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Twenty years ago, Betsy Rich wasn't feeling well. Fearing the worst, she went to the doctor to find out why she suddenly lost the vision in her left eye.

“You have Multiple Sclerosis,” she was told.

"It sounds crazy," said Betsy. "But I was thrilled to find out it wasn't a brain tumor!"

Looking back after the diagnosis, Betsy began to remember symptoms that she had overlooked—the problems with her hands and balance issues.

Betsy was a video producer at ABC Network News for 14 years. She found it hard to balance family life with the demands of her job, so she left ABC to work at a video production company.

"About six years ago, I started to go downhill and was using a cane full time," said Betsy. "My doctor started me on Novancrone, a chemotherapy drug used to stabilize people with MS. It worked for about two and one-half years; I got better!"

During that time, Betsy left the corporate world to start two businesses with John Uphill, her business partner. "John and I have worked together for 28 years. We started Strategic Video LLC, which is a corporate video production firm. One year later we started Blue Horse Digital, a digital video archiving company. I work countless hours, but I love every minute of it.”

On most days, Betsy finds that the symptoms do not bother her. "The biggest problem is never knowing what to expect on a daily basis. MS is a weird disease that is constantly changing. Today, for example, I’m really dizzy and having problems focusing. When I’m sick or having my monthly IV infusions, I just have to adapt. I work from bed on my laptop or bring work to the infusion site. We’re lucky to have technology that allows us to function from anywhere.” Betsy credits her husband and business partner with providing support on the days that she needs it.

Betsy makes time to go horseback riding and snowboarding with her family, which includes her adult children, Alex and Lindsey.

“When I was first diagnosed, I thought I would be in a wheelchair in no time,” Betsy shared. “So we discussed selling our house to move to a more affordable place than suburban New York. Thank goodness that we didn’t, because I would have lost my work and wouldn’t have started my two businesses!”

Betsy encourages others with MS to take a deep breath and not to panic when receiving a diagnosis. “There is so much that a person with an illness can do. I started two businesses and took up snowboarding since my diagnosis. It’s not about what you can’t do, but what you can and should do!”