MS – Connections

One year the MS Society had a motto that MS breaks connections. This had 2 points they were trying to make. MS breaks the connections between our motor functions and our brain. This means our bodies quit responding to our brains because the signals don’t make it to the muscles. The other point they were making as that is MS advances it isolates the individual.

In my case I did everything I could to maintain continuing activities that kept me out among people. I tend to be an introvert but realized I needed to keep functioning and I learned to appreciate people like I never had before. My main effort was to keep working. A few people hinted I should consider disability but I fought on as long as I could until my hands for longer could run a computer. I can barely move my arms and could not do anything on the computer. That was the end of my work career.

Now I spend most weekdays by myself. One of my sons comes and gets me lunch and tends to a few things I need. My wife comes around 9:30 AM and gets me up, gets me dressed, get my breakfast and in general gets me going for the day. I still maintain my Facebook connections with my friends from work.

It is become more and more difficult to make any “in presence” connections with people outside of my family and my wife’s family. This is through no fault of anyone, it is just the disease  and how it affects me. I never know how I will feel a few hours from now let alone a few days. This makes it very hard to plan things. I have digestive problems due to the constant inactivity. Sometimes these keep me home when I would prefer to be out among my friends.

I also have major problems speaking very loudly. MS has affected by diaphragm. My trigeminal neuralgia procedure has affected by speech. So when we go out is very difficult for me to join in the conversations. This is very hard on me and I know it is frustrating to other people who want to include me. I appreciate all the effort people put into keeping me involved. MS has sure broken my connections with others. My wife has been fantastic. When we’re out and the setting is noisy she relays to others what I said so they understand my  and helps me a lot. Somehow she can tell people what I’m saying so fothey can understand it.

Oh well MS is what it is and I just have to deal with. I just don’t want anyone to feel bad because of my limitations. MS truly does break connections. This I tend to be an introvert I am content to just hang out in my living room or bedroom. I have to make an effort to be social.