Utah Chapter - National MS Awareness Week

This week is National MS Awareness week. I opened my Facebook account last week to find a message from the National MS Facebook site asking me to find a way during the week to bring MS awareness to the attention of others. "Perfect", I thought. "That's why I have my little blog." So, here I am promoting awareness for MS. I read through the online booklet they sent me that was loaded with new research and activities that will be taking place all week throughout the Salt Lake area. I was excited to see they mentioned and gave credit to the awesome Scout who held the MS fair to inform kids about MS that I took my own children to. He definitely deserved credit and praise for that. I might even make my kids copy him in some form or another for their Eagle Projects. At the bottom of the article, it asked for each person with MS to share their story and then it had a little MS=, where they want MS patients to share what MS='s to them. I've thought about it and a whole lot of words = MS to me. Some are not so nice, others are! Ha Ha! But really, I've thought about that and I'm not sure what it ='s for me. Fear, anxiety, frustration, loss of ability and feeling, testing, Dr. Appointments, embarrassment at times, etc. But it also ='s testimony builder, greater compassion for others, strength I didn't know I had, knowledge, friendships renewed, new friendships formed, closer family relations, many acts of service rendered in my behalf, gratitude for good health......etc.

The other night I was at the Temple and saw a younger woman walking with the assistance of a walker. Her husband was right close behind helping carry her things. I found myself feeling so much love for this woman. I almost mustered up enough courage to tell her husband I would help her through the women's locker room. Just as I started toward her, another person stepped in and helped her the rest of the way. I thought about her all night. Did she have MS? Everything about the way she appeared told me she did. I don't have any idea if that's true, obviously, but I wanted to reach out to her and wished I hadn't waited so long. I think that's probably the greatest thing I have learned throughout this whole ordeal. I have such a greater love and compassion for those who are physically disabled. I recognize how wonderful it is to have a healthy body. I took that for granted before.

There is so much going on in the world of MS studies for a cure. I read the other day they are looking into bone marrow now, thinking that each person's bone marrow may carry things that could possibly be used to help fight MS. There is research going on that is finding ways to keep people from developing MS in the first place. Medicine is far better than it was in helping patients even just 12 years ago when I was working with MS patients. I only pray that a cure will be found within the next few years to help my young friends and I live mostly normal lives. I'm grateful to those taking the time to find a cure and to those who donate to the cause.

I was hoping to set up a team for the MS walk, but seeing as I am expecting and have MS, I am doubly tired and just want to hibernate. I will be all over that next year though, so watch out!I'm just rambling on now. But wanted to do my part in posting for the National MS Awareness Week. Here's to all my friends who suffer from this disease and to all those throughout the world who are part of this MS family. Thank you for your examples to me of courage, strength and Faith. May we all one day, live in a world free of MS!!!!!