Distracted

[CasinoKathy]

Today while talking on the phone to a friend and watching tv at the same time, I made the mistake I said I wouldn't do again.

She asked me how my day was going--and I usually say fine or ok. Well, my fault as I was watching tv, I told her not good as I was having a hard time walking because my foot and leg were alot weaker than normal, and my foot was hardly lifting off the floor, more or less just dragging along.

I know that my Ty infusion is this Thursday and that's why I'm feeling this way. I always seem to run out of steam afew days before.

Well, she starts in on how she knows how that is, because she has a bad knee and has trouble walking sometimes too! Boy, I had to bite my tongue so as not to snap back at her with, "no, you don't know and never will"!! I've been through this before and it never ceases to amaze me how others compare their aches and pains with what us ms'ers live with everyday.

I realize that I sound really angry. I know that other people have aches and pains too and lots of medical conditions that are awful. Must just be that when I'm physically at my WORST- I guess I don't want to hear about their troubles.

So am I just selfish and grumpy and a pain in the a-- when I have more trouble than normal functioning? Yea- guess so. Boy, I have a hard time looking in the mirror when I get like this! I think I better watch myself, so when hubby walks thru the door from work that I don't bite his head off. God knows, he doesn't deserve it, I tell him he is a saint to put up with me sometimes!

Thanks for listening to my rant- I do feel better after I get this off my chest!

[concerned40]

There should be some kind of button you push when a friend says something that zaps them instantly and then you follow it up with clarification and educational statements regarding MS. Kinda like negative reinforcement.

[cali1892]

No your not being a PIA. Im the same way.
I think my favorite is the few friends that know, now think they have MS too.
Really!?

[nixiepixie]

Ahh... MS by association. One of my young employees was convinced she had MS too when my last flare hit. Got to love it. Or my boss who inferred her lack of sleep was exactly like the exhaustion a flare causes. Um, yeah, exactly alike.

[lorinda]

I can relate. I have not recieved a DX yet but My boss is sure my symtoms would go away if I would go see his chiropractor or even a good massage. I am soooo sure that would make everything better

[Des]

Isn't it interesting how everybody knows so much about MS? It would really be nice if people didn't talk so much about things they don't know anything about, wouldn't it?

I know it's aggravating to be told things you should be doing, or how they have the same symptom, but I tell myself they're trying to help, and (with gritted teeth sometimes), I say I'll talk to my doctor about it.

[concerned40]

I can relate. I have not recieved a DX yet but My boss is sure my symtoms would go away if I would go see his chiropractor or even a good massage. I am soooo sure that would make everything better

Lorinda,

Are you sure we don't work for the same boss?

I'm not DX either but he's got a million methods to treat what's going on with me. I'm sure they are trying to be helpful and I guess we need to do more to educate them once we do have a diagnosis so they will understand.

[lorinda]

The word for today is excersize. My boss just let me know my problem is I am not active enough. He recommends that during slow periods I try some deep knee bends next to my desk and a brisk walk at lunch. I can barly walk across the office to do filing but I'm sure a brisk walk out on the sidewalk covered with patches of ice would be great.

I wish I had that buzzer. He signs my paycheck so I just smile and nod

[lusgirl]

Oh my! I had the same thing happen to me. As a matter of fact my boss told me the other day when I was telling him about my cognitive issues. He said, "I know what you are talking about. There are times I cannot remember who I talked to and what I said to them." He also went on to say that he too needs to start writing stuff down. So, he says, "I know exactly what you are talking about. The same thing happens to me." It was all I could do to not say, "No you don't. You only have that to happen once in a while. I face this everyday." Uggghhhh!!! Drives me nuts!!! OK I have vented now...

[Beema]

I am glad others have these feelings! I just thought I was self centered and selfish as I find myself so often having to bite my tongue and dig my fingernails into my palms not to get an angry retort when someone tells me how they know how I feel etc.

[isamadjul]

I ONCE HAD A FRIEND SAY..."WHEN I'M HAVING A BAD DAY I THINK OF U AND I FEEL BETTER" SHE REALLY SAID THAT...LMBO!
SHE MEANT IT FUNNY BUT IT HAS ALWAYS STUCK

AND I KNOW ABOUT THE HUBBY THING...MINE HAD BEEN PUTTING UP WITH MY "WITCHY" SELF FOR THE PAST 2 DAYS. TODAY I'M NICE THOUGH... FOR NOW! LOL

[JudySz]

You know my younger dd and I complain about all our friends on FB who are always sick. One of her girlfriends, mind you, they are all healthy and under 30, always complains....she went to ER for ingrown toenail. I know they are painful, but just make a regular doc appt.....not ER...anyway the other day asked if anyone wanted to trade bodies. I almost posted that I would kill for her body with her made up ailmsents, and she could have my old, MS body with all my pains, bad walking and talking and just old age stuff. I did not respons, but dd and I had a good laugh.

From what I know of you, you are not a complainer, and I do not think you were ei
ng mean at all. Next time, try to remember to turn off tv when she calls.

Those of us who have chronic diseases, my sil with breast cancer and my friend also are the ones who ar always more positive and realize that we would be happy to have an ingrown toenail as our only ailment.

Hang in there.

JudySz

[Citrine]

Kathy,
I think people say things like that because they WANT to relate to us on some level, they have NO idea how we feel or what we go through on a daily basis, so complaining about their physical ailments seems like 'relating'.
Sadly my own daughter does it to me, I think it's her way of wanting me to feel 'normal' by saying "Mumma sometimes I feel like that too"..maybe she does, I hope not.

I know how you feel Kathy, exactly how you feel.
(((((HUGS)))))

[Thankful2B]

Awe, Kathy, you are so not selfish. I think ALL of us know exactly how you feel. I think the thing that gets me most is the fact that THEY ask how WE feel. So, if we're honest and we tell them, then off they go telling you about their "same" ailments! URGH! I am learning quickly to bite my tongue.

Since so many others did, I thought I'd also share just a tad bit of what I've heard from my boss. This is probably my favorite one from him to date. So, one morning we were scheduled for a meeting in his office. As usual, I brought my cup of coffee along. He began talking about work-related things and I kept getting a frustrated look on my face. He thought my look was in response to what he was saying. So, I felt like I should tell him it was because I was having tremors in my head and neck, and everytime I tried to take a drink of my coffee, I couldn't "lock down" on the cup! He said, man, I could not deal with that! He said "especially the problems you have with heat, I like to spend a lot of time outside, so I just couldn't deal with that".

Ok, you guys may be thinking that what he was trying to say is that he thinks I'm couragous or admirable for dealing with this disease. Uh, no (it's hard to type the way things actually sound). He said it like, he couldn't deal with that, so he would have to just say no to MS!

What??!! Really??!! Are you kidding me??!! URGH!! Things that make you go "hmmm....".

[choco]

she starts in on how she knows how that is, because she has a bad knee and has trouble walking sometimes too!

Kathy

There is nothing wrong in saying "Excuse me, but can you please not say that because unless you have experienced what I have to cope with - on a daily basis - you do *not know how I feel or what I'm going through."
If she or whoever it is has any kind of decency, they will apologise and learn from it.