When Ann Romney was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998, she was told there wasn’t much that could be done to fight the disease. The symptoms, which included fatigue, loss of balance, weakness and numbness in one of her legs, would be treated as they progressed.
“The part that was hardest was thinking there was nothing I could do and this was just the way it was going to be,” Romney said in an interview with the Deseret News.
A couple months later, she visited a different doctor — Dr. Howard Weiner of what was then the MS Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston — who gave her hope. The story is recounted in the new book “In This Together: My Story” (Thomas Dunne Books, $27.99), which was released Sept. 29.
“I want people to understand that when you go through something like this, it’s all right to share these feelings and work through it,” said Romney, who is now the global ambassador for the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, though she explains in the book that she didn’t want her name on the center.
Romney shares her experiences, both the highs and the lows, as she was diagnosed, learned about the disease and then figured out what worked for her to combat it.
“We will have hardship and trial in life,” she said. “This is mine and how I dealt with it."
When she was diagnosed, her youngest son was a senior in high school. It was just before her husband, Mitt Romney, was asked to help rescue the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. He was later elected governor of Massachusetts and ran for president of the United States in 2008 and 2012.
“In This Together” shares how Ann Romney did her best to support her husband and family while she explored ways to heal enough to enjoy life.
To write “In This Together,” Romney said she "had to go back into memories where it was a really difficult time for me and relive some of those feelings of hopelessness and despair."
Weiner had ideas for treatments but was honest about their prospects. Romney received steroid treatments, which helped with the type of MS she had.
“The biggest struggle was honestly recognizing that after I was on the IV steroids, they stopped the progression of the disease, but I still felt just as bad,” Romney said.
It was a devastating realization.
“I was in this really gruesome place, and that was where I was going to stay the rest of my life,” she said.
She decided to try riding horses again and learning dressage. She tried alternative medicine practices she ordinarily wouldn’t have given a second thought to help relieve her pain. She also relied on her faith.
“Then there’s those little glimmers of hope that if I would do this, I would feel a little more energy or do that and I would feel a bit better,” Romney said.
Romney set little goals for herself, things such as walking a few steps farther on a walk. Weiner, with whom she continually kept in touch, encouraged her to do things she thought would help and told her to listen to her body so she would know when to stop and rest.
“There was no road map for me or strategy for me that this is going to work,” Romney said. “I had to figure those things out by myself.”
What she figured out through trial and error was that she needed to take care of her body, mind and faith.
“The things it taught me are that we’re not alone in this and your faith can help bring you through this,” said Romney, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “My understanding of the Atonement is deeper because of this.”
Throughout “In This Together,” Romney weaves in stories of her childhood and her parents and brothers, her courtship with Mitt, her learning about and joining the LDS Church, and the adventures of rearing boys. The result is a narrative that feels like a good friend sharing stories.
“It’s a story of life being pretty nice and then all of a sudden being pretty scary,” Romney said.
Romney includes perspective gained from experiences such as running with the Olympic torch, being the First Lady of Massachusetts, traveling on the campaign trail and speaking at the Republican National Convention. “In This Together” also informs about MS and current research to help find treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
Romney still enjoys riding her horse “as much as I can.”
She stays busy with being a mother of five and a grandmother of 23 and with her work with the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, which includes research for MS, Alzheimer’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), Parkinson’s disease and brain tumors.
“I would say I’m close to feeling about as normal as you could, which is kind of surprising to me, considering where I’ve come from,” Romney said of the past 17 years since her diagnosis. “It wasn’t overnight; it was years and years of working through it … and it was a learning process.”
And while her husband isn’t running in the 2016 presidential race, she said they are paying attention.
“We don’t miss much," she said. "We watch it all."
Romney's author royalties from “In This Together” will go to neurological research.
If you go ...
What: Ann Romney speaking about "In This Together: My Story"
When: Thursday, Oct. 1, 6 p.m.
Where: Brigham Young University's Wilkinson Student Center, Provo
Web: news.byu.edu, annromneybook.com
Also ...
What: Ann Romney book signing
When: Friday, Oct. 2, 1-3 p.m.
Where: Costco, 5201 S. Intermountain Drive, Murray
Note: Costco membership required.
Also ...
When: Friday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m.
Where: Barnes and Noble, Sugarhouse, McIntyre Center, 1104 E. 2100 South Salt Lake City
Web: barnesandnoble.com
Also ...
When: Saturday, Oct. 3, 6 p.m.
Where: Deseret Book, flagship store, 45 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City
Web: desbook.co/events
Email: rappleye@deseretnews.com Twitter: CTRappleye