Things that are emotional, and hard to talk about with multiple sclerosis

[Guest guest]

Hi Folks,

A fellow ms'er sent this to me today. I am writing a new book about the things

we don't talk about.

These are some of his experiences, He is optimistic, pro-active and extremely

helpful to other ms'er's. Your thoughts and experiences would be appreciated by

me. Thank you.

Regards,

Tom

Things that are emotional, and hard to talk about with multiple sclerosis.

I was diagnosed in 1993 with multiple sclerosis, I had symptoms years earlier,

but I did not go to a doctor. Only my mother knew of the symptoms like nerves,

that were crawling on my legs. This only lasted a few weeks,this happened when

I was getting ready for bed. This happened when I was about 19 years old, what

I did for living I believe has a lot to do with the symptoms of multiple

sclerosis, I painted cars, and worked with many chemicals, and inhaled them, at

the same time, I believe things in our environment cause the symptoms and they

have given the name multiple sclerosis to the conditions that we have.

Not till I was 38 years old was I diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, I got

married when I was 30 years old. I thought she was a good woman, and we wanted

the same things, but I was wrong. I was diagnosed when I came home from a

business trip from Detroit Michigan. I went blind in one eye, a few times and

was able to make it home, I went right to the doctors, and shortly later, I was

diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, what they did not do was teach me how to deal

with the changes that my body was going to go through. They also did not help

my wife and the proper fashion.

Multiple sclerosis for me, it has been very difficult for many reasons, I

suffered with pain all over my body, for seven years, I did the drugs and paid a

very big price. I was put in the hospital for over two weeks, for an addiction

to pain medication, this ruined my marriage along with the, other drugs that

caused changes in emotional and physical areas, of my body.

What they don't do, is teach us how to deal with life with multiple sclerosis,

it takes a very special spouse if you're lucky to adjust to these changes, they

don't teach us how to live just on security disability, they don't help us with

living arrangements, or funds to live on, or food, and cleaning arrangements,

they let you fend for yourself. And hopefully things work out. During my

multiple sclerosis I had many changes in living arrangements, and some physical

some emotional, somewhere work-related, somewhere things I could not adjust to,

there are many changes to deal with.

Changes to deal with that are hard,

Not making a living,

Not working any longer

No financial income other than disability.

Dealing with a spouse, that does not understand the changes in our bodies, with

multiple sclerosis.

Dealing with divorce and separation caused by having multiple sclerosis

..

Dealing with living arrangements, because income is limited.

..

Dealing with Doctors, that feel they are right on everything, and offer no real

help in dealing with our multiple sclerosis, just false drugs, that don't work,

and you're still left to deal with the adjusting changes of our body and life.

The adjusting changes, of life.

1.. Body Functions

2.. Elimination

3.. Sexual issues

4.. Feelings, of life changes

5.. Feelings of Hopelessness.

What would be nice, is there was a organization, that would step in and help

with these adjustments. There seems to be no help from the Multiple sclerosis

Society, or other groups, or government agencies, to make life's easier, what I

have learned is that there is no little pill, to make us feel better, and to

deal with these changes, it is our close friends than help deal with these

changes.

There is a lot to write about, there are natural things that seem to work

better, but it's up to each individual to figure this out for themselves help is

there we just have to open ourselves up to it.