Know Multiple Sclerosis

I was guilty of taking my health for granted before being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.  Now that I've been on medication for eight years, I take it for granted again.  I'm someone who has done very well with an interferon treatment.  It's not until I read a story about someone dealing with some of the horrible symptoms of MS that I stop and remember how fortunate I've been.

As I stop to reflect on things, I clearly remember the fear I felt when my first symptoms appeared.  First, the fear of not knowing what was causing my numbness.  Then, once finding out it was MS, the fear of not knowing what the future would hold.  I remember wanting to go back in time a few months before any of this started so that I could live what seemed like a worry-free life again.  I remember worrying about what my fiancee would have to encounter.  I remember wondering if I had the strength to face obstacles ahead.

It's not hard to recapture those thoughts and fears.  They are still very much part of me.  I think it's a useful exercise to revisit them, as it gives me a lot of reasons not to take anything for granted.