Friday, May 1, 2009

Every few months I receive a magazine which is almost always distributed by a pharmaceutical firm. Informative the magazines focus on well-being, research new findings, nutrition, advances made in the past few years. Without a doubt important information which I appreciate receiving yet there seems to be one reoccurring theme which to put it bluntly turns me off and I usually end up tossing the magazine in the recycling bin.

It seems that no matter which publication you read there is always a story or a profile of someone with MS diagnosed years ago that struggles on a daily basis "don't we all" with this disease. However these people all have something in common and the publishers make certain you are aware of this by printing catch phrases comments in large bold lettering usually stating something similar to.

"I was diagnosed years ago, all I could think of was the wheelchair yet I told myself No That's Not Going To Happen To Me."
If you have subscribed to one of these publications you get to know which pharmaceutical firm publishes what and even though it may be difficult to find their name in the publication you know they are promoting their product.
First of all I'll be the first to admit that having a positive attitude is worth its weight in gold when dealing with Multiple Sclerosis or any other chronic condition for that matter. If your spirits are up it makes dealing with those inconveniences if you will much easier. In terms of being positive you would probably have a difficult time finding someone who has remained as positive as I throughout the course of this disease.

Reading how a positive attitude coupled with one of the disease modifying therapies available today will prevent or allow a person to decide whether or not they become wheelchair dependent is like giving me a slap in the face telling me that I was not positive enough and did not try hard enough.

Of course the articles are written for the most part targeting people with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, their symptoms would probably disappear even if they took nothing. Yet since this is the only medication we have we tend to emphasize the control that a person has over this disease.

If I could walk believe me I would and it's not for the sake of not trying hard enough. What started off as a limp progressed to the point where I required a cane then 2 canes. Eventually I had to turn to a Walker using a wheelchair to maintain what little strength I had remaining during outings or the like. Did I quit absolutely not did I give in no damn way yet when the disease decides to strike I don't care how positive you are you will fall. If you are capable of maintaining your positive attitude once you have fallen great it will only make things easier for you and those around you but don't for one second think that you can alter the course of this disease by your positive outlook because quite frankly you can't, I know because I've lived it.