I find it hard to ask for help.

[nari jamieson]

I am a 55 year old woman, and first noticed something was wrong in 2004. After all this time I’m finding my prognosis hard to accept. I was always very independant as my husband was away a lot.
We gave up work, sold everything, cos my husband was finding it hard to do it all. We live south of Adelaide in South Australia. Even tho no-one ever complains, I find it hard to ask for help… I am in a wheelchair; feel I have most symptoms… I do feel rather alone…
I suppose I feel sorry for myself, cos now I have trouble doing the things I like – camping, jigsaws, crosswords, gardening, reading, talking etc…. Hmmm

[Vera James]

Nari, My husband was diagnose about the same age you are. He was always very independant and hated to ask anyone for help. I was his carepartner 24/7 and he always worried about me having to care for him. To be honest my caring for him didn’t start with his diagnose, it started when I married him. Fred wasn’t any less of a person because he needed some help. If anything he was far stronger because he face an illness that I am not so sure I could of handle in the way he did. My love for him grew and he never gave up. Things that he could no longer do, he found other things he could do. He also loved to garden and couldn’t get down in the garden the way he had, but he still was able to help while in his wheelchair pot flowers and veggies or pick the veggies or flowers that he could reach while he was in his wheel chair. He did what he could and didn’t worry about what he couldn’t do. Infact most of the time he would joke about what he couldn’t do any longer.
I wouldn’t wish him to be ill again, but if I had to do it again I would care for him the way I had. We looked for the blessing each day.
You may find joining the other sites for MSA will help you to find friends who understand how you are feeling and be a support also. Besides John’s here there are other’s and one just set up for those in Australia and NZ is on facebook. I notice there was one person who was asking about doctors in the Adelaide area. I listed John”s site to her, so that she may come to this site also. If you should want to join that group also the site is https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/MSAOZNZ/ . Just know that your not alone, there are others who know how you are feeling here. Some of my best friends are people like John who has this site. I have never met him in person but he has been my friend for many years now since I found him in 2000.

[nari jamieson]

Thankyou for answering Vera. Think it helps emailing someone who knows exactly what its like…. can anyone else give me some more hints to cope with life with MSA…. ta…

[Author]

Posts