Good morning my beloved ms family (that is “YOU”). How are we this morning? A good calm nights sleep I hope. No ms gremlins causing havoc in your body. If there were any “YOU” were able to visit your Gringotts treasure vault and find a strength from before that gave “YOU” the strength to do it ta again this time. Unsure of what I mean? life with Relapsing-Remitting ms (RRms) is a very long journey. I was diagnosed (Dx’d) at age 29, I am now 50 something (I stopped counting at 50, I expect to make 70. I will have ms that entire time it is incurable and chronic. It is supposed to get worse. I may not progress, that is NOT guaranteed, but I may have a further loss of function over my years. What is lost is never necessarily gone forever though, rest assured “YOU” CAN get things back. When I first met she who must be obeyed 20+ years ago she was using a walker, did not drive and I pushed her in a wheelchair. Today we are debating the color of a new car because she has put so many miles on our current car. Take this as a guide that all is not lost forever for “YOU”. “YOU” can survive RRms and survive it well. Your life is NOT over, there maybe no cure BUT a long happy life with RRms can be yours. Make decisions in your life to have this, make it your goal. Cry, cry hard at first for as long as “YOU” need or want to. Search for answers that “YOU” will not find (why me, how do I make it go away) We all do, it is normal.
As time passes “YOU” will come to accept RRms. Never be happy with it, BUT “YOU” will come to accept it and start making decisions to make your life better. Move from the total blackness\hopelessness of an RRms Dx to an attitude like. I CAN DO THIS, I BELIEVE I CAN I WILL. RRms is not easy, it is far from painless (believe me on that), Not every medicine works for everybody. No matter how many years of experience your Neroligist (Neuro) has she\he may not always have all the answers. RRms is a HUGE disease, it can affect your entire body. Nobodies RRms is exactly the same. As she who must be obeyed says, hers affects her mentally and mine causes me extreme pain at times. We both have the same disease, live in the same house, eat and drink mostly the same food and water yet our RRms is very different. Do not expect that your ms will be the same as the lady in the wheelchair, or using crutches to walk, IT IS VERY LIKELY NOT TO BE THE SAME, EVER..
Take heart, my dear Sister or Brother, “YOU” are unique, we all are. We are all different. The same but different. Give yourself a chance. Wipe away the tears and start developing an attitude of I CAN and I WILL. Give yourself a theme, find a song, I like Bob Marley 3 Little Birds. I credit my West Indian roots. Find a direction for yourself, read a book. I like" Ikigai “ the Japanese secret to a long and happy life, Mans Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl is also good. Expand your mind. “YOU” and I are sick. Let that sickness define us in the way WE want to be defined. Not in the way somebody else says we should be, and be PROUD of what “YOU” may become, do not be embarrassed about it. If “you” have to use cane, a walker a chair. OWN them make them yours, show your style. Laugh in the face of the crowd who says “YOU” should be seen and not heard. Put in a corner and pitied.
I always want the very best for “YOU, BUT “YOU” have to work with me. Nobody can do your RRms for “YOU”, “YOU” have to make an effort if “YOU” want to succeed in your RRms Life.
Royce (your ms writer and brother )
you have to want it and you have to try, try, try and keep trying. YOU CAN DO THIS
