MS - The Thief that Keeps on Stealing

MS is an insidious disease with huge psychological components. Robert, our friend from Costa Rica who coined the term, "Stemmies," is also responsible for the phrase, "MS, the thief that keeps on stealing." This is so true! The most difficult part of MS is the not knowing. From one day to the next, things could be better or they could be worse. It is such a mind-game to not know how your body (or your spouse's body) will work. The only sure thing is that, over time, things will be worse; the fatigue, the atrophy, the stiffness, the spasticity, the loss of control. This slow deterioration creates, at the very least, a low-grade depression. It is a systemic problem that affects the entire family. Our kids have definitely been robbed of a normal life, whatever that is, as have Steve and I. There is so much we cannot do as a family, but we have compensated for those losses in the best possible ways. We are so proud of our girls for the way they have grown up and for their sensitivity to others. That is one positive outcome to this situation.

We are still dealing with the negative ramifications of MS. It has been three weeks since we returned from Costa Rica. There is no significant improvement, although we still have hope, which helps the above-mentioned psychological factors. For once, we think life will improve over time, even though it is not any better now, than it was before. Eight to 12 weeks, we keep telling ourselves. Nerves take a long time to re-generate. My friend Julie, the physical therapist said, "It is like planting a garden. It takes time and patience." She is absolutely right. This is an organic process which does not happen overnight. We are living in, what I like to call, a microwave world. We are used to everything being instantly at our fingertips. Those seeds (cells) have been planted. Now we need to give them time to grow...