PatientsLikeMe ™

My husband told me about the time he learned his mother had MS.  His parents called all of the kids to a family meeting, and then they broke the horrible news to them.  Everyone was shocked, devastated and crying.  It was a horrible day for the entire family.

It was a little different when I learned I had MS in September of 2001.  I was 32.  The doctor said matter-of-factly, "All the tests confirm that you have multiple sclerosis."  Well, my heart lifted and I exclaimed, "Thank God!"  You see, I was so thankful that those weird symptoms were not all in my head...literally, as in the case of a brain tumor; and figuratively as in the case of imagined symptoms or mental illness.

I have the added challenge of living with a psychiatric diagnosis of depression.  I've learned that when I need medical attention, my symptoms are seldom taken seriously because it's always easier for the doctor to refer me to therapy or prescribe antidepressants.  There is a stigma associated with mental illness.  I've experienced it.  I've experienced a loss of credibility in the eyes of doctors.  Most don't believe what I say.  It is very sad, actually.  I'm a college educated, intelligent and articulate woman, but in the eyes of many medical professionals, I'm no more believable than a child telling tales.  So you can see how I was thrilled with the diagnosis of MS.  It verified to the doctors that the physical symptoms I experienced were real (I knew they were real).  And I was also pleased the symptoms were not a result of a fatal brain tumor.

The years since my diagnosis have been difficult primarily due to the incapacitating fatigue.  The fatigue is also a trigger for depression.  So I need to always be vigilant in not letting either symptom get out of hand because one will just aggravate the other.  But as a mother of four boys, there are times when I just get plain worn out. 

Being a parent with MS is a challenge in and of itself.  I became pregnant with my fourth son two years after my diagnosis.  The pregnancy went well, and my symptoms did not exacerbate.  I also nursed him for 13 months.  Again, no exacerbation of symptoms.  But I can say with certainty that raising this little boy is definitely more exhausting than the others...but I think age has something to do with it as well.

I am thrilled that I came across patientslikeme.com today, and I look forward to communicating with others in a similar situation.