Myth Or Not?

Re: Myth: No one can possibly understand what I’m going through.

I am going to challenge this statement as being a myth.

My husband, Chris, has been battling MS for a long, long time. He is pretty well bed bound, although he can get up into his wheel chair, the pain prevents him from staying there too long.

Before he got as bad as he is today, he obviously went through the “symptom” stages. And, unfortunately, 90% of the people we knew, did not understand what he was going through. They cared and were supportive, but they did not understand.

So much of the problem, during the “getting advanced symptoms” stage was difficult because of the lack of understanding.

No one could really understand what it felt like to get the tiredness, the fatigue that is common to MS. To get so bothered by heat and light that it would bring out MS symptoms.

No one could understand what it was like to experience the symptoms of your body deteriorating from the nervouse system inside, to the visual symptoms outside.

Perhaps today people are more aware of MS. But, the biggest battle, at the onset to the point where it becomes visually obvious is still…lack of understanding. Because, before you see it on the outside, you feel it on the inside. Even doctors did not understand and believe my husband at the onset. He had to go to the Mayo Clinic to get taken seriously…and they diagnosed MS, and they helped him to understand it and they explained the symptoms he could experience in his future.

We were lucky, we had many friends who gave their full support, but that is not the same as understanding.