Country music star Clay Walker has been dealing with multiple sclerosis for almost thirty years. It has not been easy for him, but he won't throw in the towel. Per People, Walker shared, "MS has been a journey and some of it has been pretty rough, but I've started to turn the corner."
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Walker, 56, refuses to let the disease get the best of him. "I'm not giving up. I'm like a pit bull. You can swing me off a cliff and I ain't letting go. So many people have so many different crosses they have to carry or bear — and this is mine."
Multiple Sclerosis, Explained
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, "MS disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body." Symptoms may be issues like the following: difficulty with mobility, pain, tiredness, mood swings, and numbness. It is a progressive condition.
Walker Has Had Some Physical Challenges Recently
Per the outlet, he acknowledged, "At the beginning of the year, I noticed I was having a lot of difficulty with balance and walking, and it really started to worry me. I knew I had to do something." That "something" was surgery in March to implant a pump in his body to dispense baclofen. It's a medication that can "help relax muscles and ease spasticity."
It turned out to be seemingly a bit less radically transformational than Walker had thought. "The surgery gave me a lot of hope. But so far, you know, it's not great. It hasn't done what I wanted it to. Balance has been an issue lately."
Still, Walker bravely hangs in there. He clearly appreciates the ground he has gained. "Am I walking perfect? No. Am I walking better? Absolutely. I got on a treadmill the other day without a harness holding me up to keep from falling, and I walked five minutes. That is progress."
His Initial Medical Outlook Was Sobering
The "Then What" singer recalls, "When I was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996, the prognosis was horrific. I was told that I wouldn't be around very long and that I'd be in a wheelchair and that I would be dead pretty quickly because of the amount of lesions that I had on my spinal cord and brainstem and brain."
He wouldn't knuckle under to despair, however. Per People, "We turned everything upside down. We already won the battle, you know? We've got that to celebrate."
Singing and Performing Bring Joy to Walker and His Audiences
Walker admits he is "definitely going through a rough patch right now." His ability to move around easily can be an obstacle. "Does it bother me that people have to watch me struggle to get off stage? Yes, it does. But my band is very in tune with me, and they know if I'm struggling or not. All it takes is a glance. They are always there, especially my bass player, Curt Walsh. I'm like, 'Dude, if you see me falling, fall in front of me so I don't get hurt.'"
Even with the challenges, Walker sure isn't quitting. He's doing what he loves. "My joy comes from being on stage. I mean, there is a rush of energy and endorphins that has no comparison. I don't think there's any drug that has that big of an effect. It's crazy."
