terribleterra
Member
Hello to all,
My name is Dana. I have been spoken of in this forum from Terri/terribleterra. I am her boyfriend of 7 years. My replies in forums are generally very long and drawn out on normal interests. And now, this is a subject which is obviously very close to home, rather than a passing interest, so forgive me if this draws on a bit too much.
First off, before I was diagnosed, I had no idea what symptoms of M.S. would be. I had heard of it before, but was completely ignorant to it's affects. I finally went to the hospital after frustration stemming from a weakness in my left leg. No pain, no numbness, just, somehow weakness. I went in to the E.R. and was told I would be seeing another doc. I don't know why that didn't phase me yet, but, eh, it didn't. So, I saw a neurologist, she ran some tests, and then requested that I go and get an MRI. Well, I did, and frankly, it sucked. It was freaky being in a loud, banging, tomb-like cylinder. When I went back to the hospital for my results, I had my best bud w/ me. Then she dropped the bombs on me, "We found legions on your spine, neck, and brain...". WTF? She then told me that I had Progressive M.S..
Ok, my life is over now, right? NOT! I cried. My bud held me. I told my grandmother, she cried. My friends cried. Ya know what I did after I cried? I got off my ass and started to learn what I could. Not taking everything I heard from average people to mean 100% truth, but using that and finding out about that info, and it's validity. My main squeeze aside from Terri,is my neuro. I call her Dr. B. I am lucky enough to live in Boston, MA., where there are tons of the best hospitals in the country/world. Ya got all these Ivy League schools producing all these people wanting to start out helping. So there's almost an over-abundance, which is good, because I feel I have picked up alot on a subject that so little is known about.
I also listened as she told me, "You're probably never gonna work again...". That hurt. I'm a stubborn little bastid. I've been workin' since before I was legal to work. Sooo, I thought, "uh uh, nope!", and I found out about resources that are now available to me. So now, here I am, I'm in my mid twenties, I just get told life's done, hope you enjoyed it, or you can start over, take your pick. Geez! So, I got my butt back to school, got me one of them there fancy computer thingy's, and started a whole new life. One that unfortunately REVOLVES around my disability. I won't go into this too much.
Also in there somewhere
I met the person who would change my life and also be there with me as my life would change regardless. I met Terri. She is very impotant to me. Anyone who is lucky enuff to have someone in their life as important to them as she is to me is extremely lucky. Now, not only is she important to me as a man/woman, boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. But as I've grown worse, she is VERY important to me with coping with EVERY aspect of the disease. I won't even dare venture into all the ways. Let's just say, I'm a strong willed person, but even I have my limits. So I need her there to kick me in the ass sometimes, and she does so, GLADLY .
So please, support your friend/mate/family member, whoever as much as possible. But don't let them just succumb to it. One of the reasons I'm even in this post is because someone earlier actually said that MS is in your head, and you can over-come it's affects if you really want to. I'm para-phrasing here, sorry if I'm using the wrong wording. What you have to understand is that MS is like a burn. There are different degrees. The most common is what's called Remitting/Relapsing. That is where you might suffer for a few weeks/months, and then it will go away for years, and/or is treatable by way of meds and diet and yes, a proper state of mind. Then there is Progressive MS, which is what I have. Which simply put, means I/it will progressively get worse. I already know what MAY be in my future. Am I gonna sit around and wait for it? Hell no! I'm kickin' and scratchin' the whole way baby! Then there are even worse degrees of progressive. Some people get diagnosed, and are paralized within a years' time. I'm thankful that's not me.
Just do your homework. Don't believe everything you read or see or are told until you can verify it. One of the first things Dr. B told me was that, now that you know what you have, I gaurantee people you already know, either knows someone with it, or knows someone who knows some with it. So, just ask! If someone asks me, and they're cool about it, not all ignorant. I'll answer them. If they say "What's wrong with you!?", well, I'll say, "nuthin'! what's wrong with you? you ignorant *&%$". But whenever I'm asked, "hey, can I ask what happened to you? or, hey, do you mind if I ask what's wrong?", I'll answer. But most of all, and belieeeeeve me, I feel so cliche sayin' this, but,...don't give up. Actually, don't give in.
My favorite saying,....."hey, tomorrow's another day, right?"
My name is Dana. I have been spoken of in this forum from Terri/terribleterra. I am her boyfriend of 7 years. My replies in forums are generally very long and drawn out on normal interests. And now, this is a subject which is obviously very close to home, rather than a passing interest, so forgive me if this draws on a bit too much.
First off, before I was diagnosed, I had no idea what symptoms of M.S. would be. I had heard of it before, but was completely ignorant to it's affects. I finally went to the hospital after frustration stemming from a weakness in my left leg. No pain, no numbness, just, somehow weakness. I went in to the E.R. and was told I would be seeing another doc. I don't know why that didn't phase me yet, but, eh, it didn't. So, I saw a neurologist, she ran some tests, and then requested that I go and get an MRI. Well, I did, and frankly, it sucked. It was freaky being in a loud, banging, tomb-like cylinder. When I went back to the hospital for my results, I had my best bud w/ me. Then she dropped the bombs on me, "We found legions on your spine, neck, and brain...". WTF? She then told me that I had Progressive M.S..
Ok, my life is over now, right? NOT! I cried. My bud held me. I told my grandmother, she cried. My friends cried. Ya know what I did after I cried? I got off my ass and started to learn what I could. Not taking everything I heard from average people to mean 100% truth, but using that and finding out about that info, and it's validity. My main squeeze aside from Terri,is my neuro. I call her Dr. B. I am lucky enough to live in Boston, MA., where there are tons of the best hospitals in the country/world. Ya got all these Ivy League schools producing all these people wanting to start out helping. So there's almost an over-abundance, which is good, because I feel I have picked up alot on a subject that so little is known about.
I also listened as she told me, "You're probably never gonna work again...". That hurt. I'm a stubborn little bastid. I've been workin' since before I was legal to work. Sooo, I thought, "uh uh, nope!", and I found out about resources that are now available to me. So now, here I am, I'm in my mid twenties, I just get told life's done, hope you enjoyed it, or you can start over, take your pick. Geez! So, I got my butt back to school, got me one of them there fancy computer thingy's, and started a whole new life. One that unfortunately REVOLVES around my disability. I won't go into this too much.
Also in there somewhere
I met the person who would change my life and also be there with me as my life would change regardless. I met Terri. She is very impotant to me. Anyone who is lucky enuff to have someone in their life as important to them as she is to me is extremely lucky. Now, not only is she important to me as a man/woman, boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. But as I've grown worse, she is VERY important to me with coping with EVERY aspect of the disease. I won't even dare venture into all the ways. Let's just say, I'm a strong willed person, but even I have my limits. So I need her there to kick me in the ass sometimes, and she does so, GLADLY .So please, support your friend/mate/family member, whoever as much as possible. But don't let them just succumb to it. One of the reasons I'm even in this post is because someone earlier actually said that MS is in your head, and you can over-come it's affects if you really want to. I'm para-phrasing here, sorry if I'm using the wrong wording. What you have to understand is that MS is like a burn. There are different degrees. The most common is what's called Remitting/Relapsing. That is where you might suffer for a few weeks/months, and then it will go away for years, and/or is treatable by way of meds and diet and yes, a proper state of mind. Then there is Progressive MS, which is what I have. Which simply put, means I/it will progressively get worse. I already know what MAY be in my future. Am I gonna sit around and wait for it? Hell no! I'm kickin' and scratchin' the whole way baby! Then there are even worse degrees of progressive. Some people get diagnosed, and are paralized within a years' time. I'm thankful that's not me.
Just do your homework. Don't believe everything you read or see or are told until you can verify it. One of the first things Dr. B told me was that, now that you know what you have, I gaurantee people you already know, either knows someone with it, or knows someone who knows some with it. So, just ask! If someone asks me, and they're cool about it, not all ignorant. I'll answer them. If they say "What's wrong with you!?", well, I'll say, "nuthin'! what's wrong with you? you ignorant *&%$". But whenever I'm asked, "hey, can I ask what happened to you? or, hey, do you mind if I ask what's wrong?", I'll answer. But most of all, and belieeeeeve me, I feel so cliche sayin' this, but,...don't give up. Actually, don't give in.
My favorite saying,....."hey, tomorrow's another day, right?"
