Our Unwelcome Guest, MS - What some people should know about the MS life - Personal - http://maxpages.com/happymspage/Our_Unwelcome_guest

Multiple Sclerosis is a very unwelcome
guest in our bodies. Sometimes we have
to fight everyday. If we use the train
as an example,we have MS in the lead train
and not the caboose. We have to show that
MS is the lead train and thats where it is
going to stay.

When we get down sometimes, the MS starts
sliding to the caboose of the train,and
starts to overcome us.I like to use the
caboose as the ugly heads of MS.Whivh will
come out more than once,not only ourselves,
but other people too, who are in the drivers
seat.
All of us at times will show these ugly
heads.

Keep scrolling!

We worry
about getting enough sleep,laying down in
the afternoon,what we will do when our
vision gets blurred,how to overcome heat
intolerance,and the cold as well.

In a sense we are prisioners of our bodies.
We have memory problems, short term mostly
but it can sometimes get worse.

How many of us have been looked at like
we were drunk because we can't walk as
we would like ? Our legs atrophy from
lack of usage and sometimes our arms too.

WE have bladder and bowel problems come
at a time we have not chosed. and that is
embarrassing. I have and I think all of you
have had a hard time getting people to
undrestand what we are going through,
even within our families and friends.
People don't want to know about it so they
bury there heads in the sand hoping it or we
will go away.

We start to become that person who gave in
to MS and let it run the train.We know the
MS willn't go away and nither will we.
We still have feelings as anybody else does.
They think that we are not the same person
we were before. We got MS and in most cases
it changed our bodies and altered our way
of life.

We are the same people.
This is a big reason why people need to be
educated, but I'm sure you know that really
they don'twant to be educated. They would
rather ignor us , not thinking twice how
much they are hurting us. It is something
like a child or anyonewho has lost of parent
in death.

We did not ask for a chronic illness, one
with so much uncertainity. We do not enjoy
using canes, crutches and wheelchairs, but
we must, and it's not easy to get used to
the idea that it probably will be for the
rest of our lives.

We have the same feelings and can get hurt
just like we always did. We are the same
people. This is a big reason why people need
to be educated. But I'm sure you know that
they really don't want to be educated.
They would rather ignore us not thinking
twice how mush they are hurting us. It is
something like a child or anyone that
has to deal with a parent's death.

We did not ask for a chronic illness, one
which there is so much uncertainty. We do
not enjoy using canes, crutches and
wheelchairs, but we must , and it's not
easy to get used to the idea that it
probably will be for the rest of our
lives.

I'm sure all of you have been in the
position of needing to get somewhere.
I know I have asked many times and
people just couldn't or more likely
THEY DIDN'T WANT TO, THAT WOULD MEAN
PUTTING THEMSELVES OUT.
A few years ago I asked my sister in
law to take me to K-Mart. I neglected to
tell her that it was for a prescription
and she never thought to ask.My husband
was away from home at the time.Well, I
didn't get any help, just a lecture that
there was a lot of hate in this house.
I agreed with her, but it was all on her
sister's side. She used to live upstairs
from me. Finally ,I just stopped asking.

This is why we are all here for each other.
When one of us gets down, we have to help
pick them up. If they get to the caboose
of the train then MS wins. We have to lick
MS by what ever means we have . There are
medications, Betaseron, Avonex,and Copaxion.
These are not for everyone and if you want
to try one you must discuss it with your
doctor. So when MS gets you down, get in touch
with a buddy, go to the internet and post
it on the MS boards.

Sometimes people get more support here than
from their family or friends There are
support groups everywhere and they are great
help also. You have to get the lead of the
train and tell MS where to go. A nice way of
putting itis "Put it where the sun doesn't
shine" There are many times this will happen
and we have to keep getting up again.
It's not easy by any stretch of the imagination
, but we have to do it.

People don't understand that one minute we
feel fine and the next we feel miserable and
can't do a thing. If we were going someplace
and at the last minute had to cancel, they
think we are making it up. Never did it cross
their minds that we maybe can't do it.They
don't stop to think how it hurts a person
when they can no longer hug their children or
their husband. or for that matter any one else
that they want to hug.
Another reason why the divorce rate is so
high between MS couples is what MS does to our
bodies. Even if you had it before you got
married, the caregiver can't really understand
what might be involved. Do people know how hard
it is to get out of bed and get dressed each day?
What taking a shower takes all the reserves from
a body that has none to give back. Even if it's
just for an hour, we have to push ourselves to
get dressed. If we don't MS is winning.

For those of us who fall into the "But You Look
So Well" category, people think because you look
good you must feel good. Such is not the case.
I know I repeated that but maybe if someone
else reads this article they will try to
understand.

When all the simple things we did are now not
so easy any more, in fact some are inpossible.
It hurts to think of all the things we can't
do any more. yes, it hurts a lot, and that is
where we have to be for each other and keep
control of the train and back to where it
belongs, This shows that we are fighting
Multiple Sclerosis as much as we can and we
will not let it overcome us.
We are going to overcome it and keep on
fighting. It will be for the rest of our
lives, but we can all try to live the Motto.
" I WILL NEVER QUIT"
As long as we have each other we can do it.
Friends Forever, Lobosgirl or Eileen.

Eileen Lukeman and Richard Tanner

FL.

Eileen(Lobosgirl) and Richard (RET1000) both at aol.com

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Page Updated Wed May 7, 2008 9:45am EDT