When the Invisible becomes Visible

For those that read this that live each and every day with a chronic disease that on the whole has invisible symptoms or invisible management techniques you'll know the frustration that it can bring. Not that it should ever need to be an excuse but the times where

• You have a hypo and you have no choice but to not go to work due to the toll that is has taken on your body.
• You have a hypo at work and people 1 don't understand what is happening or even why
• Where eating something isn't as simple as just picking it up and keep going but it means constant calculations while predicting the future as best you can
• Where falling so tired in the afternoon knowing that MS is taking hold and you have no option other than to stop and sit and simplify your thinking.
• and the reasons just keep adding up.......

People living like this are some of the strongest people out there as we all have to live with every day pressures as well as everything else on top of our heads.

One of the biggest steps I have had to come to terms with is that with living with an invisible disease for 27 years my MS has now proven to make the invisible visible. To now have people notice that there is a difference by just looking at me is confronting. I am not saying that the change is huge but it is noticeable. The left hand eye droops, my right hand shakes and I have just realized I walk with a slight limp for some reason. I am assuming that something has been effected with the signals getting down to my legs. All things that are manageable however now things have changed that I can't hide what is happening which also means I have to ask for help.

For a person who has strong beliefs and pride in what I do for my family you can imagine how difficult this may be.

• No longer can I push through and deal with everything without someone asking if I'm ok.
• No longer can I expect to do everything without asking for help. 
• No longer can I not think of the long term future as everything has limits.  

Being a single dad to 3 girls with 2 of them full time this doesn't mean that I don't still have my pride and determination to do everything I can but it does mean that at times the pride needs to be swallowed.

It has also taught me that even if everything was still invisible those that love and care and even the people around each and every person around us needs to understand what we all do each and every day to survive. Education and Information is key to ongoing success in what ever we do.