I am an optomist by nature. Facing MS head on reminds me of the seven stages of grief. For me, I keep thinking about these stages and how I will continue to be handling my MS.
The 7 stages are:
- shock and denial.
- pain and guilt.
- anger and bargaining.
- depression.
- the upward turn.
- reconstruction and working through.
- acceptance and hope.
The problem is that once I have thought I have worked through these stages, some more quickly and completely than others,then I encounter a return of a stage. The unpredictability of this disease makes it hard to move through and move on from these stages. This sense of incomplete grieving is hard to explain. I imagine that people with incurable and unpredictable illness understand this sense. It is unlike any other I have encountered.
I get it, for most people are most comfortable with happy and positive news. We feel more comfortable with hopefulness and bright lights.
So sometimes when someone asks me how I feel, it is hard to answer such a simple question because dealing with the unpredictable is complicated. Hang in there with me; I am working through these complex feelings.
MS Fortunate 