Keep Your Head Up

WebMD Member Columns We asked readers of the Multiple Sclerosis newsletter to tell us about their lives with MS.

Hindsight Is 20/20 | Stories Shared | Order Out of Chaos | From Symptoms to Diagnosis | Attitude Is Everything | My Faith Is Strong | A Human Pincushion | Diagnosis in Just Months | A Better Perspective | A Glorious Task | Everything for a Reason | A Great Escape | We'll See What Happens | MS Is Not a Disability | Keep Your Head Up | Light at the End of the Tunnel | Retirement With a Twist | Coming to Terms With MS | Long Journey to Diagnosis | A Mountain of Strength

When I was diagnosed with MS in 1993, my boss had MS and told me he had the money and tried all the FDA drugs as they came out. He made me swear on my children's lives not to be a guinea pig. Also, it seemed like the "powers that be" placed people with MS directly in my path -- in great volume and spontaneously -- the first month after my diagnosis. The No. 1 thing they all told me was that stress was my enemy, and it was vital to walk away from stressful situations, period.

I also have found nutrition a very valuable factor. I have yet to find a neurologist who will discuss nutrition with me, so I do the work myself and have made diet changes that have been beneficial. Exercise is so very important, too.

The MS Association has a Lending Library with many good books to read. It's free and definitely valuable.

The biggest thing is: Keep your head up. Don't let doctors make you think you have no choice or that your fate is sealed. Be strong and never give up!

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