Multiple Sclerosis doesn’t slow Madison woman
Published: February 21, 2006
Inside Linda Bone’s home, an enthusiastic black dog answers the door.
“Nina is 12 years old this year,” says Bone, affectionately rubbing the Labrador’s head. “She’s a great companion.”
Nina is just one of the friends that has helped Bone through her 18-year struggle with Multiple Sclerosis.
“We all have disabilities to some extent in different forms and degrees,” Bone says. “The important thing is keeping a positive attitude, which makes the challenge a bit easier.”
Bone first showed signs of Multiple Sclerosis after she gave birth to her third child, Elizabeth.
“I started having numbness and tingling sensations,” said Bone. “The doctors diagnosed it as a secondary progressive condition [of Multiple Sclerosis].”
This condition is one of the four recognized forms of the disease. It means her condition is a steady progression of neurological damage without relapses, remissions, or plateaus. The majority of people with the disease will develop this type of the affliction.
“Multiple is a good description, because it affects different areas on everyone,” said Bone. “My eyesight is still good, and I am never fatigued, which is a problem for a lot of people with MS.”
Bone used a cane for 12 years. She started using a wheelchair approximately five years ago.
“The wheelchair has helped with the spaciscity and the pain, but I’ve lost the tone in my legs,’ said Bone. “So it’s a Catch 22: I gained something and lost something else.”
Since her condition has progressed steadily, she now only gets basic checkups.
“I see a regular primary physician, Dr. Emily Nolfo in Branford,” said Bone. “I couldn’t ask for a better doctor and friend. She takes the time to really listen to me.”
And Bone gets by with a little help from her friends. Her mother Louise Protta, her sister Diane Mastracchio, and her children Vanessa, 23, Jonathan, 20, and Elizabeth, 18, have all been by her side.
“Elizabeth has really been my anchor, because she’s been here the most with me the last three to four years,” said Bone. “But they have all been great and sensitive to my needs.”
But as much as Bone values her support system, she also values her independence.
She has a job that gives her 12 to 15 hours a week, and she and her sister are currently appealing to the Easter Seals to get a van customized to her needs.
“I can get into my car, but I have to get someone to get the wheelchair out for me,” says Bone. “Everybody I have asked it has made their day to help me, but I want to become more independent.”
Bone recently saw the Easter Seal Committee in Meriden on Jan. 31 to see if she bought a van, if they would pay for its adaptation.
“It is a long process; it will probably take about three months,” Bone says. “I have to see what kind of mini-van I want, and if I want to have the seat there and transfer myself in or if I could pull up my wheelchair to the driver’s side.”
If her request is approved, the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services would do all the modifications.
“In Meriden, I had a three and a half hour session to assess my needs,” says Bone. “I had a visual, cognitive, and actual driving test.”
Bone’s condition has taught her some very important lessons.
“The challenge has made me a stronger person,” says Bone. “I don’t sweat the small stuff, because it is not worth it. I see people get frazzled over the smallest things, and it is so stupid.”
Instead, Bone chooses to focus her energies on her children’s progress towards college and careers.
“Vanessa graduated from UConn and now works at New Haven Hospital, and Jonathan is a junior at UConn,” Bone says. “Elizabeth will be college-bound to Johnson and Wales University.”
Bone’s source of strength is her mother, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor when Bone was 23 years old.
“I watched and helped her through her disability,” Bone remembers. “She is an inspiration to me because of what she does: she keeps her house inside and out, she always looks nice, and she entertains a lot. She is who I learned from.”
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