I was diagnosed with MS in 1988 on my 20th birthday. (surprise!) June was the 20th anniversary of my diagnosis. Having had this has shaped my entire adult life. It's made me who I am today. What has helped me is that I've been a positive thinker since infancy. It has helped me cope and survive the hurdles as they come. I'm married to Keith (my co-coping mechanism) and have a daughter named Madeline (my comic relief!) who is now getting bigger and older at warp speed!