MS Reactions

I have read that some of my MS friends if have had negative reactions to their disability. In some cases the symptoms are not obvious. In these cases coworkers, acquaintances and even friends question the disabilities some of these people face. I would say I have never had an issue with that other than one time at Walmart. I was using the cart as a walker and dragging my left leg along. Of course I was slow and getting in the way of this lady who was in a hurry.

Of course as I was leaving she was behind me. I was in her way again. She yelled “slow people” in a very negative voice and rolled her eyes at me. I have to say it hurt my feelings. Other than that I can’t say I’ve dealt with what my MS friends have had to deal with. I think it’s because my disease has progressed very fast and it is obvious each step of the way that I am disabled.

To me the strangest reactions have come from medical professionals. When we went down to the University of Iowa for the preliminary things needed for my rhizotomy each group we saw acted as if they had never seen a person in a wheelchair before. It ended up that Janette transferred me quite a number of times from my chair to their equipment. It seems really strange to us that they were so unfamiliar with people in wheelchairs and in my case close to being a quadriplegic. To be precise my neurologist said I am a Quadraparetic. That is the official term but in a practical way am a quadriplegic now.

We decided that was a lot of effort on Janette’s part when the medical people should be doing the work. For my procedure Wednesday we decided to let them figure it out. In ended up taking 4 of them to put me in a sling and use a Hoyer lift. Once I was in the hospital bed it was easy for them to transfer me from the bed to the operating table. I think it only took 2 of them to get me from the bed back into my chair. I know each person is different but you would think the people at the hospitals would be more familiar with dealing with this disabled people. I guess not.