I never shared my MS stories with anyone at work in fear of losing my job. I found that out the hard way when I told someone I had MS. They made such a big deal about it, I thought my whole world had just ended. People have a tendency to make things much harder than they really are. For the longest time, I did not share my disease with anyone until I worked for a general contractor in Florida who had asked me to fill out an application. One of the questions on the application was, “Do you have Multiple Sclerosis?”. I struggled with answer that and then I decided to say “Yes”. Apparantely he did not read the application until a few months after I was hired. My boss said I know that you have MS and I have a friend who has MS also. I would like you to meet him. I few days later I called Philip. We spoke for a while and the impression I got from him was that once you are diagnosed with MS your life is basically over. I was upset after I spoke with him and thought he was one of the most negative people I have ever met.

One day , he came into the office to meet with my boss and I was introduced to him. One of the most nicest people I have ever met. I think that he had so many issues with having MS and he came across on the phone as negative. I learned a lot of things from him such as making sure that I eat a banana everday for potassium to prevent muscle spasms. I used to suffer from muscle spasms all the time but now I do not. KNOCK ON WOOD! He also told me to take potassium tablets with magnesium in them to prevent muscle spasms and constipation. Apparantely constipation can be a problem for people with MS. I found this out years later. He and I talked a lot about our disease. He was in a more advanced stage than I was, had a hard time with balance and was tired all the time. I was able to relate to him on a certain level but it is not the same as now. When I met Katie for lunch a few Fridays ago, the feelings that I shared with her were so much more. I felt so much better than I did with Philip. I could relate to Katie and the other ladies I met on a much better level.

Sometimes Philip could be negative about MS and I was looking for more of a postive support. I got that finally. It is nice to be able to share stories with people that can totally relate to you.