believe the Lord,
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He allows you to
have certain illnesses,
00:10:25.99\00:10:28.99
but when you're a
testimony for Him,
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you know, you can walk
around with some major illnesses
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and really not be affected by.
00:10:34.33\00:10:36.80
I've had MS for
about 14 to 15 years
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and maybe longer
and just didn't know
00:10:40.17\00:10:42.20
what was going,
it's been dormant there.
00:10:42.24\00:10:44.81
But God has
watched me ever since,
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I literally walk by faith.
00:10:47.14\00:10:49.68
Just recently I start
walking with the cane actually.
00:10:49.71\00:10:53.18
After I was treated back then,
I only had one other situation
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that was pretty
devastating to deal with the MS
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but it was caused by a
tooth being pulled too soon.
00:11:01.26\00:11:03.43
Okay.
00:11:03.46\00:11:04.79
And the bacteria sort
of littered to my system
00:11:04.83\00:11:06.63
triggered the MS so I know
not to do that soon anymore.
00:11:06.66\00:11:10.23
But ever since then
as been upward mobility.
00:11:10.27\00:11:14.14
God has brought me from the bed,
00:11:14.17\00:11:15.57
from the wheelchair,
00:11:15.60\00:11:17.34
and from the cane recently,
00:11:17.37\00:11:19.54
and so I thank
the Lord for that.
00:11:19.57\00:11:21.61
Oh, yeah. Go ahead.
00:11:21.64\00:11:23.14
The medication, are you still
taking that same medication or?
00:11:23.18\00:11:27.75
I have taken no formal
medication for over 10 years.
00:11:27.78\00:11:32.39
Are you serious, my goodness.
00:11:32.42\00:11:34.92
Now, have you changed your diet,
00:11:34.96\00:11:36.76
I know as far as what you eat,
00:11:36.79\00:11:38.69
you know, in your sleep pattern,
00:11:38.73\00:11:41.73
had it improved or did it
00:11:41.76\00:11:43.47
'cause you know the pain
that you were experiencing,
00:11:43.50\00:11:47.00
you know, 'cause your
muscles were uncomfortable.
00:11:47.04\00:11:49.14
So was it a diet, are
you using a special diet now?
00:11:49.17\00:11:54.18
I'm getting ready to
start more diet-- more regimen.
00:11:54.21\00:12:00.05
One thing that, I don't know
00:12:00.08\00:12:02.95
if it's exactly
from the MS or not
00:12:02.98\00:12:04.85
but I was pumped
with a lot of steroids.
00:12:04.89\00:12:07.89
And unfortunately
when you're not as mobile,
00:12:07.92\00:12:10.99
you're not able to use muscles
00:12:11.03\00:12:12.36
and you tend to
retain a lot of stuff,
00:12:12.39\00:12:13.73
so I have gained
00:12:13.76\00:12:15.10
quite a few
pounds over the years.
00:12:15.13\00:12:16.93
And by many people
00:12:16.97\00:12:18.30
and especially those
who are close to you,
00:12:18.33\00:12:21.00
sometimes would remind you
00:12:21.04\00:12:22.37
that you have done
that unfortunately.
00:12:22.40\00:12:24.84
Sometimes we must
understand Dr. Nowlin
00:12:24.87\00:12:27.31
that people
don't know your story.
00:12:27.34\00:12:29.41
That's right. Come on now.
00:12:29.44\00:12:30.78
And the pastor of my church,
I love when he preached that,
00:12:30.81\00:12:33.85
he is a wonderful pastor.
00:12:33.88\00:12:35.82
And when he preaches
that it makes so much sense.
00:12:35.85\00:12:40.19
And I will say that, you know,
God would do what He would do
00:12:40.22\00:12:43.39
when that rang 'cause
that's another journey to take,
00:12:43.43\00:12:46.76
but I'm so thankful
00:12:46.80\00:12:48.13
that God has brought
me through what He has.
00:12:48.16\00:12:51.17
Losing your voice
and losing everything,
00:12:51.20\00:12:53.54
I used to sing quite a bit.
00:12:53.57\00:12:55.17
Yes. Beautiful voice.
00:12:55.20\00:12:56.91
Ayana has a beautiful voice.
00:12:56.94\00:12:59.07
Yes, and I'm thankful the Lord
00:12:59.11\00:13:01.58
through one of our
wonderful choir directors
00:13:01.61\00:13:03.78
at our church Misairus Hankins
00:13:03.81\00:13:06.01
and our whole music committee
00:13:06.05\00:13:07.98
who stands behind
the music ministry
00:13:08.02\00:13:10.69
and she tries to strengthen
my voice through exercises
00:13:10.72\00:13:13.72
and things like
that, very encouraging.
00:13:13.76\00:13:16.49
And when you have
people like that is around you,
00:13:16.52\00:13:19.56
your health and your healing
becomes more and more real.
00:13:19.59\00:13:25.67
It becomes more, more real.
00:13:25.70\00:13:27.04
You know, I was visiting
your church two weeks ago.
00:13:27.07\00:13:29.94
And at the end
of Sabbath school,
00:13:29.97\00:13:32.41
when the department has
stated that you'd be taking over
00:13:32.44\00:13:35.11
'cause she was going to
be taking a leave of absence.
00:13:35.14\00:13:36.88
Yes.
00:13:36.91\00:13:38.25
I saw you get up
and I watched you,
00:13:38.28\00:13:41.42
and it hit me, I said,
"Ayana doesn't have a cane."
00:13:41.45\00:13:45.89
And I watched you
walk all the way up.
00:13:45.92\00:13:48.02
You would sit down,
00:13:48.06\00:13:49.39
she calls you up
and walked again.
00:13:49.42\00:13:51.23
And you stood up for
a good period of time
00:13:51.26\00:13:55.16
and I said, "Look at the Lord."
00:13:55.20\00:13:59.17
I was so happy for you.
00:13:59.20\00:14:01.64
You know, and let me say
this, one thing about Ayana,
00:14:01.67\00:14:04.77
her countenance,
00:14:04.81\00:14:06.14
the old character
has never changed.
00:14:06.17\00:14:08.24
You have
remained kind and sweet,
00:14:08.28\00:14:10.58
loving and that
song I shall not complain
00:14:10.61\00:14:14.58
and you continue
to stay with the Lord.
00:14:14.62\00:14:16.65
You never left the Lord.
00:14:16.69\00:14:18.62
You never, you
never questioned God.
00:14:18.65\00:14:22.76
Why?
00:14:22.79\00:14:24.13
Well, one thing when you are--
00:14:24.16\00:14:26.66
as I said it before
raised in a strong family.
00:14:26.70\00:14:30.10
You know, first of
all no family is perfect.
00:14:30.13\00:14:32.57
But I must say, I have
a supportive grandparent
00:14:32.60\00:14:37.14
and parent foundation
00:14:37.17\00:14:39.64
of which I've watched
them go through many things.
00:14:39.67\00:14:43.51
And one thing I
remember that is that the Lord
00:14:43.55\00:14:46.25
sometimes has
seasons in your life.
00:14:46.28\00:14:49.18
You know, after a
relationship that did not last
00:14:49.22\00:14:53.76
and the Lord always
expects us to forgive
00:14:53.79\00:14:56.73
not just that person,
00:14:56.76\00:14:58.33
but to be able to
forgive ourselves and move in.
00:14:58.36\00:15:01.50
And so I love those individuals
even yet to this day.
00:15:01.53\00:15:05.33
But I will say that the healing
and the release is one reason
00:15:05.37\00:15:10.44
why the healing
physically has taken place.
00:15:10.47\00:15:14.08
A lot of things that we
attempt to keep on the inside,
00:15:14.11\00:15:17.71
they manifest their
self on the outside.
00:15:17.75\00:15:20.28
But when you learn to
release, that release happens
00:15:20.32\00:15:23.35
and you have a better
outlook on things in life.
00:15:23.39\00:15:27.66
I will say that, you
know, I never questioned God
00:15:27.69\00:15:31.89
in purpose or got in
public and got angry.
00:15:31.93\00:15:35.23
There were times in the
back of your mind as with Job,
00:15:35.26\00:15:38.30
we know his story.
00:15:38.33\00:15:40.17
And I just felt the
Lord was saying just hold on,
00:15:40.20\00:15:43.51
everything is going to be okay.
00:15:43.54\00:15:45.67
And then those many dark nights
00:15:45.71\00:15:48.34
when you're alone
sleeping in your bed
00:15:48.38\00:15:50.95
and you just wonder,
what's going to happen
00:15:50.98\00:15:52.31
for the next day
especially when someone
00:15:52.35\00:15:55.02
is not there to give you a hug
00:15:55.05\00:15:56.85
or to tell you
things all the time.
00:15:56.89\00:15:59.59
But when you are alone,
God whispers all sweet, small,
00:15:59.62\00:16:03.96
still reminders that
you're still His daughter.
00:16:03.99\00:16:08.13
And He specifically told
me, Ayana, I know your name.
00:16:08.16\00:16:13.27
And the Lord
hasn't forgotten my name,
00:16:13.30\00:16:15.14
not to this day.
00:16:15.17\00:16:17.51
Just recently, not too long ago
00:16:17.54\00:16:19.67
able to have
full time employment
00:16:19.71\00:16:22.14
again after a hiatus
for three years or so.
00:16:22.18\00:16:26.31
And whether in
those emotional storms
00:16:26.35\00:16:28.68
from leaving one company,
00:16:28.72\00:16:31.65
going to another and
all of the gaps in between,
00:16:31.69\00:16:35.22
but the Lord
never forgot my name.
00:16:35.26\00:16:38.09
I love that.
00:16:38.13\00:16:39.46
Does He never forgot my name.
00:16:39.49\00:16:40.83
Have you ever
heard spoken like that,
00:16:40.86\00:16:42.56
the Lord has never...
00:16:42.60\00:16:43.93
He knows my name.
00:16:43.97\00:16:45.30
I think I've
rehearsed when I sing it.
00:16:45.33\00:16:46.67
Sing it.
00:16:46.70\00:16:48.04
And he has praises in a song,
00:16:48.07\00:16:49.54
but to hear someone say
it, the Lord knows my name.
00:16:49.57\00:16:52.71
That's a real deep
commitment, you know.
00:16:52.74\00:16:55.48
And your faith.
00:16:55.51\00:16:56.98
But He's brought you
out of some stuff, you know,
00:16:57.01\00:17:00.65
as some of the
people would say, you know,
00:17:00.68\00:17:04.19
you went through some
stuff and still you held on
00:17:04.22\00:17:08.96
to your
relationship with the Lord.
00:17:08.99\00:17:11.89
And you didn't do like what
00:17:11.93\00:17:13.63
Job's wife say curse,
go on, Jesus, curse God.
00:17:13.66\00:17:16.53
Curse Him. And die.
00:17:16.56\00:17:18.13
You know, what I'm saying.
00:17:18.17\00:17:19.50
There was one point in my
life where I did feel, Lord,
00:17:19.53\00:17:22.07
you've set me on the shelf
00:17:22.10\00:17:23.57
like one of these
beautiful vases sitting here.
00:17:23.61\00:17:26.51
And the Lord probably chuckles
and laugh at our ignorance
00:17:26.54\00:17:29.84
because He said, now
you're in the very position
00:17:29.88\00:17:32.41
you need to be for me
to bless you and bring you.
00:17:32.45\00:17:35.52
I'm gonna leave you
double for your former trouble.
00:17:35.55\00:17:38.42
And there were some things
that had happened in my life
00:17:38.45\00:17:40.29
even prior to this
that were very devastating
00:17:40.32\00:17:44.53
but as with anything a lifeless,
00:17:44.56\00:17:47.96
individuals,
even personal things,
00:17:48.00\00:17:51.30
but I thank the Lord
00:17:51.33\00:17:52.67
that He's
brought me through them.
00:17:52.70\00:17:54.04
Amen.
00:17:54.07\00:17:55.40
You know, it's so
interesting because, you know,
00:17:55.44\00:17:57.54
a lot of times
individuals not knowing
00:17:57.57\00:18:00.48
that I even had
multiple sclerosis
00:18:00.51\00:18:02.41
because they were saying,
00:18:02.44\00:18:04.71
"Lady, you look so well."
00:18:04.75\00:18:07.12
But that's a sign of
contentment on the inside,
00:18:07.15\00:18:11.15
that is simply because I said
00:18:11.19\00:18:12.52
before the good
Lord knows my name.
00:18:12.55\00:18:14.79
Amen. Amen.
00:18:14.82\00:18:16.26
And He is restoring
00:18:16.29\00:18:17.63
so many things in my life again,
00:18:17.66\00:18:19.96
including relationships,
00:18:20.00\00:18:21.50
both personally
and collectively.
00:18:21.53\00:18:24.27
You think you'll have to
again remarried, marry again.
00:18:24.30\00:18:27.84
Eventually I will,
the Lord has brought
00:18:27.87\00:18:29.84
a special young
person in my life
00:18:29.87\00:18:31.77
again after being single
00:18:31.81\00:18:33.64
seven or eight
years now for a long time.
00:18:33.68\00:18:37.01
You have to do a
lot of self healing
00:18:37.05\00:18:38.58
first especially when
00:18:38.61\00:18:40.92
relationship has a
lot of factors to it.
00:18:40.95\00:18:43.18
Yes.
00:18:43.22\00:18:44.55
And, you know,
you live and learn.
00:18:44.59\00:18:45.92
You don't want to take a baggage
00:18:45.95\00:18:47.29
into another relationship,
00:18:47.32\00:18:49.59
but as I'm older now
00:18:49.62\00:18:50.96
and had a chance
to learn a few things,
00:18:50.99\00:18:53.60
you know, you move on,
00:18:53.63\00:18:54.96
and you don't keep
holding those bitter grudges,
00:18:55.00\00:18:57.80
not only against the
individual but against yourself.
00:18:57.83\00:19:01.37
And not believing
that you don't have
00:19:01.40\00:19:03.51
or you don't deserve
00:19:03.54\00:19:04.87
to be loved
again and love right.
00:19:04.91\00:19:08.34
And that's the
most important thing.
00:19:08.38\00:19:10.68
It always takes two to
tango in a relationship,
00:19:10.71\00:19:14.12
so I'll never blame
anyone for anything,
00:19:14.15\00:19:17.25
you know, just
solely themselves.
00:19:17.29\00:19:19.89
But at the same time
when you look to someone
00:19:19.92\00:19:23.32
and you value and
you admire that person,
00:19:23.36\00:19:28.50
and they let you down,
00:19:28.53\00:19:29.86
that could be
devastating to you.
00:19:29.90\00:19:32.10
But now, you
know, looking forward,
00:19:32.13\00:19:35.00
I look for the Lord
to bless what's there.
00:19:35.04\00:19:37.37
a lot of times as a young woman,
00:19:37.41\00:19:40.91
we tend to look for the
knight in shining armor.
00:19:40.94\00:19:45.28
And sometimes the good
Lord will send you someone
00:19:45.31\00:19:47.65
in the jeans and t-shirt.
00:19:47.68\00:19:50.05
All right. All right.
00:19:50.09\00:19:52.15
Don't need armor, I
like that, jeans and t-shirt.
00:19:52.19\00:19:56.39
The armor isn't
nice but the only thing
00:19:56.42\00:19:57.76
God Himself was not
brought to this world
00:19:57.79\00:20:00.50
in a finest of everything.
00:20:00.53\00:20:02.13
He came in the plain
clothing and swaddling clothes
00:20:02.16\00:20:06.87
and the cloth as we know.
00:20:06.90\00:20:08.67
And His own people
didn't recognize Him,
00:20:08.70\00:20:10.91
and He was the
savior of this world.
00:20:10.94\00:20:13.41
Sometimes we bypass
people because they're our sale
00:20:13.44\00:20:18.35
where there are parents,
00:20:18.38\00:20:20.38
where there are book
covers as we will say.
00:20:20.42\00:20:23.39
It doesn't matter
but what our ideal is
00:20:23.42\00:20:27.02
and yes, sometimes you
get ridicule with that.
00:20:27.06\00:20:29.66
But only between
you and that person,
00:20:29.69\00:20:32.46
you really know how
you feel about each other.
00:20:32.49\00:20:35.46
Yes, there are counsel and yes,
the opinions and everything,
00:20:35.50\00:20:40.04
they can weigh in
your relationship,
00:20:40.07\00:20:41.77
but they should not control you.
00:20:41.80\00:20:43.17
Right.
00:20:43.20\00:20:44.54
Because people don't really know
00:20:44.57\00:20:46.04
what you've gone through.
00:20:46.07\00:20:47.41
They absolutely don't.
00:20:47.44\00:20:48.78
They don't know
your story, you know.
00:20:48.81\00:20:50.15
No, they don't. Yes.
00:20:50.18\00:20:51.51
So part of yes, but
totaling and to know,
00:20:51.55\00:20:55.38
to know everything, not really.
00:20:55.42\00:20:58.95
So what's the hat for you now?
00:20:58.99\00:21:01.29
You said you were
in music, recording,
00:21:01.32\00:21:04.26
you're thinking about recording?
00:21:04.29\00:21:05.66
I haven't looked
into that vision before,
00:21:05.69\00:21:07.53
I have a cousin who
has a magnificent voice
00:21:07.56\00:21:11.03
and she records,
00:21:11.07\00:21:12.40
I would love to
do a number with her
00:21:12.43\00:21:14.04
or do something in
the background weather.
00:21:14.07\00:21:16.30
I love to write
being an English major,
00:21:16.34\00:21:19.21
being a person who
has an English degree,
00:21:19.24\00:21:21.54
looking forward to
doing her master's this year.
00:21:21.58\00:21:24.05
I feel healthy enough
to get back into that.
00:21:24.08\00:21:27.65
And just get back
into a lot of things,
00:21:27.68\00:21:29.22
I can just about run again, so.
00:21:29.25\00:21:31.29
Oh, man.
00:21:31.32\00:21:32.65
So I heard you
munching something,
00:21:32.69\00:21:34.82
probably in French say.
00:21:34.86\00:21:37.03
Oh, yes, I speak in French.
00:21:37.06\00:21:38.63
What did she say?
00:21:44.47\00:21:45.80
She does the same things,
00:21:50.17\00:21:51.51
same words I hear
you say every time.
00:21:51.54\00:21:53.81
That's all I do in French. Yes.
00:21:53.84\00:21:56.14
You know, we Bonsoir, Bonjour.
00:21:56.18\00:22:02.78
Bonjour, must see you
Arthur. That's the start.
00:22:02.82\00:22:04.69
Yeah. Okay.
00:22:04.72\00:22:06.05
Can you? Can you
again come in back.
00:22:06.09\00:22:07.82
He can't see, see, you know.
00:22:07.86\00:22:09.76
I was ready to hit on you
00:22:09.79\00:22:11.69
because you did
little some, you know.
00:22:11.73\00:22:14.93
I cannot come back.
00:22:14.96\00:22:16.30
You know, I did not
use both France and French,
00:22:16.33\00:22:18.87
I didn't that.
00:22:18.90\00:22:20.24
Yes, I had a
teacher in high school.
00:22:20.27\00:22:21.70
My first encounter with her
00:22:21.74\00:22:23.07
was in my early
high school years
00:22:23.10\00:22:26.47
and I heard before
them but not as much.
00:22:26.51\00:22:29.38
And one of my favorite
teachers in high school,
00:22:29.41\00:22:31.61
she had my
interest corked in it.
00:22:31.65\00:22:34.42
And all through high
school and the rest of college
00:22:34.45\00:22:36.45
and even after
college, I kept it in mind.
00:22:36.48\00:22:38.95
Actually, we went on a cruise,
my family a few years ago back.
00:22:38.99\00:22:42.96
Unfortunately, I was
in a wheelchair then,
00:22:42.99\00:22:45.09
took a cruise in a wheelchair,
00:22:45.13\00:22:47.43
and enjoyed myself
like any person should.
00:22:47.46\00:22:50.37
We landed in an island
00:22:50.40\00:22:52.27
that was a
French speaking island
00:22:52.30\00:22:54.37
for one of our reports I've got.
00:22:54.40\00:22:56.87
And being that I
knew how to spoke French,
00:22:56.91\00:22:58.47
I can tell the gentlemen
that we were visiting there
00:22:58.51\00:23:00.68
and could he
find me a wheelchair.
00:23:00.71\00:23:02.18
And he was
very, very cooperative
00:23:02.21\00:23:04.48
and was kind of excited
that I could speak in French.
00:23:04.51\00:23:07.58
And my
grandparents were with me.
00:23:07.62\00:23:10.09
My grandmother is so excited,
that's my granddaughter,
00:23:10.12\00:23:12.25
she knows how to
speak French word.
00:23:12.29\00:23:13.82
That's great.
00:23:13.86\00:23:15.19
I had a wonderful
time on that cruise.
00:23:15.22\00:23:16.79
You know, just
because you're handicap,
00:23:16.83\00:23:18.69
even when you're down,
you just still enjoy yourself.
00:23:18.73\00:23:21.86
Yeah.
00:23:21.90\00:23:23.23
But the fact that I think
I actually got up a few times
00:23:23.26\00:23:24.97
and try to push my
wheelchair or hold on to it.
00:23:25.00\00:23:28.04
It's kind of difficult.
00:23:28.07\00:23:29.50
Though unless you really have
00:23:29.54\00:23:31.47
a strong
relationship with the Lord.
00:23:31.51\00:23:33.88
And most
importantly, when you realize
00:23:33.91\00:23:37.88
that you can't contribute,
you can't do, you know,
00:23:37.91\00:23:41.75
and that takes a lot of
prayer and a lot of strength
00:23:41.78\00:23:45.45
for you to make
a decision on that,
00:23:45.49\00:23:47.09
I'm not going to lay down.
00:23:47.12\00:23:48.89
I'm not going to
let anything prevent me
00:23:48.92\00:23:50.99
from enjoying my life,
00:23:51.03\00:23:52.69
so that was really important,
00:23:52.73\00:23:54.36
that was really important.
00:23:54.40\00:23:55.80
Ayana, let's talk about
the doctor who assisted you
00:23:55.83\00:23:59.50
and how did he come
about to be in your life?
00:23:59.53\00:24:03.00
Well, the doctor's
name is Doctor Neuse Frank.
00:24:03.04\00:24:06.78
Unfortunately at this time,
00:24:06.81\00:24:08.24
we have reason to
believe that he passed away.
00:24:08.28\00:24:10.55
And he hadn't, we haven't
heard from him in several years.
00:24:10.58\00:24:13.88
But this doctor was
like an angel in the skies.
00:24:13.92\00:24:17.52
Unfortunately, he
himself had a mess.
00:24:17.55\00:24:19.99
And by the time
he treated himself,
00:24:20.02\00:24:21.89
he was a doctor.
00:24:21.92\00:24:23.26
He had lost the
ability to use his legs,
00:24:23.29\00:24:25.29
so when he came
here to the States,
00:24:25.33\00:24:26.80
he was already in a wheelchair.
00:24:26.83\00:24:29.30
They had examined
me, one of our friends
00:24:29.33\00:24:31.47
here in the United States
is a medical professional here.
00:24:31.50\00:24:34.74
And he held my hand in
00:24:34.77\00:24:36.44
and rode up to me
next in his wheelchair.
00:24:36.47\00:24:37.81
I was sitting in a chair,
00:24:37.84\00:24:39.17
they got me in
the chair and said,
00:24:39.21\00:24:40.54
Ayana, you're at us,
you're definitely in the mess
00:24:40.58\00:24:43.18
and you're in exacerbation now.
00:24:43.21\00:24:45.78
But if we can
catch your symptoms
00:24:45.81\00:24:48.25
at the stage of MS.
00:24:48.28\00:24:49.62
Now, we can bring you about
90 percent out of the disease.
00:24:49.65\00:24:53.59
And so the
decision was basically mine
00:24:53.62\00:24:56.39
and what it was,
00:24:56.42\00:24:57.76
was a series of medicine
00:24:57.79\00:24:59.53
that I was treated
with in for intervals,
00:24:59.56\00:25:03.33
seven weeks intervals
in between through the two,
00:25:03.37\00:25:06.74
maybe two months or
so, two or three months.
00:25:06.77\00:25:09.30
And to be treated again
00:25:09.34\00:25:10.67
for a block of
five to seven days.
00:25:10.71\00:25:12.84
Were they injections?
00:25:12.87\00:25:14.21
I'm sorry, were they injections?
00:25:14.24\00:25:15.58
They were infusions of medicine
just from a several vial
00:25:15.61\00:25:18.68
that were brought over
here by the doctor himself
00:25:18.71\00:25:21.28
or shipped over here, you know,
as a package fully, you know,
00:25:21.32\00:25:25.25
containing everything.
00:25:25.29\00:25:27.52
Then it was some nurses here
who helped to bridge the gap
00:25:27.56\00:25:31.56
when he could not be
over in the States to treat me
00:25:31.59\00:25:33.90
and then they'll
have to infuse me.
00:25:33.93\00:25:35.60
One of them was my
aunt, one of my favorite aunts
00:25:35.63\00:25:37.93
who has been there with me
00:25:37.97\00:25:40.44
through many,
many things in my life,
00:25:40.47\00:25:41.87
my aunt Genora Jones.
00:25:41.90\00:25:43.94
And she did my very
last infusion for me,
00:25:43.97\00:25:47.24
the day before my
sister got married.
00:25:47.28\00:25:50.08
And God had truly
saw me through those,
00:25:50.11\00:25:52.21
that whole thing.
00:25:52.25\00:25:53.58
One thing that I experienced
00:25:53.62\00:25:55.72
about the third
series of treatments,
00:25:55.75\00:25:57.69
I really didn't
see too much happening,
00:25:57.72\00:26:00.22
the first and second treatment.
00:26:00.26\00:26:02.22
But it was interesting
at the third treatment,
00:26:02.26\00:26:04.09
something really funny happened.
00:26:04.13\00:26:07.30
Just as many women
like to get their nails done
00:26:07.33\00:26:09.50
or get manicure or pedicure,
I notice that my nails,
00:26:09.53\00:26:13.00
it's-- You know,
00:26:13.03\00:26:14.37
it's common place if
you have a small white line
00:26:14.40\00:26:16.40
or something on
one of your nails,
00:26:16.44\00:26:17.77
but I noticed
that all my fingernails
00:26:17.81\00:26:20.34
have white lines
straight across them,
00:26:20.38\00:26:22.64
all of my fingernails.
00:26:22.68\00:26:24.38
What was
interesting was that my toenails
00:26:24.41\00:26:26.31
had the same thing,
00:26:26.35\00:26:27.85
and I just progressively
saw them go further,
00:26:27.88\00:26:30.65
further up my nail.
00:26:30.69\00:26:32.85
To make a long
story short there,
00:26:32.89\00:26:34.66
I had a whole new set
of toenails and hand nails.
00:26:34.69\00:26:39.63
It was if like I was
sloughing off something.
00:26:39.66\00:26:42.63
Also my hair grew
immensely long again.
00:26:42.66\00:26:45.93
Almost several
things happened on, skin,
00:26:45.97\00:26:47.37
a lot of skin fell
of, whole lot of things,
00:26:47.40\00:26:49.57
it was just like
something was coming away.
00:26:49.60\00:26:52.31
And there was a rebirth
of some new things there.
00:26:52.34\00:26:54.98
So slowly but surely,
00:26:55.01\00:26:57.21
lots of things
came back overtime so.
00:26:57.25\00:27:02.35
There's just so
much information.
00:27:02.38\00:27:03.92
We have 47 seconds.
00:27:03.95\00:27:06.19
I just want to
thank you for coming
00:27:06.22\00:27:07.82
because it's so
important that you who may have
00:27:07.86\00:27:11.09
multiple sclerosis to
know that you can survive it.
00:27:11.13\00:27:14.46
God can bring you through it,
the faith of this young lady.
00:27:14.50\00:27:17.67
Ayana, we wish you all
the best and God's blessings.
00:27:17.70\00:27:20.47
We really appreciate you coming.
00:27:20.50\00:27:22.14
You've been so informative.
00:27:22.17\00:27:23.71
I know that a lot of
people who have watched,
00:27:23.74\00:27:25.94
definitely get in
contact with the station
00:27:25.97\00:27:28.14
because they want to hear more.
00:27:28.18\00:27:30.38
And I'm more
willing to talk to anyone.
00:27:30.41\00:27:32.35
I have several
friends here in the city
00:27:32.38\00:27:34.52
who are either wheelchaired,
00:27:34.55\00:27:35.95
abound to
struggling with the MS that,
00:27:35.98\00:27:38.15
I pray for all the time
00:27:38.19\00:27:39.52
because they
understand the same battle
00:27:39.55\00:27:41.09
I go through and I pray
that the Lord will see them
00:27:41.12\00:27:43.96
through the same thing.
00:27:43.99\00:27:45.33
Okay.
00:27:45.36\00:27:46.70
Well, we want to thank
you for joining us today.
00:27:46.73\00:27:48.20
I'm Dr. Kim Logan Nowlin.
00:27:48.23\00:27:49.73
I'm Arthur Nowlin.
00:27:49.76\00:27:51.10
And thank you for
joining us on Making It Work.
00:27:51.13\00:27:53.03
God bless. God bless.
00:27:53.07\00:27:54.77