Ree's story
“Life isn’t easy. It’s all about how you handle it.”
Mastering strategies
“Life isn’t easy. It’s all about how you handle it.” Ree Feller should know. A car accident 15 years ago resulted in multiple injuries including a below-knee amputation of her right leg. A disk problem in her neck led to additional surgeries. Then in 2015, Ree was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
“I had some symptoms, but assumed they were nothing more than the lingering effects of my accident. I was stunned when I received the diagnosis. Right there and then, I decided it wasn’t going to define me or stop me from living my life.”
With a strong attitude and sense of humor, Ree worked with her Kessler inpatient and outpatient teams to master the strategies she needed to deal with this unpredictable neurodegenerative disease. She learned to re-arrange her home to make things more accessible and her schedule to avoid fatigue. Most of all, she learned to appreciate all that she has and not dwell on what was lost.
It’s been a difficult road, but Ree is a true fighter. “I could sit around and feel sorry for myself, but that’s not who I am. I choose to look to the future, to travelling with my husband, spending time with my children and someday maybe even running after grandchildren. Hopefully they’ll be able to keep up with me!”