Life Interrupted

Hello everyone,

Wow, you all are so helpful and understanding. You would think that our co-workers, spouses, family members and friends, the people who are closest to our lives would understand, be the most likely to show compassion or at least want to understand what it means when we get a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. It tears me apart when I hear someone with MS say that there husband or wife is in denial about their MS. When a parent freaks out because the neurologist sent his daughter home with a walker. And, I hate hearing about all the anger, usually misdirected that is being shot back and forth between couples trying to deal with all the stress put on their relationship because of the fact that life has been interrupted by MS. My book Life Interrupted, It's Not All A bout Me published by Tate publishing in 2008? It deals with all these issues with which many of us with MS or any chronic illness for that matter may be dealing with every day. I have had MS for 29 years so I am no longer in a situation where I have to prove that I have a disability, but in 2001, after twelve years my ex-wife asked for a divorce. I don't blame her. She met her end point, because as the disease worsened I became a bitter and angry man suffering with depression, a lack of self-worth and a diminishing self-esteem. As individuals dealing with the symptoms of MS, as frustrating and many times embarrassing as they are, we must not take it out on our loved ones. Likewise, the healthy spouse has to educate himself/herself about the disease, move beyond denial and dig in. Remember, it's for better or worse and in sickness and in health. That's my two cents anyways. What do you think?

God bless, Chris