"Playing the MS Card"

The day I first played the MS card was the day my eldest son was taking his black belt test.  I showed up to cheer my son on during the five hour grueling ordeal when I saw my nemesis.  She seemed happy to see me.  We exchanged pleasantries and then the interrogation began.  "Why did you quit taking classes?" she inquired.  And then she added, "You could be getting your black belt too today.  It is a shame you quit."  There was a silence as she fondled her own black belt.  Impulsively I uttered my "excuse."  "I was just diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis."  In an instant her smiling face turned to concern and embarrassment.   "I am so sorry.  I didn't know," she apologized. 

I felt an immediate remorse.  MS was not the reason I quit Tai Kwon Do.  I just lost interest.  I didn't want to spar.  But my MS provided me with an easy excuse at the ready.   MS had the power to shut someone up who was calling me a quitter.  Although it was not a proud moment for me I did think about the power the diagnosis could give me. I was no longer just an awkward klutz. After all these years I finally have a reason for my nerdy gait and lack of coordination. 

To be honest, except in the incident I have just described at Tai Kwon Do, I have never played the MS card otherwise.  All too often my MS is not an excuse but is a very real reason for me to slow down and say no to unnecessary demands.  One of my close friends reframed it this way:  "Maybe now that you have MS you will learn to be more kind to yourself."  If "playing the MS card" means learning how to relax and not feel forced to go through life at top speed then I am guilty as charged.  

What about you?  Have you ever used your MS as an excuse?  Have you ever played the MS card?