Guess I’m Lucky and Blessed

In 1975, at the ripe old age of 27, over a period of two weeks, my life became a living hell. Suddenly, I could not walk or stand upright without holding on to the wall, and so on. I visited my PCP (a great doctor) and was told I probably had MS. Shortly thereafter, one morning I could not urinate and ended up in the hospital, beginning a 21-day stay under the care of a great neurologist (now retired). Limited testing was available at that time, which included a pneumoencephalogram, which involved having an air bubble injected into the spinal column while you were strapped in a chair. The purpose of this was to raise the brain off the column so that area could be X-rayed. Talk about misery (unbelievable headache) for the following three days as the body absorbed the air bubble. The test revealed a lesion and confirmed the MS diagnosis. The doctor prescribed 100 mg of Prednisone every other day as the only treatment available. I believe this was a “last ditch” effort on his part, as there was limited knowledge and treatment available in 1975. I left the hospital via ambulance to visit Emory Hospital to be seen by Dr. Robert Kebbler (an expert MS doctor at that time), who confirmed the diagnosis. I then went home via ambulance to begin the rest of my new life.

Recovery and finding a new perspective

Blessed with the support of my loving wife and extended family, and the helping hand of God, I began to slowly improve. Through physical therapy, walking with a walker for support, etc., I landed on the floor at times but managed to get up and keep going. Maybe one step forward followed by two sideways, but still trying. After six months, I was able to return to desk work, starting with 30 minutes a day, and after six more months, able to return to full-time employment. My physical activity level was limited for the next two-plus years, but I slowly regained it by pushing myself to exhaustion. Now at age 78, I can say that I have had a very active life, basically doing anything I wanted to, including hard physical labor, hunting, and fishing, etc. Balance was/is an occasional problem, but who’s perfect? At this point in my story, it becomes very personal. Each and every one of us is an individual, but I would like to share a reflection of my life after having gone through this life-altering event with MS. Some may not agree with me, and that is certainly your right, but this is my takeaway.

A revelation of what is truly important

In my case, God tapped me on the shoulder (through MS) and was basically saying, “Wake up, realize and appreciate your life and all that is in it. You have a beautiful loving family, extended family, and many friends. You go to church regularly, but perhaps you are the focus of your life and not what is truly important. Your relationship with Me, your family, and all in your life is what is really important. Stop and realize all I have freely given you. Know that I am in control of everything.” I am sure some will feel that I was very fortunate in the physical outcome of my bout with MS, and this is certainly true; however, our life and influence are really what we make of them, in spite of our success, failure, or health. My heart bleeds for those of you living with this horrible condition. After several years of living with MS, I came to the realization that your loved ones are suffering just as you are, and perhaps even more, as they must continue with all of life’s demands (other family, finances, etc.) while watching you struggle through life. I really don’t know how to end this other than to say I wish you well on your journey and hope you take God along for the trip. He will direct your path.