The Pessimistic Optimist

Very good article Mandy. I couldn't agree with you more. I used to be an optimist, about everything! My story is so close to yours. Since I have stopped working (I am 42), I have lost my independence and that is what hurts the most. My life has changed profoundly as well. In social settings, it is very difficult to try to explain to people when they ask where I work or what do you do or have to carry on a conversation. It is tough when you are out of the work arena, you lose alot of yourself and it becomes a challenge to simply converse.

Thank you for expressing your thoughts on this. It truly does help to know someone else can identify.

Great article Mandy!!

Hey, it's also nice to 'see' you and read about your migraine experience.

It's difficult for me to sort out whether I'm pessimistic or optimistic or skeptic or ignorant.  Sometimes those views flap around so quickly, I don't know where my head is facing.  I often get tired of finding lessons in the good and bad.  

A lifetime of learning - that's what MS is - a lifetime of learning.

Yeah I hear ya on this one. 

All the positive thinking in the world isn't gonna bring back the life that you had before MS.  It IS a big deal.  It is life changing.  It is a very mean disease.

I don't think that being realistic, keeping informed, and acknowleding that this disease is very difficult to deal with....is the opposite of being "positive."  I think you have a good perspective here...one that I can readily relate to.  You are on the road to acceptance and seeing both the good and the bad is part of that. 

Very good post and one that surely will inspire me to write a post about this same topic. 

Today I am optimistic, tomorrow, who knows?  I think that because I am newly diagnosed and dealing with a variety of symptoms, I tend to be more on the pessimistic end of the scale.  Which is sad because I am a normally very optimistic person. 

Excellent post Mandy

It's tough to remain optimistic after buying your first cane. Is this my new normal or a setback?  I don't know the answer to that.  What I do know is it's a difficult reality to face.

I just watched the Michael J. Fox special on optimism.  Is it easier to remain optimistic when you already have others cooking for you, cleaning for you, and doing your laundy?  Is it easier to remain optimistic when you don't have to worry about your income helping with college expenses for two?

I will adjust to this "new normal" if I have to, but I don't like it a bit.