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When Tim moved from England to the United States and married the woman of his dreams, he knew there would be challenges. He wasn't expecting relapsing MS to be one of them. Follow Tim on his journey as he balances many roles in life: husband, father, ambassador, and writer.
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This journal reflects the personal experience of one person and others can be different. It is best to contact your physician to discus what’s best for you. Tim is an MS LifeLines Ambassador and has chosen to share his story with others living with MS. MS LifeLines and MS LifeLines Ambassadors are sponsored by EMD Serono and Pfizer.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Finding a Support System That Works
One of the keys to navigating the minefield of life with relapsing remitting Multiple Sclerosis is finding a support system to help you. For me, the easy part has been the physical aspect of this equation. My neurologist and MS LifeLines nurse have always been extremely responsive and right on the money with their support. When I was seriously incapacitated, my wife dropped everything and took fabulous care of me. I'm a lucky man and I'm well aware of it.
The harder task is finding the emotional support to help you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again after the shock of diagnosis and the inevitable (literal and figurative) pitfalls. Again, I have been lucky enough to have what would seem to be enough in this regard - a wonderfully understanding wife, son, friends and extended family. Shockingly though, their love and support, that should be enough to sustain anyone through anything, did not prove enough for me to get past my diagnosis.
What was missing then? What more could anyone ask for? The company of peers, that's what. I didn't really begin the mental healing process after diagnosis until I spent time with others who had also lived through diagnosis and were also fated to spend their lives with the unfortunate but strong common bond of MS.
Shockingly, this did not occur for me until I was asked to become an MS LifeLines Ambassador and met twenty or so other people who knew exactly what I was experiencing. It was unbelievably cathartic to talk about our shared experience and also to see how great everyone looked (regardless of their level of disability). I had previously refused to go to local support group meetings because I feared what I'd find there, conjuring up all the old worse-case stereotypes in my mind.
How stupid was I? Since that time, I've been to many support groups and met literally hundreds of other MS patients. I am constantly amazed by how positive and uplifting it is to share stories, advice, a lot of laughs, and the occasional tear. If you haven't done so already, I wholeheartedly advise you to get out there, contact your local MS Society and join our exclusive community.
The harder task is finding the emotional support to help you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again after the shock of diagnosis and the inevitable (literal and figurative) pitfalls. Again, I have been lucky enough to have what would seem to be enough in this regard - a wonderfully understanding wife, son, friends and extended family. Shockingly though, their love and support, that should be enough to sustain anyone through anything, did not prove enough for me to get past my diagnosis.
What was missing then? What more could anyone ask for? The company of peers, that's what. I didn't really begin the mental healing process after diagnosis until I spent time with others who had also lived through diagnosis and were also fated to spend their lives with the unfortunate but strong common bond of MS.
Shockingly, this did not occur for me until I was asked to become an MS LifeLines Ambassador and met twenty or so other people who knew exactly what I was experiencing. It was unbelievably cathartic to talk about our shared experience and also to see how great everyone looked (regardless of their level of disability). I had previously refused to go to local support group meetings because I feared what I'd find there, conjuring up all the old worse-case stereotypes in my mind.
How stupid was I? Since that time, I've been to many support groups and met literally hundreds of other MS patients. I am constantly amazed by how positive and uplifting it is to share stories, advice, a lot of laughs, and the occasional tear. If you haven't done so already, I wholeheartedly advise you to get out there, contact your local MS Society and join our exclusive community.
Posted by: Tim, Tuesday, June 30, 2009
