Jamia submitted her story for Richmondmom.com Real Richmond Parents. After reading it, we were touched by all that she has accomplished in the midst of a diagnosis that would stop most of us in our tracks. She has overcome physical and emotional hurdles to advance her education, raise a family, and now reaches out to women nation-wide offering help and support as an advocate for MS. She is making positive change for hundreds of women in spite of all that she has had to overcome.
There is no question that Jamia is our Richmondmom.com April Rock Star!
Read her story below:
Jamia is an upbeat and outgoing woman who credits MS for teaching her to slow down and take each day as it comes.
Jamia’s MS symptoms started in August 2004, when she experienced temporary numbness in her foot. Attributing it to stress, it went away and she didn’t think much of it until early January 2005 when she noticed her foot was numb while walking in the grocery store. Later that month, over the weekend, Jamia’s right side of her body went completely numb. Feeling flu-like and having trouble walking, she attributed it to stress and stayed home from work for a few days, returning that Thursday.
Unable to wear her much-loved high-heels due to her symptoms, she became alarmed when she fell over in her office. The next day she went to see a doctor 
who referred her to a neurologist. He performed an MRI and a spinal tap and diagnosed her with relapsing-remitting MS. It took awhile for the diagnosis to sink in, and she revealed it only to close family members at first.
It wasn’t until 2008, after recruiting friends and family to participate in an MS Walk, that she disclosed her diagnosis to a wider group of her friends. She started Avonex in March of 2005 and she would take it on Fridays as she experienced extreme fatigue and flu-like symptoms that prevented her from working. Tired of the side effects, she switched to Rebif in 2007. The side effects were less intense, but she was bruising from the injections and decided to ask her neurologist about Gilenya in March 2011.
Prior to taking Gilenya, Jamia was experiencing one relapse every other year. Her symptoms were extreme fatigue, numbness from the core down, and burning in her legs. In addition, during an MS relapse in 2007, she experienced optic neuritis in her right eye. Her relapses would last 2-6 weeks and were typically treated with steroids. Jamia started taking her new medication in March 2011 and loves that she can take a pill and no longer has to administer shots.
She has learned the signs of an impending relapse – fatigue and craving sleep – and knows to slow down and rest. In November 2011,she experienced a relapse that included fatigue and core numbness from the waist down. Her relapse lasted one week after taking Prednisone at the outset of symptoms.
Since being diagnosed with MS, Jamia has learned to take each day as it comes and to enjoy the moment. A self-described, “type A” person, Jamia once feared her MS would get in the way of the life she envisioned for herself. She’s thankful, and proud, that she graduated with her MHA, works full time, got married and started her family.
Jamia wants to share her story with others so they can see the rich, full life that is still possible, even with MS. She is an example of a person who is determined, strong-willed, and excited about life. Even in the midst of her challenges with MS, she is an inspiration to women everywhere.
We think Jamia rocks! She will receive a free massage thanks to our incredible sponsor – Massage Envy.
More About Jamia
Jamia Thomas Crockett is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a masters degree in Hospital Administration from VCU. While making her mark professionally in the health care industry and planning for a new life with soon to be husband, Jamia was given her diagnosis with relapsing Multiple Sclerosis in January 2005.
While exploring the impact of MS to her previously “normal” life, Jamia has re-mastered her life as a wife, mother of 2 busy little boys, and professional trail blazer. Something she didn’t speak about and rarely acknowledged, Jamia’s outlook on life with MS changed in 2008 when she participated in her first MS walk with the support and encouragement of her family and friends. There, she was amazed to find many people just like her, living courageously and with purpose.
Jamia’s ultimate strength and calling was realized in 2012 as she embarked on a new path as a national speaker and advocate for MS. Sharing her challenges and triumphs with others afflicted, their support systems, and anyone caring to know more about life with MS has brought higher purpose, healing, and a new life.
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