need some opinion please

[diguilio]

okay i want to cry however i will try not too so i was wondering how many people feel that their MS has changed your life.......has it changed for a positive or has MS really screw up your life

[BadAttitude]

Oh boy! Somebody soliciting my opinion! And here I felt that everyone is entitled to know my opinion, if I can corner them long enough to impart wisdom into their lives

So far, it has screwed up my life in that it has compounded the effect of poor decisions I made prior to diagnosis.

But, I'm a silver lining in every cloud kinda girl and I've been fortunate to receive the best care money can buy. Not gloating; just really, REALLY grateful to have good insurance. Now to snag a job to let me build up an IRA/pension that I've neglected for a loooooong time. Kicking myself for that more than anything, really. Hoping the Lemtrada staves off future relapses long enough to give me a shot at it.

About that silver lining part....I am struggling to give you something positive about having MS. I guess from a human development standpoint, I have learned to not be quite so judgmental of myself and more forgiving of personal failings and setbacks, whereupon I find myself feeling obligated to extend the same courtesy to my fellow human beings. I am amazed to find how liberating that feeling is of NOT feeling compelled to dwell on criticizing other people, even in my own mind. I guess you could say that when I'm not fighting the mysterious itchy skin that can't be resolved by scratching, the inexplicable muscle twitches that spark on and off when I'm just about ready to go to sleep yet don't appear to be visible to anyone else nearby, and trying to fumble my way through pronouncing a pre-MS vocabulary word I've used a million times before in my previous life, it's a liberating feeling to reflect on the benefits of forgiveness. Then something else happens to distract me and I am feeling crabby again, like a cloud passing over the sun.

I just remember nothing is forever. Not even a bad mood if you take steps to exorcise your angst and try to introduce positivity in all its forms into your life and others' even when they don't deserve it.

[TaoWarrior]

I've been feeling a bit depressed about MS for the past couple weeks so probably the wrong time for me to answer but yeah MS has thoroughly screwed up my life.

I was the primary income earner in the house and after 10 years and 2 carer changes to deal with new challenges MS threw at me I had to quit working altogether. We went from a nice middle class life to constantly struggling over the past 2 years. I hate that my kids are growing up with a dad who can't take them camping or to the park or play basketball with them. I hate that they have to worry about asking for the new video game or toy they want cause we are broke. I hate everything about this crappy hand life dealt me.

I will say that it took years to get to this point so the initial diagnosis is not really all that life altering (or wasn't for me) but the long term effects have been bad. If you are new to it start planing for the future now and don't be like me and ignore it for the first 3 years then be shocked when your carefully constructed life begins to crash around you.

[PattiHNC]

yes, yes, and yes

1. It has totally changed my life. I didn't marry until I was 36, so I was very independent, even after marriage. I used to be fairly active. I enjoyed walking the dogs, riding my bike, hiking in the mountains, dancing, etc. I just took it for granted that I could jump in the car and go anywhere I wanted anytime I wanted. That is sure a thing of the past. I can't go anywhere without someone to drive me, I am very limited in my activities. Just getting into bed exhausts me. So yeah, my life has drastically changed, however,

2. That is not all bad. I no longer take ANYthing for granted, and that is a good thing. I have a whole new appreciation for the people and things in my life that give me enjoyment. I am a more patient person, because I either have to be patient or drive myself and those around me crazy! That said....

3. It has really screwed up my life. There are so many things I used to do that I can no longer do. see # 1 for some of the things. Also, play the piano, crocheting, (little hand strength, poor co-ordination), sing in the church choir, play handbells, see above, plus I cannot stand through a whole song and practice is in the evening, when I am totally exhausted. Worst of all, my daughter recently got married, and I was not able to do near as much as I wanted to do to help prepare, and whenever grandkids come along, I will be unable to be the active, fully involved grandma I always envisioned myself being. sure, there's still things I will be able to do with them, but.....

Well, there's my take on how MS has affected my life, looking forward to more responses.


** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **