Ali’s thread

Reading through all the posts regarding friends and family understanding what we are experiencing…the posts have already helped. Once again I am reminded that there are people who really do understand, and that lots of others suffer the same residuals I keep trying to convince myself are not so bad.
I have always been the one to lean on in our family. I’ve felt I needed to be strong and supportive and always “be there” for everyone else. I can look back to my sister’s diagnosis of MS when she was 12 and I was 10. I threw everything I had into pleasing my parents and trying to help my big sister get better. My arm-chair psychology scares me some time, I am so good an analizing myself.
I am blessed to be married to an amazing, hard working man, but I hate to think I am a burden on him. I have 3 adult children who have made us very proud parents their entire young lives. But I feel very strongly about not wanting to mess up their lives by not being the “wonder mom” they have always known and expected. So, in my case, it is my own fault as I continually make excuses and try to hide the fact that the residuals I experience have changed who I was.

Ali, this is a wonderful thread. Maybe I’ll come to realize the importance of sharing what I’m going through with family and friends and in that, maybe I’ll be able to say “no” when I need to.

I received a flyer last week about a meeting in Elmhurst, Il on GBS/CIPD.
My husband was the one that suggested we go. It is a bit of a drive, but after reading all the previous posts, we’re going.

Let’s keep this going. I feel it is a very important topic towards all our healing process.

Doby made an excellent point in that all the Docs and literature state that most patients make a full recovery. I beg to differ. But I do remember myself re-assuring my own family and friends at the time that I would be
“over” this thing soon. What a joke that was…3 years is hardly ‘soon’.

Take care,
JayDee