HAPPY HALLOWEEN MSers! I'VE BEEN PROCRASTINATING ON SUBMITTING MY INTRODUCTION STORY, SO THE MEMORIES OF PAST HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES GAVE ME THE INSPIRATION TO START WRITING! I HAVE HAD M.S. FOR 20 YRS. AND AM NOW SPMS. THE SYMPTOMS WERE TOLERABLE UP UNTIL 3 YRS. AGO, THEN I SPIRALED DOWNHILL TO WHERE I AM TODAY! I DON'T KNOW WHY I WAS SURPRISED WITH THE PROGRESSION OF THE DISEASE BECAUSE MY MOTHER ALSO HAS M.S. I'VE SEEN HER JOURNEY WITH THIS MONSTER, AND RIGHT FROM THE START OF MY OWN M.S. JOURNEY, OUR STORIES HAVE BEEN EERIELY SIMILAR.
WE BOTH USE WALKERS FULLTIME AND "GOD FORBID" THAT WE EVER ACCIDENTALLY LET GO! UNFORTUNATELY, FALLS HAVE BEEN WORSE FOR ME BECAUSE I'M A TENACIOUS CREATURE. HOW DOES ONE ACTUALLY KNOW IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING IF WE DON'T TRY? WELL THE "TRY, TRY AGAIN" DAYS HAVE COME AND GONE. I FINALLY REALIZED THAT IF I BREAK SOMETHING, THEN I'M REALLY BUGGERED!
MY FEAR NOW IS FOR MY ONLY SIBLING, AND YOUNGER SISTER, WHO HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING SIMILAR SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS "CREEPY CRAWLER" DISEASE!? SHE HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH THE DRS. AND NEUROLOGIST'S NIGHTMARE OF "WELL, WE CAN'T GIVE YOU A DIAGNOSIS YET. WE CAN'T SAY FOR SURE" BOGUS! I THINK THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL, BUT SHE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND WAIT SOME MORE, JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE "NEWLY DIAGOSED" POPULATION!
DESPITE ALL OF THE "DOOM AND GLOOM" OF MY FAMILY HISTORY, I TRY TO KEEP A POSITIVE APPROACH TO LIFE! I'VE ALWAYS PREFERRED THE "LAUGH UNTIL YOU CRY" OPTION. ALONG WITH MY SENSE OF HUMOR, I GET GREAT JOY FROM MY 14 YR. OLD AKITA DOG, "BEAR" AND ALL OTHER ANIMALS IN GENERAL! THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THAT THEY SHARE WITH US!! YOU CAN EVEN DRESS THEM UP IN SOME RIDICULOUS HALLOWEEN COSTUME AND THEY TOLERATE THAT TOO??!!
