MS Caregiver

I am my husband's caregiver for the past 19 years. At first, MS was nothing but a few controllable symptoms. He did every clinical trial available at that time and steroids galore.

Learning to adapt and accept

It wasn't until he broke his hip from fragile bones (which they never told us comes from steroids). He's been in a wheelchair since 2003 and we have learned to adapt and accept. We had to. We had 2 very active kids, and basically, he had a choice go on for them and me or give up. Thank God he put his pride aside got in his chair and accepted this new life!

We've now had 19 years of school, sporting, and social events, and he never missed one thing at their school! The people we have met and the things we have done we would have not done without this life. Our kids have witnessed strength and humility, and their friends grew up learning about disabilities and compassion for others!

I miss our life

I'm not going to say it's a wonderful life... it's not. I miss our life, especially dancing, our walks together and even his strength, but I can't go there. What we learned works best for us now is to stay out of the hospital and drs!! Fortunately this generation talks more about nutrition vitamins and exercise because that is the key. He was a smoker, but we now know smoking can progress MS.

He became a man I never knew

He was a very stressed-out, worried person. After years of counseling and realizing it was only progressing his MS, he became a man I never knew. He is calm, humble, and his mottos are – "It is what it is," and, "It's not worth having an MS attack over!!" You have to be in charge of MS. Our faith taught us to accept this; without God, we would not be where we are! Take care of your mind, body, no matter how hard it is to get out of bed every day!