Explore the journey of Bethany Roszhart as she navigates the complexities of multiple sclerosis with the support of Paragon Healthcare, a Carelon company operated under CarelonRx. Her story highlights the vital role of coordinated care in managing chronic conditions, and underscores how simplifying access to quality care offers plan sponsors affordable, integrated solutions for their members.
"You’re just a tired mom,” my physician told me. “You have three young kids, you’re shuttling them around to sports practices and school events, and you own a business.”
"You’re right,” I thought. Even though I wasn’t confident in my answer. I wanted to believe I was just overworked and tired, like everybody else.
For the past six years, I'd been in and out of healthcare offices. To my primary care physician for extreme fatigue and migraines. To my chiropractor for relief of sporadic bouts of vertigo and discomfort. All separate symptoms that didn’t seem to occur at once.
So, I wasn’t surprised when one morning after attending a concert with my friend that I woke up exhausted, achy, dizzy, and experiencing double vision. I was ready to go see my chiropractor again for a much-needed adjustment, and my physician for a check-up. “I’m too old for this,” I remember thinking about the late-night fun.
The following Monday, it was my chiropractor who noticed I wasn’t my usual cheerful self. He quickly ordered an MRI, which inevitably showed lesions on my brain.
In September 2023, at age 37, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Understanding an unpredictable disease
MS is an unpredictable disease that affects the central nervous system and presents differently in each patient. It affects more than 1 million people in the United States, and an estimated 2.8 million globally, according to the National MS Society .
While some patients with MS experience cognitive decline and vision changes, others may experience fatigue, slurred speech or tremors. For some, these symptoms occur all at once, while for others like me, they often experience them singularly, making the disease difficult to diagnose.
Currently, there is no cure for MS, but early detection of the disease can help patients manage symptoms and delay its progression, according to a study by The University of North Texas Health Science Center . The tricky part – around the world, more than 80% of countries face healthcare barriers, such as lack of awareness, that prevent this early diagnosis of MS, according to The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation . There isn’t a single test to diagnose MS , so healthcare teams and patients must work closely to identify a diagnosis through physical exams, multiple tests, family history, etc., and then work quickly to access convenient treatment.
Integrated healthcare can promote MS awareness
I feel like one of the lucky ones. I received and continue to receive care from a team of collaborative healthcare professionals. After my diagnosis, my neurologist quickly connected me to the team at Paragon Healthcare. The team at Paragon provided me with a care coordinator who offers patient education, schedules my monthly infusion treatments, works with my insurance provider, manages my lab results, and connects with my neurologist and primary care physician as needed.
Together, my integrated healthcare team works to modify the course of my treatments so that I can better manage my symptoms. A whole health approach to care is critical for patients facing a potential MS diagnosis or for those living with MS. This goes beyond medication management and includes nutrition and behavioral health care resources to ensure complete patient care. Every single person deserves this level of connected care.
I encourage physicians, families, healthcare systems and health benefit managers, to continue to be loud advocates for their patients. If something seems off, say something. For your loved ones, for your patients, for your members facing a potential MS diagnosis, let’s work together to raise awareness of MS and its symptoms, and promote integrated, convenient access to care that leads to better health outcomes in our communities.
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