MS Survivor, Inappropriate Mother, and a Daily Quest for Reasons to Laugh and Smile

Life sometimes throws you a curve ball and in 2015 I was diagnosed with MS and since then…life hasn’t been the same… There is the good, the bad and the shitty ugly stuff… and then there are the finding reasons to laugh and smile. For me it’s a daily battle and it zaps mind, body and soul, but the support of my wonderful family makes my progressing MS, the endless treatments & a clusterf*#k full of side effects, a little easier to bear ( well, I did warn you I was an inappropriate mother!)

Bugger, where was I? Brain fog and i’ve only just started, I need to go back a few steps to bring you up to speed!

My fabulous husband (or as he is known from now on MFH) & kids are my life, they are my GREATEST achievement. MFH is my rock, my soulmate, my sparring partner and the love of my life. When he whispered those five little words “in sickness and in health” on our wedding day, many moons ago, little did he know that the sickness part would be a major player in the game of married life! He’s seen me in a hospital gown more times than I care to remember, as my body was tag teamed by a never ending barrage of illnesses. But now it all makes sense, MS was the gang leader, the big bully throughout!

To know that MFH & I have raised three truly amazing people , our little circle of 5 (and gained an extra honorary member (HM) along the way, who I’ll introduce you to later in my posts), who are kind, caring and fiercely protective, brings a warmth to my heart that I can not possibly begin to explain. They have been with me through this journey, from the very start, and although I know that finding out your parent is “ill” can be a bloody horrible thing to deal with, they have astounded me, time and time again, with their ability to show that they “have my back.” anytime, anyplace, anywhere…

They know only too well that I am NOT like other mothers (as Georgie, my 24 year old puts it, I am frequently inappropriate….well actually I added the frequently, she would say ALWAYS… why do I have to say “I’m fed up”, when “I’m well and truly f**ked off” is really how I feel!) Life has dealt me a sh**ty hand & I’m trying to face the MS world with a good dose of humor and laughter, even though my quest for this is often unsuccessful. BUT I’m realizing that by seeing me face this disease with the openness and reluctant acceptance that I have towards it, has made them better people. They know what it is like to have their mother become classed as disabled (yes it’s official and I have a blue badge to prove it!)….and that I rely on a funky (non NHS) crutch to stop myself falling arse over tit in Waitrose, but rather than showing a lack of understanding or even being angry about this new chapter in our lives, they too embraced it. Gorgeous people, so proud!

Oh yes, I nearly forgot to mention the other members of our family, Archie is our permanently horny, three year old Westie, and Moochie our 14 year old, totally deaf and borderline incontinent heinz 57, bless her!