Living with Multiple Sclerosis

Everything's Gonna Be OK with Famous Faces of MS

So maybe you think that you are the only one. No one knows what you are going through, how you are suffering, and what is going on in your head. But you are wrong. There are others around you that have had this disease and have learned to conquer and battle everything MS related.

Recently Montel Williams (an MS advocate and survivor) recently appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show. Of course I missed it! I read the transcript of the show to try and imagine what was discussed.

The most important part of his message on the show was how to climb up from the darkness of being diagnosed with the life threatening disease of multiple sclerosis. He even published a memoir, Climbing Higher, depicting his inspirational struggles with MS. Where do you go once you hear that devastating news that you have to overcome the devastating and debilitating that attacks the central nervous system (CNS). You can follow him as he describes his anger, frustrations, disappointments, fears, denial, and depression. Here is a link to his book, Climbing Higher available on amazon.com. I still have to read the book, so stay tuned for my review, being a person with MS and currently struggling through many of the same issues.

Many other famous people: athletes, actors, writers, teachers, and your neighbors may be trying to survive in their new life with MS. For years many go through life without even knowing that they have the disease. Symptoms are similar to such common things as stress, pinched nerve, anxiety, depression, hypochondria, and arthritis. Symptoms are often ignored and most go through life without even knowing that they are ill. Some even hide the fact that they have MS masking their symptoms from others out of fear, rejection, or even loss of employment. Famous People with MS

Actress and comedian Terri Garr battled the Multiple Sclerosis for many years. Doctors and specialists were mystified with her symptoms, numbness, tingling, loss of balance, memory loss, fatigue, and instability. She spoke publicly about her illness on in 2002, on Larry King. Then she moved on to be a paid spokesperson with MS LifeLines hoping to provide education, support, motivation, and inspiration to others. She lives every day with the idea that "Everything's gonna be okay" (EGBOK).

If those of us who have MS can wake up each day and think EGBOK, perhaps we can make it through the day. The process of waking up and getting out of bed is painful to some and impossible to others. Fatigue is one of the hardes things to battle with this disease. There have been times that it has left me almost shackled to my bed. Then...depression sets in, which makes it worse.

This is when you have to set short term goals. I'm going to get out of bed and pick 1 thing that needs to be done today. Maybe its doing the dishes, vacuuming the house, or paying bills. Whatever it is try and get up and do it....because EGBOK.....Everything's Gonna Be Okay!