If you could turn back the clock?

[carly0952]

i would not have had children. ms is not not kind to children. ms is not fair life is not fair and children should not have to cope with ms.

[poohb3ar]

IF'S AND WHAT IF'S are dangerous questions i try to avoid. sure, i miss walking normally or not being in wheelchair for vacations or keeping my husband company on more activities we did together like running races.

would i turn the clock back? not sure. i would advise anyone reading this to NOT let an idiot dr. tell you you're crazy keep you from seeking help for 'strange sx' for 10 yrs.

but i know God is in control and i won't second guess my life. who knows what all might have changed? i then would have had to deal with Lyme stage III treatment that i almost died from AND MS at the same time. i wouldn't have pushed to finish my degree or taught for 10 cherished yrs.

my family has born a lot with all my illnesses. perhaps we couldn't have handled all of that at the same time. besides ignoring stuff i shouldn't have, i did take good care of my self.

so no, i try to look forward. like Paul tells us to do 'to run the race, keep you eye on the goal' and 'set your mind on things above'. i may hobble through this world but with His help i'll get thru and one day run on streets of gold.

THAT is the important part i want to impart to my children and everyone else i can. don't focus on problems here and now, they're only temporary.
sorry, i'll quit preachin
take care everyone, God bless ya!

[Camsue]

the early years

If I knew what I did now and could go back, I would probably still be married.....My husband misinterpreted my reaction to a "dire diagnosis" and thought I was having an affair..those immature days! He immediately remarried, but we "co-raised" our 3 children and remain 'friends'. It would be nice to have someone with me to 'gracefully' grow older.....

I have been very fortunate, retired from my State job at 46, received SSDI at 50..now at 59, I'm still walking, okay leaning, and I thank God and Betaseron for that

[Blessings2You]

If I had any inkling that I would be so limited in my activities and getting around with canes and walkers, I surely would have done whatever I had to do NOT to gain back the weight I'd worked so hard to lose. Even if I had to sew my big mouth shut.

[bubbadan]

Domino, I was DX'd in 1992 and had a pretty mild time of it until the last 3 years. There were a lot of times that I missed my shots of Copaxone for weeks at a time due to my own laziness and I feel that maybe I might still be in good shape had I done as I was suppose to. No way to tell for sure though because whats done is done.

[KATHY SUE]

Turn back the clock

Well, for me in 1992 when I was diagnosed, there were no meds. My Dr. then, told me I shouldn't have children and to live every day to the fullest. What a "doorknob" he turned out to be. Since then I have been to 3 other Docs. I missed my chance to have a family based on his scare tactics. My suggestion to anyone newly diagnosed is to follow your heart, there's always hope and possibilities. I think back, sure there are things I would change, but why fret about the past....let's push on for tomorrow. It may be the day we have a cure. Hang in there and keep the faith.

[skeptik]

Would not have tried so hard... too much false hope.
Just keep getting worse & I'm so tired of fighting

[shirl42]

I'm over 65 and when I seen seniors Not so much sanctuary. I knew I wanted to go to seniors with M S. My own age group.

[KureMS]

MS Has Made Life Good For Me

After 4 brain tumors (yes 4) dx with MS in 1999. What would I have done different? Sometimes I think I would have retired earlier, but then I think of all the things I learned working a different job later, these are things I love to do now that I am "retired" due to disability. I was fortunate in planning and sticking to financial plans all thru my marriage, and not we're able to reap the benefits. Thanks to retirement we're able to travel a lot (hubby still works ) but does have a lot of free time. I'd love to be without the pain sometimes, but I'm also happy that I'm not that bad off (still get around with only a cane). I am very happy with my life, and I think tha I am happy as a result of all the things that have happened in my like, all of them. So, because I am happy, I wouldn't change anything.

[foggyrose]

This thread just keeps going and going.....like our MS. No, I certainly didn't expect to live my senior years like this. After having optic neuritis in 1976, nothing else happened except arthritis, until 1990 when the "official" diagnosis was given.

I am so grateful for those good years being able to do all the "normal" things with my kids/family. Many years of being supermom that now seem like that was someone else. Was divorced in '90 (same year as diagnosis) and in hindsight, wish my marriage would have worked. Living alone with this lousy disease has become very difficult the past five years. The only thing I would have done differently was to find an MS Specialist who may have been able to keep things at bay longer. It seems like my neurologist had to deal with many neurological problems and was unable to concentrate on treating MS. I'm putting him in the past tense as he's now retired. Have to find a new one.

I know God is in control, but find myself frustrated and in tears often. For me, as my disease has progressed, I've grown further away from God. He could take this all away if He so chose to do so. It doesn't make sense to me why I have to spend my "senior years" housebound, in terrific pain 24/7 and ALONE. With six grands, I'm missing out on so much and had looked forward to spending alot of time with them. Now it's all been taken away along with my joy of living...............

[mtnwillow]

Having always been a workaholic and a perfectionist, I wish I had slowed down a little. I had a warning in 1996, which was diagnosed as Fibromyalgia but which I now believe was MS. I took 3 weeks off and changed jobs but continued to work long hours. Now I feel like I missed some of life's little pleasures, spending quality time with my children, traveling, socializing. These are the things I miss.

[DianeD]

Honestly, I don't know

Dx'd 16 years ago. I don't truely know if I'd do anything differently. I didn't start DMD's until a year and a half ago and frankly I see no difference. Actually, that's not true. I feel worse since beginning them and though my MRI showed no gross changes that has always been the case.

As to eating; well, that's a lifestyle thing. I could definitely eat healthier, but honestly I still like the things I shouldn't eat more than the should eat stuff.

I mean...chocolate or salad..hmmm, thats not too tough. I'd rather eat chocolate but I try to eat salad at least every other day and I don't pour on the dressing (like dh does :-)

Exercise could always help. I never did (with the exception of aerobic dancing many years ago) do any planned exercise. When I had my swimming pool in Florida I did put on weights and do exercise in the pool, but not as regularly as I could have.

I think exercise is good for me, for you and everyone, but not likely to prevent the dx of MS, though it may stave off some of the weakness issues. Never the less you will see many here that were quite athletic and are now disabled by MS. Annette Funicello is a good example of someone who was in good physical shape, was a dancer and horse back rider. Yet she is now in a wheelchair.

Diane

[Sammie]

I wouldn't change a thing. I feel blessed. I was diagnosed 37 yrs ago when I was 24. I was just married which by the way didn't last because of my MS. But that's another story. Anyway, I then had my son which got me through some tough times. Divorced, remarried & had my daughter. When she was 6 wks old he left so I divorced him. Decided to raise my children myself. It wasn't easy & my MS flared up a lot. All this time I was on SSD. Thank goodness I had help from my family through all of this.

24 yrs ago I went back to school & decided to go back to work. That has not been easy at all. I also met a great man that accepted my MS, children & me. We've had some ups & downs with my MS but we've made it so far & he stuck by me through the relapses & seizures.

My life hasn't been a bed of roses but I wouldn't change it for the world. With 3 stepsons, my two & a good marriage I can't complain.

I'm not in a good place with my job or my MS but I'm hanging in there just taking it one day at a time. No, I wouldn't change a thing, I'd probably do the same things.

I'm truly blessed
Sammie