I may have mentioned this before yet based on what I experienced yesterday you'll pardon me if I mention it again. Personally one of the greatest challenges or difficulties in having multiple sclerosis is the isolation it inevitably brings on. Granted if you are working and mobile you may still experience some isolation on the part of your coworkers dependent on a large part of your limitations and whether they are a parent or not to others on the positive side you're still there in their face every day or at least in contact with them periodically you are part of the group therefore it is difficult for them to ignore you completely.
As the disease progresses you may reach a point where you are unable to work and find yourself confined to your living space. As a result your interaction with other people decreases and eventually you lose touch with most. When it comes to friends you no longer share those things which forged a common bond. If it's impossible for you to walk going camping is difficult to envision riding a bike is out of the question as are most activities you may have shared, I loved fishing yet lost that yearning when I could no longer hold the rod with my hands.
So you join your local MS chapter or a support group with the hope of meeting others, developing friendships basically filling the void which was created once you lost touch with those surrounding you, let's be frank chances are if MS affected you to the point where you have left work your friends outside of work as well as most family members have for the most part drifted long ago.
That's the route I chose to deal with the isolation support groups from our local MS chapter consisting of monthly get-togethers and biweekly sessions offered by another group of pofessionals providing various types of therapies.
It was very difficult for me to find anyone positive at these functions, the majority were living through tribulations in their relationships mostly due to their sickness and the changes this inflicted on their family members. Others simply have a difficult time with the disease itself so I found myself in a negative environment one that I could not support. My way of coping with the disease is to surround myself with positive people anyone negative I will purposely push away and not socialize wityh. In a nutshell that leaves very few persons, a select few which interact on a consistent basis. Unfortunately they also tend to be people who suffer from the same affliction yet who really cares they understand and know they need for interaction, getting out of the house, having a good time. Matter of fact I am shortening this entry having just received a call from a friend "with MS" who is going to eat at one of our local Pizza Hut's, I will join them in a matter of minutes.
You have to take advantage of those times when they become available to you if not you'll be spending a lot of time at home by yourself.
My intentions were not to write about this today yet my spouse met someone yesterday and during their conversation she casually asked them why they never stopped by to see me? Their reply, they didn't want to be a bother! Come on just because we are disabled does not mean we're stupid, you can call ahead to make certain we are home, if you receive a message from an answering machine leave a message don't simply hang up it is possible you know that the person requires more time to reach the phone.
That's my venting for the day, it's beautiful and sunny outside time to go join my friends for pizza.
Have a great day
Michael
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