In 2018, Karleen Roy, now in her mid-40s, started experiencing sudden, electric shock–like pain that would stop her in her tracks—sometimes literally dropping her to the floor in the middle of high-profile celebrity events she was producing. After a year of inconclusive tests, she was eventually diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2019. In October 2025, she completed her first half-marathon. Here, she shares how advocating for herself, changing her lifestyle, and learning to move differently with MS led her to the finish line, as told to writer L’Oreal Thompson Payton.
On the outside, my life looked grand: red carpet events, lavish parties, international travel, and designer clothes. But several years ago, my body started sending me signals that something was wrong.
Around 2018, I began experiencing intense, random bouts of pain. It felt like my body was being electrocuted from the inside out. Each episode lasted between 11 and 17 minutes, and I know this because I timed them.
After months of dealing with pain, my face started shifting. It almost looked like I had Bell’s palsy, a condition that causes one side of the face to droop. At that point I knew I needed to go to the doctor. I saw my primary care doctor, multiple neurologists, a sports medicine specialist, and even a chiropractor—and not a single one could figure out what was wrong.
As I shared my symptoms, every doctor had a different theory: “Oh, it’s stress.” “Oh, you’re having a muscle spasm.” Then they would prescribe medication to take when the pain started. But I didn’t want to just numb the pain; I wanted answers.
The relief and uncertainty of an MS diagnosis
For about a year I didn’t feel heard. In 2019, I was referred to a neurologist and she said to me, “I’m just going to prescribe you medication for a seizure and let’s see if that works.” That was my breaking point. I completely lost my cool, which is so outside of my character. I felt awful, but that is what led to me finding the answers that I needed. After our conversation, she agreed to order one more MRI.
I was boarding a flight from New York to Los Angeles for red carpet season when my doctor’s office kept calling. When I finally answered, she said, “I hate to deliver this news to you this way, it’s MS. When you get back in town, come into the office so we can start assembling your care team.”
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