I don't know why we tend to keep troubling symptoms to ourselves -- I tend to
do so also -- there are probably many reasons, from not wanting others to
worry, to denial, to avoiding others wanting to "DO something" when nothing
can be done. But I can tell you from the other side of it -- those who love
you really do want to know. I say that because we live 2,000 miles from my
husband's family and are only able to get up to see them every other year
(due to the expense of flying 5 people there; it's too far to drive with just
two drivers -- would use all our vacation time on the road); more than once
we have gotten there to find out there are health problems or family problems
that we knew nothing of, because they didn't want us to worry or they thought
there was nothing we could've done to help anyway, so they didn't want to
burden us with it. I just can't tell you how bad that makes us feel, to know
someone in the family was having problems and didn't let us know, whether we
could've done anything about it or not. That is one thing families are for,
to share each other's burdens and support each other. Plus, we never know
even to pray or how to pray for our loved ones if we don't know what is going
on in their lives.
All of that to say -- please don't keep these things to yourself. It only
increases your stress level, and others who care about you want you to feel
free to share with them. I am glad you finally did. Even your little son -- I
have a five year old also, and they can take things and adapt to things
pretty well when they know what is going on; when they don't, when they sense
something is not right, but they don't know what, that can cause them to feel
frightened, insecure, even angry. My little one was almost two when I
encountered TM, and I was amazed at how he matter-of-factly would push my
walker over to me when I was about to get up; my oldest would good-naturedly
call himself my "portable hand rail" when I asked him to let me hold his arm
sometimes, later on when I wasn't using a walker any more.
I wouldn't take it personally that the dr. referred to you as a "case" rather
than a person -- I don't think he meant to be impersonal; that's just the way
they talk. He knows it is a "person" who has a "case". Perhaps he can give
you some leads as to what teaching hospitals/drs. to contact. I don't know,
but wouldn't teaching hospitals be on the cutting edge of research
information? Would seem like it, since they are in the process of learning
about these things. It seems someone on the list a long time ago mentioned a
foundation that helped a friend of hers get her medication for MS that she
couldn't afford, so that kind of thing might be another possibility to check
out and ask about along the way.
A couple of others have already mentioned that there are different types of
controls for cars; I had heard of hand controls before, but not the others.
There may be some type of foundation that helps with that kind of thing also.
The other letters posted to the list that I have seen had some very good
things to say; I especially appreciated Alton's persepective of God's
protecting you from all that COULD have happened during your driving mishap.
I know He wants to guide you through the rest of this also.
Don't worry about long posts -- sometimes it is needed, and there is no limit
on length allowed, as far as I know.
Take care, Mandy~ keep us posted.
Love and prayers,
Barbara