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MY MS STORY
I am writing my story, because I remember during my diagnosis process, I couldn’t get my hands on enough stories about people with Multiple Sclerosis. I wanted to read about all their symptoms and compare notes. I had already been through so much testing and been to so many doctors. So many other diseases had already been ruled out. Now looking at MS as one of the last possibilities, I was curious to know all that I could and to see what people with MS went through on a daily basis. After finally being diagnosed with MS, I have had so many people ask me about symptoms, testing, and how I cope. So, for all of you who are going through a similar situation, or may have this disease, or know someone who does, here is an account of my testimony. This is not to be used as a diagnostic tool. There are many diseases that mimic MS. So please read this with an open mind if you are one who may be experiencing similar symptoms.
I know that this seems to have nothing to do with raising bassets, for I’m sure that most of you have come to this site to look at our bassets, however, raising bassets has become a therapy in my life which has been given to me from my Lord, Jesus. You see, my most enjoyable hobby use to be singing. I spent my whole life, singing, writing music, recording, and performing at various events. Singing was going to be the one hobby that I would always have. My parents would tell me, “ you’ll always have your voice, singing is something you can do your whole life.” MS has changed that.
MS has changed a lot of things in my life. Now, raising dogs was something I had always wanted to do since I was a teen. Not only is it a wonderful hobby now, but it really meets all the therapy needs that I used to go to therapy for. Plus the terrain of our land meets all the physical requirements of my therapy regime.
I can remember back to when I was teen. I really never felt good, but I just assumed everybody felt that way and that was as good as health gets. I was always fatigued. Some days worse than others, but I always assumed that that was because I did not have my endurance up. So I would put on my sneakers and go running down our road. I’d run to the store and back, about 1 mile. The last part of the run was a long walk back up the hill we lived on. By the time I got home, I would be almost sick to my stomach. Then my whole body would tingle. So I had to rest before jumping into the shower. After the shower, I’d have to go lay on my bed for awhile till I felt better. Then the next 2 days, I could not run, because I would feel so fatigued from running the day before. This became my running pattern for about a year, 1 day of running , 2 days of rest. My endurance never got built up. Then, I met Dan, fell in love and got married in 1981.
I was sick on our honeymoon. In fact, after every big event, or even an argument with my husband, I would be sick for a few days. My symptoms would be fatigue, along with a slight tingly sensation, and my head would ache so bad, but it would not be a normal head ache, it would feel like my brain was swelling and it would hurt right in the center of my head. So life went on like this for years. Over the first few years, Dan and I had 2 children. Life was full and very active. I was taking aerobic classes. What a drain for the next few days that would be for me. I could never understand why I couldn’t get my endurance up. Then in the 80’s, I was experiencing joint pain, along with weakness. I was then diagnosed with Mono. (I later learned at an MS conference, that 100% of the people with MS have had Mono in their past. There are many people who get Mono and aren’t even aware they have it. However, this was a statement made by a doctor at the conference. I Have met people with MS who were not sure weather they ever had Mono.)
Over the next few years, we had 3 more children. As our children grew and reached the school age years, we decided at one point to home school for various reasons. When I started, I was teaching our 12 year old, and 10 year old. Our other three children were 3 years old, 2 years old and a brand new baby. Things were actually calmer in my life. I enjoyed home schooling and still do. It was then also, that I was given my first basset from my husband. I began to fulfill another dream of mine, and that was to raise a breed that I loved.
Our older children became very active in our church youth group and Dan and I started chaperoning youth events. I can remember standing in the church parking lot, socializing after church service, like we always do, and I would experience tingles going down my right leg. I would just ignore it though, thinking is was just a cold in my back. Then I would get tingling all over the right side of my head, but I would just assume it was because I wore my hair up in a pony tail recently. Still fighting fatigue, and thinking I need to get my endurance up, I would watch others through the years tackle life with so much strength and energy.
Then in the fall of 1998, one Sunday morning, while sitting in church listening to our pastor give the sermon, I got a sharp shooting pain in my eye. I jumped in the pew and Dan looked at me, “Are you alright?” Then it happened again, and I jumped. The pain was so severe it was beginning to make me sick to my stomach. Well after that it would not stop. I whispered to Dan what was happening and he told me that I was going to make an appt. to the eye doctor. I’m very bad about making doctor appointments. So a trip to the eye doctor showed that my eyes were ok and I got an updated prescription on my eye glasses.
Now dealing with fatigue, tingles, joint pain, and now sharp shooting pains, which are equal to that of sticking a fork into a cavity of an infective tooth, these were now shooting every where in my body at different times, I was starting to run low fevers constantly. I was going to the doctors now looking for viruses, infections, anything, but nothing was adding up. Because I raised dogs, other tests were done looking for parasites, but all turned out fine.
Then our youth committee planned a hiking trip. I was anxious to chaperone this one event, I love the mountains around here and I love hiking. So I went and bought brand new hiking boots. Every day though, the fevers persisted and so did the fatigue. I started to tell people that I was sick. “Oh, what do you have?” they would ask, and I would state, that I don’t know, I’m just sick. The morning of the hiking trip came. I dragged out of bed. Helped our older children, who would be hiking, get ready. As I was getting ready, I kept saying to myself, “No, I’m not staying home, I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to hike and make it to the top of the mountain,” all the while whispering to the Lord to please help me be able to make it without slowing the group down. Then Dan came in from loading the van up with bottled water, coolers, and backpacks. I sat down and started to put on my new boots. By that time, I was to fatigued to even tie the laces. I looked up at Dan and gave in. “I can’t go. I won’t make it and I’ll hold you all up, you’ll have to go without me.” He’d been watching me for weeks go down hill, and I think he was relieved that I had decided to stay home. It was hard watching them pull out of the drive way and drive away. But the bed looked very welcoming to me that morning.
Christmas came and went. Now it was the new year of 1999. I managed to make the skiing youth trip, just a couple of hours north, that winter. but I knew I was skiing with a fever and fighting the fatigue. I was not going to give in. I was going to fight this one. And so, fighting every day was what I was doing.
Then March came, and it was time to start our small garden. Dan and the boys were off tearing down an old barn over in the next county. My daughter of seven then, was anxious to get me up the hill to our garden spot which was already tilled and start poking those onions into the ground. The sun was shinning, spring was here and all the song birds were back and singing. You just wanted to stay outside all day. So up the hill we walked, came to the spot to put the onions in and I just plopped. My daughter was excited and reached into the bag and started pulling onions bulbs out and poking them into the ground. I started too, telling her to space them. Then After 20 minutes of being in direct sunlight I became very ill. I was so nauseas and my heart was pounding. I told my daughter we had to go down to the house because mommy was sick and that we had to go now. She was disappointed, but she understood and picked up all the onion bulbs and came along immediately. I came into the house and went right to bed for quite awhile. Then Dan called later and asked me to bring them some dinner. I did not tell him how bad I felt. I told him I would, feeling a little bit better, I dragged out of bed. I remember that being a major task for me.
Then the next month of April arrived and it was my birthday. Dan took me out to dinner with another couple. I ordered steak. Half way through that meal, after chewing and talking my body went down hill. I had to get out of there. I told Dan and he explained to the other couple that I was not well and we had to leave. Barely being able to walk, Dan practically carried me out. Now a full blown episode of MS had arrived and I was totally bed ridden. For days, I laid there barely moving, I was too fatigued, too fatigued to even blink. I was experiencing jumping vision, blind spots, dizziness, ice cold spots on my skin, itching all over, and more. Dan was on the phone, trying to reach doctors, trying to get answers and appointments, but at this time it was to the point where we had to be our own doctors, because we had been to every kind of doctor there was. There were no simple answers, and no solutions for Dan but to just sit and watch. We both really thought that I was dying and there was no explanation and nothing anyone could do. Sweet people from our church were bringing in meals, prayers were going up to the Heavens for me, and I was receiving such encouraging cards.
I began to tell Dan what to do for the kids after I was gone. Even though I knew Dan to be a great dad already, still the mother instinct in me had to ask him, to be sensitive to the girls and hug them a lot, don’t be hard on the boys, and make sure they all still have a nice, blessed Christmas and Easter and the list went on. I told him what to do with all the bassets, who to give them to, if he thought he couldn’t deal with them after I was gone. Even Dan listened as if he thought he could lose me. He would wake every night and lean over me to see if I was still breathing. I knew he was doing that, but I was to fatigued to move. Then as the days went by, little by little I was able to regain my strength. But, my legs felt like they weighed 50 pounds each. I could barely walk. Frustrated with this, I forced myself to run, but, my legs would not respond at all. I started using a cane, for I couldn’t keep my balance. Going to Wal Mart, or shopping malls,because of their size, required me to be in a wheel chair. I had to swallow my pride. Hobbling in with a cane, barely being able to get in the wheel chair and then being pushed by my husband, was , well, humbling. I would look up at everyone and try to smile, most people would look then look the other way. I understood though, they didn’t want to stare. But Dan, he was great! He’d make a game out of it and raced me through the stores, pop wheelies with the chair and even offer to get one himself and ride along side me so we could race. He’d bend down and kiss my neck and he’d smile and greet everybody. He’d get me laughing. How very blessed I am.
Then I was able to get in with a wonderful neurologist. After an MRI that was negative, he told me I was pretty much backed into a corner for a spinal tab. Oh no! The one thing I had always hoped, since I was a kid and heard about a spinal tab, was that I would never have to have one of those done. But, I had to know, so the appointment was set up and I dreaded every day up to that day.
This was the end of April now and the spinal tab was done. I went home feeling like I was hit in the back and I had a horrible headache which I was told would go away in about an hour or so once the hole in my spine clogged up. But…….hours went by, the head ache was excoriating. I couldn’t stand up, I could barely make it to the bathroom and then would hurry back to the bed so the pain would subside when I laid down. Still waiting for the hole in my spine to heal, the next day came. I could not get up without horrible head ache pain. The third day came, we called the doctor, he said I would need to have a blood patch done. That is where, they draw blood out of your arm, while sticking another needle in your spine above the original hole that did not heal, and then they quickly insert the blood from your arm and insert it into the new hole so that the blood will flow down and clot up the original hole made from the spinal tab. What fun. But, I could not get this proceedure done for another 5 days, because the weekend had come and the appointment had to be set up. So I laid in bed for a total of nine days and then finally, I was able to have it done. Right after having it done, my blood pressure began to drop and I started going into shock. The nurses and doctor quickly wrapped me up in warm blankets and gave me oxygen. 30 mins. later I was stable and instantly I was able to stand up right again.
I am writing my story, because I remember during my diagnosis process, I couldn’t get my hands on enough stories about people with Multiple Sclerosis. I wanted to read about all their symptoms and compare notes. I had already been through so much testing and been to so many doctors. So many other diseases had already been ruled out. Now looking at MS as one of the last possibilities, I was curious to know all that I could and to see what people with MS went through on a daily basis. After finally being diagnosed with MS, I have had so many people ask me about symptoms, testing, and how I cope. So, for all of you who are going through a similar situation, or may have this disease, or know someone who does, here is an account of my testimony. This is not to be used as a diagnostic tool. There are many diseases that mimic MS. So please read this with an open mind if you are one who may be experiencing similar symptoms.
I know that this seems to have nothing to do with raising bassets, for I’m sure that most of you have come to this site to look at our bassets, however, raising bassets has become a therapy in my life which has been given to me from my Lord, Jesus. You see, my most enjoyable hobby use to be singing. I spent my whole life, singing, writing music, recording, and performing at various events. Singing was going to be the one hobby that I would always have. My parents would tell me, “ you’ll always have your voice, singing is something you can do your whole life.” MS has changed that.
MS has changed a lot of things in my life. Now, raising dogs was something I had always wanted to do since I was a teen. Not only is it a wonderful hobby now, but it really meets all the therapy needs that I used to go to therapy for. Plus the terrain of our land meets all the physical requirements of my therapy regime.
I can remember back to when I was teen. I really never felt good, but I just assumed everybody felt that way and that was as good as health gets. I was always fatigued. Some days worse than others, but I always assumed that that was because I did not have my endurance up. So I would put on my sneakers and go running down our road. I’d run to the store and back, about 1 mile. The last part of the run was a long walk back up the hill we lived on. By the time I got home, I would be almost sick to my stomach. Then my whole body would tingle. So I had to rest before jumping into the shower. After the shower, I’d have to go lay on my bed for awhile till I felt better. Then the next 2 days, I could not run, because I would feel so fatigued from running the day before. This became my running pattern for about a year, 1 day of running , 2 days of rest. My endurance never got built up. Then, I met Dan, fell in love and got married in 1981.
I was sick on our honeymoon. In fact, after every big event, or even an argument with my husband, I would be sick for a few days. My symptoms would be fatigue, along with a slight tingly sensation, and my head would ache so bad, but it would not be a normal head ache, it would feel like my brain was swelling and it would hurt right in the center of my head. So life went on like this for years. Over the first few years, Dan and I had 2 children. Life was full and very active. I was taking aerobic classes. What a drain for the next few days that would be for me. I could never understand why I couldn’t get my endurance up. Then in the 80’s, I was experiencing joint pain, along with weakness. I was then diagnosed with Mono. (I later learned at an MS conference, that 100% of the people with MS have had Mono in their past. There are many people who get Mono and aren’t even aware they have it. However, this was a statement made by a doctor at the conference. I Have met people with MS who were not sure weather they ever had Mono.)
Over the next few years, we had 3 more children. As our children grew and reached the school age years, we decided at one point to home school for various reasons. When I started, I was teaching our 12 year old, and 10 year old. Our other three children were 3 years old, 2 years old and a brand new baby. Things were actually calmer in my life. I enjoyed home schooling and still do. It was then also, that I was given my first basset from my husband. I began to fulfill another dream of mine, and that was to raise a breed that I loved.
Our older children became very active in our church youth group and Dan and I started chaperoning youth events. I can remember standing in the church parking lot, socializing after church service, like we always do, and I would experience tingles going down my right leg. I would just ignore it though, thinking is was just a cold in my back. Then I would get tingling all over the right side of my head, but I would just assume it was because I wore my hair up in a pony tail recently. Still fighting fatigue, and thinking I need to get my endurance up, I would watch others through the years tackle life with so much strength and energy.
Then in the fall of 1998, one Sunday morning, while sitting in church listening to our pastor give the sermon, I got a sharp shooting pain in my eye. I jumped in the pew and Dan looked at me, “Are you alright?” Then it happened again, and I jumped. The pain was so severe it was beginning to make me sick to my stomach. Well after that it would not stop. I whispered to Dan what was happening and he told me that I was going to make an appt. to the eye doctor. I’m very bad about making doctor appointments. So a trip to the eye doctor showed that my eyes were ok and I got an updated prescription on my eye glasses.
Now dealing with fatigue, tingles, joint pain, and now sharp shooting pains, which are equal to that of sticking a fork into a cavity of an infective tooth, these were now shooting every where in my body at different times, I was starting to run low fevers constantly. I was going to the doctors now looking for viruses, infections, anything, but nothing was adding up. Because I raised dogs, other tests were done looking for parasites, but all turned out fine.
Then our youth committee planned a hiking trip. I was anxious to chaperone this one event, I love the mountains around here and I love hiking. So I went and bought brand new hiking boots. Every day though, the fevers persisted and so did the fatigue. I started to tell people that I was sick. “Oh, what do you have?” they would ask, and I would state, that I don’t know, I’m just sick. The morning of the hiking trip came. I dragged out of bed. Helped our older children, who would be hiking, get ready. As I was getting ready, I kept saying to myself, “No, I’m not staying home, I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to hike and make it to the top of the mountain,” all the while whispering to the Lord to please help me be able to make it without slowing the group down. Then Dan came in from loading the van up with bottled water, coolers, and backpacks. I sat down and started to put on my new boots. By that time, I was to fatigued to even tie the laces. I looked up at Dan and gave in. “I can’t go. I won’t make it and I’ll hold you all up, you’ll have to go without me.” He’d been watching me for weeks go down hill, and I think he was relieved that I had decided to stay home. It was hard watching them pull out of the drive way and drive away. But the bed looked very welcoming to me that morning.
Christmas came and went. Now it was the new year of 1999. I managed to make the skiing youth trip, just a couple of hours north, that winter. but I knew I was skiing with a fever and fighting the fatigue. I was not going to give in. I was going to fight this one. And so, fighting every day was what I was doing.
Then March came, and it was time to start our small garden. Dan and the boys were off tearing down an old barn over in the next county. My daughter of seven then, was anxious to get me up the hill to our garden spot which was already tilled and start poking those onions into the ground. The sun was shinning, spring was here and all the song birds were back and singing. You just wanted to stay outside all day. So up the hill we walked, came to the spot to put the onions in and I just plopped. My daughter was excited and reached into the bag and started pulling onions bulbs out and poking them into the ground. I started too, telling her to space them. Then After 20 minutes of being in direct sunlight I became very ill. I was so nauseas and my heart was pounding. I told my daughter we had to go down to the house because mommy was sick and that we had to go now. She was disappointed, but she understood and picked up all the onion bulbs and came along immediately. I came into the house and went right to bed for quite awhile. Then Dan called later and asked me to bring them some dinner. I did not tell him how bad I felt. I told him I would, feeling a little bit better, I dragged out of bed. I remember that being a major task for me.
Then the next month of April arrived and it was my birthday. Dan took me out to dinner with another couple. I ordered steak. Half way through that meal, after chewing and talking my body went down hill. I had to get out of there. I told Dan and he explained to the other couple that I was not well and we had to leave. Barely being able to walk, Dan practically carried me out. Now a full blown episode of MS had arrived and I was totally bed ridden. For days, I laid there barely moving, I was too fatigued, too fatigued to even blink. I was experiencing jumping vision, blind spots, dizziness, ice cold spots on my skin, itching all over, and more. Dan was on the phone, trying to reach doctors, trying to get answers and appointments, but at this time it was to the point where we had to be our own doctors, because we had been to every kind of doctor there was. There were no simple answers, and no solutions for Dan but to just sit and watch. We both really thought that I was dying and there was no explanation and nothing anyone could do. Sweet people from our church were bringing in meals, prayers were going up to the Heavens for me, and I was receiving such encouraging cards.
I began to tell Dan what to do for the kids after I was gone. Even though I knew Dan to be a great dad already, still the mother instinct in me had to ask him, to be sensitive to the girls and hug them a lot, don’t be hard on the boys, and make sure they all still have a nice, blessed Christmas and Easter and the list went on. I told him what to do with all the bassets, who to give them to, if he thought he couldn’t deal with them after I was gone. Even Dan listened as if he thought he could lose me. He would wake every night and lean over me to see if I was still breathing. I knew he was doing that, but I was to fatigued to move. Then as the days went by, little by little I was able to regain my strength. But, my legs felt like they weighed 50 pounds each. I could barely walk. Frustrated with this, I forced myself to run, but, my legs would not respond at all. I started using a cane, for I couldn’t keep my balance. Going to Wal Mart, or shopping malls,because of their size, required me to be in a wheel chair. I had to swallow my pride. Hobbling in with a cane, barely being able to get in the wheel chair and then being pushed by my husband, was , well, humbling. I would look up at everyone and try to smile, most people would look then look the other way. I understood though, they didn’t want to stare. But Dan, he was great! He’d make a game out of it and raced me through the stores, pop wheelies with the chair and even offer to get one himself and ride along side me so we could race. He’d bend down and kiss my neck and he’d smile and greet everybody. He’d get me laughing. How very blessed I am.
Then I was able to get in with a wonderful neurologist. After an MRI that was negative, he told me I was pretty much backed into a corner for a spinal tab. Oh no! The one thing I had always hoped, since I was a kid and heard about a spinal tab, was that I would never have to have one of those done. But, I had to know, so the appointment was set up and I dreaded every day up to that day.
This was the end of April now and the spinal tab was done. I went home feeling like I was hit in the back and I had a horrible headache which I was told would go away in about an hour or so once the hole in my spine clogged up. But…….hours went by, the head ache was excoriating. I couldn’t stand up, I could barely make it to the bathroom and then would hurry back to the bed so the pain would subside when I laid down. Still waiting for the hole in my spine to heal, the next day came. I could not get up without horrible head ache pain. The third day came, we called the doctor, he said I would need to have a blood patch done. That is where, they draw blood out of your arm, while sticking another needle in your spine above the original hole that did not heal, and then they quickly insert the blood from your arm and insert it into the new hole so that the blood will flow down and clot up the original hole made from the spinal tab. What fun. But, I could not get this proceedure done for another 5 days, because the weekend had come and the appointment had to be set up. So I laid in bed for a total of nine days and then finally, I was able to have it done. Right after having it done, my blood pressure began to drop and I started going into shock. The nurses and doctor quickly wrapped me up in warm blankets and gave me oxygen. 30 mins. later I was stable and instantly I was able to stand up right again.
I was now starting to go back into another fatiguing episode, when the doctor had
me come back in for a steroid treatment. I was then given the news. “ Your spinal tab came back positive for MS,”
the nurse told us. Believe it or not, I was actually relieved. Finally, there was an answer. I am now legally ill. People
can now understand and realize that I am really ill.
Now, treatment. Shots. Another dreaded thought that I always had hoped I would never experience. Betaseron shots, every other day. “Rotate” they say. Arms first, then thighs, hips and stomach, for the rest of your life. For 2 years, I was so sore. People would come up and pat me on the arm, “How you doing?” and I would have all I could do to keep from yelling out. “Fine.” I’d say, nonchalantly holding my arm.
After two years of shots, I was beginning to experience the side effect of depression. This was not your typical depression brought on by outer circumstances, this was a deep depression that would take hold of me and I could not step out of it no matter what. Although I could control my words and action, I wanted no one to touch me, talk to me or ask anything of me. I wanted my family around and I loved them, but, stay away. I had to make a choice, either stay on medication and experience this awful depression on and off, or opt out of the medications for a more quality of life. So, I quit. Instantly, the depression was gone and has never come back. I know I should be on some form of medication, all of which are shots, but right now, I am just trusting the Lord for every day He gives me. He holds my future anyway, and I want quality days with my kids now. Perhaps I’ll reconsider shots down the road.
Since then, I have developed plaques on my brain which are consistant with MS, those are signs of nerve damage. I have so many more different symptoms. But I have been able to maintain. In between episodes, I am able to lead a fairly normal life and continue to teach our children, raise bassets, and enjoy all the blessings each day brings. I just have to stay low keyed, try to avoid as much stress as I can, that’s a biggie, re-adjust my life so that the demands are minimal. I still, off and on have to use a cane and when real bad, it’s back to the wheel chair races with Dan. But………….how do I cope?
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He leads me beside stilled waters, of peace and joy. We all have illnesses. We all have troubles, because we live in a fallen world. None of us are exempt from life’s hard kicks. Whether it’s an incurable disease, cancer, a broken marriage, the death of a marriage, a wayward child, the death of a loved one, still, if you allow Him, He will take your hand, and walk you through this valley of tears. I found Him to be my strength, my group therapy, my comforter, my giver of all the good gifts I have, my all in all, my Lord, my Master, my cane, my wheel chair, and my company when I have to be in bed, by myself, during the rough days of MS, while I hear all the voices of my family down the hall, going on with life. Jesus sits by my bed side, and I know that all will be well. Nan Corkey
Now, treatment. Shots. Another dreaded thought that I always had hoped I would never experience. Betaseron shots, every other day. “Rotate” they say. Arms first, then thighs, hips and stomach, for the rest of your life. For 2 years, I was so sore. People would come up and pat me on the arm, “How you doing?” and I would have all I could do to keep from yelling out. “Fine.” I’d say, nonchalantly holding my arm.
After two years of shots, I was beginning to experience the side effect of depression. This was not your typical depression brought on by outer circumstances, this was a deep depression that would take hold of me and I could not step out of it no matter what. Although I could control my words and action, I wanted no one to touch me, talk to me or ask anything of me. I wanted my family around and I loved them, but, stay away. I had to make a choice, either stay on medication and experience this awful depression on and off, or opt out of the medications for a more quality of life. So, I quit. Instantly, the depression was gone and has never come back. I know I should be on some form of medication, all of which are shots, but right now, I am just trusting the Lord for every day He gives me. He holds my future anyway, and I want quality days with my kids now. Perhaps I’ll reconsider shots down the road.
Since then, I have developed plaques on my brain which are consistant with MS, those are signs of nerve damage. I have so many more different symptoms. But I have been able to maintain. In between episodes, I am able to lead a fairly normal life and continue to teach our children, raise bassets, and enjoy all the blessings each day brings. I just have to stay low keyed, try to avoid as much stress as I can, that’s a biggie, re-adjust my life so that the demands are minimal. I still, off and on have to use a cane and when real bad, it’s back to the wheel chair races with Dan. But………….how do I cope?
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He leads me beside stilled waters, of peace and joy. We all have illnesses. We all have troubles, because we live in a fallen world. None of us are exempt from life’s hard kicks. Whether it’s an incurable disease, cancer, a broken marriage, the death of a marriage, a wayward child, the death of a loved one, still, if you allow Him, He will take your hand, and walk you through this valley of tears. I found Him to be my strength, my group therapy, my comforter, my giver of all the good gifts I have, my all in all, my Lord, my Master, my cane, my wheel chair, and my company when I have to be in bed, by myself, during the rough days of MS, while I hear all the voices of my family down the hall, going on with life. Jesus sits by my bed side, and I know that all will be well. Nan Corkey
UPDATE:
Since writing this blog,
for the past 3 years we have pretty much switched over to non toxic products in our home along with diet change and keeping
a low stress life style. That, I really think has made a difference in my health issues, as I am not having the epidsodes
on a frequent level and am able to travel a little more of which we are now showing our dogs and having a great time!