Let's have some fun; stupid thing someone has said about dealing with MS

[venice]

I only read this thread today, after a few particularly bad days. Some of these are quite funny. Some, a little bit sad. I think people don't know much about MS. I didn't. Some of the less helpful comments come from that place and are not in the same category as those that suggest the speaker is about as smart as a bag of bricks.

I get irritated when my SO says he has the same feeling: "I sometimes get that," in response to me saying my foot has just been zapped or I can't feel my hand, two of the lighter examples. I tell him I highly doubt that. He's learning.

My mother when I told her immediately pulled out the best friend with a wheelchair-bound neighbour example. Thanks, mom. And after I finally allowed her to tell some other members of the family (which she was just bursting to do) she said that although some of the cousins had health care issues (one has gained a lot of weight, it seems), mine was the worst because it was an incurable disease -- and she said this with fierce pride.

While it drives me nuts, I know she cares.

[PositiveMS]

Olive oil?

The strangest suggestion came from a trainer at the local gym. We were chatting, I said I had MS, and he said, "It's a disease to do with fat, right? I bet if you ate more olive oil you could cure it." It did make me laugh, but also I realized he had NO idea how much research has already gone into MS and how complicated it is! And he thought he has solved it with Olive oil.

[Thood1983]

My brother got some terrible things to hear in high school. It just made him completely depressed.
For anyone that is or has been in my brother's situation, no matter what, you can't let people like that influence you!
Stay strong no matter what anyone says to you, because they're just ignorant!

[goddessmoon]

stupid remarks

Having not read through all of the responses, this may have been said already. I've had several people say after me disclosing that I have MS....."Oh, so you are now one of Jerry's kids....." Always makes me giggle. I have to inform that that NO, it's not the same as muscular dystrophy.

[Karenkay]

a few years ago someone said to me that they were diagnosed with MS but now she didn't have it because it was cured. What??? I said there is no cure for MS and she was misdiagnosed. then she agreed that she was never really diagnosed with MS. I just looked at her and slowly shook my head. That was the first and last time I ever talked with her about MS.

Oh, and then I heard she was eventually diagnosed with fibromylagia.

[DebbieB]

Sad, but true...

I've enjoyed reading through this thread soooo much....thanks so much for the laughs. Now here's mine:

1. From my mom - after grocery shopping, she left me in the wheelchair by the exit to go and get the car to pick me up. When she came, she said, "I should have given you a tin can, maybe you could have collected some money". (Wasn't funny at the time, now I can laugh about it).

2. My mom again (upon diagnosis)- "Are you sure it just isn't your weight?" (sigh)

3. Stranger - "Are you able to still have sex?" (WTH? - note I did say stranger).

4. Professional person -"Your cane is very becoming on you". Really????

[tommylee]

1. From my mom - after grocery shopping, she left me in the wheelchair by the exit to go and get the car to pick me up. When she came, she said, "I should have given you a tin can, maybe you could have collected some money". (Wasn't funny at the time, now I can laugh about it).

I can see that one stinging at the time...but it is a pretty funny little zinger.
Your mom sounds like a hoot! (But I like dark humor.)

[nosrepmodnar]

Its all in your head....
.....Why yes, yes it is.
Well there and my spine.

[odd duck]

Froggirl88 LOL!
Alien Implant Kind [of MS] ... omg that's rich. First belly laugh I've had in days. Thanks.

Reminded me of my mother when I called her and my dad to let them know of my dx. (My mother has never liked me very much ... "Everyone likes you" are her words). My dear daddy (age 83) says "oh baby, no" my mother (age 80) says "and ?". I asked her if she knew anything about Multiple Sclerosis and she said "of course, she watched Neil Cavuto on the news every day and he talked about his MS and there was nothing wrong with him and the Fox weather girl has MS and she's fine and Montel Williams has MS and he's fine so what's the big deal. Or are you upset because you don't get to act sick anymore?"

Then I've been asked
are there different strains of MS?
are the scars on your brain going to get better or go away?
(No but my symptoms will go away as soon as you do)

[Alex94]

my grandma soon after I got dx:
''You shouldn't have had this MRI'' - she's a wonderful person in every aspect, but it's really annoying that she simply can't bear the thought of my MS and every time we meet she says ''I don't believe it, you're healthy''. I don't get it.

in the first six months after my dx:
me: ''I hate this tingling/numbness/fatigue, it's even worse today.''
my dad: ''But you know that it may be a symptom of Lyme disease, not MS.''
me: ''Dad, they ruled out Lyme.''
my dad: ''But you know very often the results are negative even though a person has Lyme.'' (and then the long story about people he knows diagnosed with MS at first, who had Lyme in fact) <- I couldn't listen to it after some time, although I can't blame him for it. My dad simply believed it's not MS... he stopped saying such things after a number of tests for Lyme/other bacterium I had. all of them came back negative.

and a final one:
me: ''no mum, I won't go cycling today it's too hot outside''
my mum: ''I know you don't like cycling, but you could do this for me this time.''
me: ''please, last time I had a terrible headache after that and I felt crap. I can't do anything about it.''
my mum: ''so know you are going to use your MS as an excuse for everything, thank you.'' <- again, I've never blamed my mum, because she must've found it extremely hard to come to terms with my diagnosis. but it was bloody annoying that nobody could understand me

[Cat Mom]

(No but my symptoms will go away as soon as you do)

LOVE this!! Hope you don't mind that I use this saying... like some time today!

Jen

[tl-tr3]

The most annoying comment ....

and it may already be in one of these responses...
Is when I first told some people I was diagnosed with MS, they gave me the response of "But you look so good, like nothing is wrong..!" (I guess that's better than saying you look bad...)

I told them "I wish I felt good".

Then they usually go into all the famous people now who seem fine with MS on TV.
I remind them how they-the celebs- can probably afford the best neurologists and treatments available.
And I am at the mercy of hanging onto my job (while battling MS) for benefits and settling for the care they believe is fit for me.

Needless to say , I stopped revealing my health status to anyone but my family.

[Maytay]

&quot;Congratulations&quot; ?!

I too get the whole ....."but you look so good and healthy".
There is not enough make-up, hair styles, a pair of great fitting jeans that can make me feel like I look.

I think the one jaw-dropping comment that I've received so far came from my neighbor. He and I worked for the same company. When he noticed that my company car had not been in my driveway for awhile, he stopped by and asked me why. I told him that the company had "retired" me (I'm only 43) on Long Term Disability.

He congratulated me and even tried to high five me, then made a comment something to the effect of "Man, I wish I could get on Long Term Disability! You are so lucky you don't have to work anymore!"

So, I guess I'm "lucky" to have MS? I would give anything to be healthy enough to keep working!

[Maytay]

I also have to share this funny moment.

My best friend has a pseudo tumor in her brain that she's had since birth. Now in her mid 40's she's having some issues with fluid on the brain, which puts pressure on her optic nerve, causing vision problems. Well, my first sign of MS was Optic Neuritis. She and I were comparing notes one day and our teenage girls kept interrupting us and playing their music so loud, we couldn't hear each other talk. Finally, after I had had enough, I just spontaneously yelled, "Will ya'll shut up?! You're getting on my last optic nerve". We all busted out laughing until we cried. It was just one of those moments.....

[dyin_myelin]

Then they usually go into all the famous people now who seem fine with MS on TV.
I remind them how they-the celebs- can probably afford the best neurologists and treatments available.

"And Annette Funicello, enjoying her golden years tap dancing on WD40ed railings. . .no, no wait, she's dead. Of MS."