The positives from MS
I was going to give this article the title of “What has MS stopped me doing?”. I don’t like that because it is so negative and basically I am a glass half full man so lets make this a positive post.
Positives from MS
Positive things
What good things have happened to me over the last few years? There are definitely a few of them. The only prerequisite is that they happened after I took medical retirement. That is a watershed moment for me. So here we go.
- MS has allowed me to start up the aid4disabled information website.
- I have discovered that I am not as illiterate as I thought. In fact I can write a short blog. They aren’t funny, not everyone can be funny. Any life would be boring if they were all funny.
- I have discovered social media, once again I’m not a genius at it but I have learned a new skill.
- I have discovered that I can talk to an audience or public speaking
- Search Engine Optimization – a black art and I’m not too sure about that one.
- I have learned to be more patient and more forgiving.
- The importance of listening.
This is where the good news begins to tail off. At least it shows I am living a happier life’
Negative things.
MS forced me to take medical retirement and it has disabled me. I won’t bore you with a list of my disabilities.
My major problem is not what life is like now but looking 10 years ahead. I can cope with life now but imagining where I will be in 10 years’ time; when I am 70? Not easy if you have MS.
Right now
I am sixty, I can still stagger around the house with my rollator, I can still shower myself, shave myself and clean my teeth. I can still go shopping. I take an active role in my local Toastmaster’s branch and I still go to London on the train by myself. I use my mobility scooter to help me get around. I can walk; using only a walking stick I can manage 200 meters in about 6 minutes. OK not very much but a lot more than other MS sufferers.
I try not to look ahead and worry about future.
This might be interesting, what am I unable to do now that I could do 10 years ago.
10 years ago
I was able to drive, it’s something we all take for granted until we cannot then it’s a real bummer. I was happily working in the computer business. I could go for a dog walk with the family. I hardly ever fell over.
What is the big difference between 10 years ago and today? It is the knowledge of what could happen to me. Ten years ago I was blissfully ignorant of the future, now I am horribly aware of what could happen to me.
The most important thing is what I have learned. I think there are two things.
Today I know
- I cannot fight MS,
- I now accept that I have got MS so I have learned to life with it
Despite these two things that I have come to realize I’m still the same cheerful bloke that I was ten years ago. I’ve got a positive attitude, I’m a go-getter.
As an aside. My hair has more salt than pepper, in other words I do have a few more grey hairs than 10 years ago. No let’s be honest, these days I have a lot more grey hairs but also I hope I am a bit wiser.
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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