OKAY, I KNOW MS ISN'T USUALLY SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, HOWEVER I AM. WHY?

BACK IN THE DAY WHEN I HEARD THE WORDS " MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS" ASSOCIATED WITH ME, I WAS IMMEDIATELY FILLED WITH ANGER, FEAR, AND SHOCK. IT TOOK SEVERAL YEARS FOR ME TO QUIT WADING IN THAT RIVER- THE RIVER OF DENIAL-YOU KNOW.

THEN I DECIDED TO EDUCATE MYSELF ABOUT ALL THINGS MS, YOU KNOW, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY. AFTER SORTING THRU THEM, AND KNOWING I WASN'T ALONE IN MY TOWN, I STARTED A SUPPORT GROUP FOR PEOPLE WITH MS, AND THEIR CAREGIVERS, AND ALSO FOR THOSE WHO JUST WANTED TO LEARN ABOUT IT.

EIGHT YEARS LATER, WE'RE STILL GOING STRONG, AND UNFORTUNATELY HAVE SOME WHO JUST NOW GOT THE DIAGNOSIS. I'M GLAD THEY HAVE A PLACE TO COME TO,  WHERE EVERYONE "GETS IT".

AND NOW I'M ALSO A COUNSELOR OVER THE PHONE FOR PEOPLE WITH MS. IT IS THE MOST SATISFYING, YET HUMBLING THING I'VE DONE SINCE HELPING WITH KATRINA. IT'S ALSO MY WAY OF "PAYING IT FORWARD" TOO. HOPEFULLY I CAN AND WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T.

THANKS FOR LETTING ME SHARE THIS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO READING YOUR BLOG AS WELL, AND FINDING YET ANOTHER WAY TO "PAY IT FORWARD".

SO YEAH, WHO KNEW THAT THERE WERE BENEFITS TO HAVING MS? WELL I KNOW.....NOW.

~GS~