That didn’t happen, though, and once she got over the shock of the diagnosis, her response was to become more physically active than she’d been before. Eventually she decided to enter a figure competition, in part to serve as a role model for others with multiple sclerosis and to communicate that the effects of MS are highly variable. I have kept in touch with Dyan, who now has a doctorate in nursing, since we first connected. Let’s see what she is up to these days. Name: Dyan J. Summers Age: 49 Hometown: Boise, Idaho David Lyons: Why have you continued with a fitness program? Dyan Summers: I have continued out of necessity and also because I truly love working out. Exercise and fitness have become a huge part of “who I am.” Now that I am in the position to look back on the last five years of continuous exercise, I am more certain than ever that fitness is the key to stopping MS progression. DL: What has motivated you to keep working out? DS: All of the MS warriors out there motivate me. I read stories about you, Matt Embry, Kevin Smith, and others who have made such amazing progress, and it keeps me going! I have also been so lucky to have the best trainers along the way. My personal trainers have been fantastic! Each and every trainer I have had throughout my journey has taken such an interest in learning about how to modify workouts for someone with MS. That is incredibly humbling and motivating. DL: What are your symptoms currently, and have they improved since 2013? DS: I am currently symptom-free and have been for the majority of the time since 2013. I will share that I had a very rough period that started about two years ago. I developed severe balance issues, right-sided weakness, severe fatigue, and horrible brain fog. I was sure that I was having a major MS relapse, and my symptoms were so severe that I went to the emergency department and was admitted to the neurology unit at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, where I then lived. Much to my surprise, my MRI showed no new or active lesions, and all of the prior lesions were either not visible or were much smaller than in the past. The neuro team didn’t have a good answer for me. Wanting an accurate diagnosis, I stayed up all night in the hospital researching and finally came to the conclusion that my pseudo-relapse was likely hormone related. I couldn’t find a specialist near my home in New York who was truly an expert at managing hormones and MS, so I moved to Idaho to work with a doctor named Warren Willey, DO. It took about six months of adjusting my hormone levels and adding or subtracting various holistic supplements, but I not only became symptom-free, I also felt better than I had in years! I started sleeping through the night for the first time since I was in my teens. During the entire time I was going through the intense program with Dr. Willey, I continued to train regularly. RELATED: How to Spot the Signs of an MS Flare DL: What’s your current exercise routine? DS: I am working hard to put on size and muscle now. I train five days a week for 45 to 60 minutes lifting weights under the supervision of my current trainer, Colton Schulze. We have a five-day split and work a different body part on each of the five days. We started out working together in person, and now that he knows my limitations and how to push me to a level that is right for me, we train the majority of the time on live video. The video training really works out great because I can train with him consistently no matter what city I am in. We have maintained our training regimen even when I have been in Europe or South America. I also go spinning once or twice a week for cardio. DL: What now is the biggest challenge in your workouts? DS: My biggest challenge is still adapting to how my body responds when my nervous system is taxed. I have learned that for the most part, my strength-training sets improve by my third and fourth sets because the neurons are firing more efficiently. My first and second sets are the most challenging, even though they are the lightest sets. I can lift more heavily by the third set and with much weight by the fourth. Fatigue affects me way more in the early sets. Once my neurons learn to fire (this has to happen each and every time I start a new exercise), I am able to set personal records quite regularly. It is still a challenge not to get discouraged when my coordination or balance is less than optimal in those early sets. That is one of the most valuable things about having a trainer to guide me through the process. DL: How do you stay motivated to continue your exercise program? DS: Working out has become such a part of my life that I can’t imagine it any other way. Even when I was working 60 hours a week and going to school full-time for my doctorate, I still made fitness a main priority in my life. DL: Have you altered your diet and nutrition regimen in the past five years? DS: I have continued to eat gluten-free and organic the majority of the time, and I continue to avoid alcohol. DL: Have you learned anything new about fitness or nutrition since 2013? DS: I learned about the importance of balanced hormones and their interplay with both fitness and nutrition. I take a number of supplements that I believe can be neuro-regenerative or protective, including phosphatidylserine, 5-HTP, DIM (diindolylmethane), and turmeric. I am also still a big believer in the benefits of low-dose naltrexone. RELATED: The Lowdown on Low-Dose Naltrexone for Multiple Sclerosis DL: What have you learned about yourself in this journey? DS: I have learned that when things get really tough (like they did when I was finishing my doctorate and had the pseudo-relapse), I can still reach deep inside and find that little thread to keep moving. Managing MS is about the concept of “never stop moving.” Never stop moving physically, mentally, and spiritually. I learned that I can live that concept and embody it. DL: Do you have any advice for those who want to conquer MS through fitness? DS: Just get started! Any amount of activity and anything you can do for fitness is a step in the right direction. When I spoke with you back in 2013, I talked about an incredible MS patient who could only lift soup cans for weights, but he did it every day. It is important not to compare yourself to others. Every person with MS knows the challenges they face every day. Make your only competition your own self. My other piece of advice is to find a provider who understands and can manage both hormones and holistic supplements, as that has been a major key to my ongoing success.
