Living, Learning, Coping

Hi Amy, You make a monthly dialogue very attractive!  I look forward to sharing experiences and learning better coping strategies. Whether new to MS or more seasoned, seems we will all be able to benefit from the information that will be provided here. I can't wait to begin.

Hi Amy,

I was diagnosed 1989 when I was 40. Not on my birthday, but near it.

Interesting.  In the beginning I wanted to know everything, but as you say that was a long time ago, pre-Internet, information swirling about, no concensus, more of a catch as catch can.

There was as you say, and still is I think, that information we avoid becaue we don't want to know.  The hard part is when we already read something and then realized we really don't want to know. Then we have to compartmentalize it until we don't have a choice.

I enjoyed this and look forward to the next one. Thank you.

Fantastic and wonderful. I am looking forward to reading, learning and participating in the discussion. One thought.....Have you considered changing the order to "Coping, Learning and Living"? MS or not, we all still have a lot of living to do.

Michael

Was very moved by your writing here. Very eloquent. For what it's worth, your birthday is as bad a day as you can get for getting this diagnosis. 20 is a tender age to be served with that, especially in 1988, when the education and medical resources for the disease were even more exponentially limited than they are now.

For me, I woke up unable to move on the morning my touring rock band was sharing a packed out show at the Birch Hill with Rusted Root. Couldn't play the guitar at all, let alone walk. Spinal cord lesion on top of brain lesions that had gone undiagnosed for 3 years. I was just 33 years old. It was 2003. Now, I'm told I probably had MS since I was 20, like you, but that the lesions don't sometimes show right away.

My solution to coping with this disease and re-establishing normalcy is intense, ridiculously rigorous exercise. I'm a martial arts teacher/student as a serious hobby. It didn't start out that way, because I had to rehabilitate to be able to move well at all. Six years later, however, it has made stunning changes. It also fights fatigue and depression. Again... for what it's worth... Everyone's experience with this disease is different. My aunt had it, and it consumed her. I have another friend who has it, and it's barely an annoyance.

If you get a chance, check out Jake LaMotta's daughter, Stephanie. Her father used boxing training methods to rehabilitate her long before that was a popular thought. Then, there's Montell.

Anyway, great piece. Thanks for writing it.