Fear took over me the first few months of my being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. One symptom turned into two and then three. I tingled, burned, walked with a limp, and faced the liar’s disease in the faces of friends and family as we all learned about MS. It’s been 20 years since that time. Were my fears realized? Yes and no. I have faced some horrifyingly scary symptoms, retired early from a promising career, and gone through hellish experiences on some MS treatment plans. Yet, I accomplished many things in my shorten career, raised my family, have enjoyed as much in life as humanly possible with my limitations, and am a happy person today. Attitude is significant in dealing with fear.

Here is what I have to say about the future… Get plenty of sleep, keep stress to a bare minimum, accept and even ask for help from others when needed, stay on a treatment plan, and choose happiness. This will help to keep MS at bay to some extent. The future is not set in stone. How you live and view your life can make a difference. I control my fear by realizing MS is unique to me, symptoms do not typically all happen at one time, there are medications that help with symptoms of attacks, and research is rolling in with exciting new discoveries. Based on what I read, I have faith a fantastic treatment or even cure is on the horizon.

FYI – The liar’s disease is what some physician’s called MS in the early days because the symptoms are invisible to most.

Image from midwifethinking.com.