You can run; but you can't hide

   You can run, but you can't hide... of course, in my case I can't do either:)  

     When I was first diagnosed about 30 years ago, MS was some mysterious, archaic, incurable, disease, not many had heard of, let alone understood.  When my doctor told me good luck and sent me on my way, I knew it was my job to bury it and  never look back.  After all, if I couldn't fix it, I didn't want any part of it.

     I knew there were groups that helped people "cope" with this illness, but if I attended a meeting it would only mean two things; one: I would surely be faced with my inevitably bleak future, and two: it would mean I've excepted that I actually have it. I wasn't ready to own it at this point, or ever.

     After many, many, years of hiding, I decided to give one of these MS groups a try.   As I expected, there were people ranging from no visible disability all the way up to those in power scooters.
                     

     What I didn't expect was the positive attitude the ones with the most challenges seemed to posses.  Why were they so happy??  They were robbed of their "perfect" life.  You would think that would make one very bitter.

     But as I continued to go to these meetings, I learned that these meetings were all about joining forces and helping each other over our hurdles; whether they were big or small, and find the good in the changing lives we had.

      For quite some time my sweet mother has been in the dark as to what I was going through, due to no fault of her own.  I was unwilling to admit to her that her daughter was "broken".  I decided to start taking her to these meetings so  she could finally have a better understanding of what I'm going through.  

          Five years ago I met my good friend Kelly, who was attending her first meeting shortly after diagnosis.  Ironically, she also brought her wonderful mom with her.  We like to refer to ours as the "mother/daughter table".  If I had kept running, I would have never met these awesome ladies!

     
     I don't like to think of myself as a slow learn, but after decades of going through life with blinders on I finally learned that "You can run, but you certainly can not hide!"

Have a great day!!

Christine:)