People Who Are Clueless, Continued

I think the rant that jazzy brought up earlier is something that we could discuss more.  

How do you deal with people who "don't get it?"

I read all these responses and I just think there has to be some better way, but until there is the technology where people can transfer symptoms to another person so they can "try them on".... :P  Wouldn't that be handy for diagnosing?  There are so many times when it's hard to describe the exact feeling.

_____________________________________________________

Personally, I've tried to bring people "into my world," mostly, my mother.  I'm 22 and live 2,500 miles away so she likes to be in my business still.  I don't really like talking about the things I'm going through with family that isn't my boyfriend or his sister because, especially with my mother, they always say how they have the same thing.

No you don't.  What you have, mother, is lyme disease.  I'm aware that some of the symptoms are similar and that you've had it since maybe 1992 and its caused you a lot of grief, but never once have I heard you actually voice up saying that you were having pins and needles or anything similar to what I'm having.  Before going to the neurologist I called you to make sure no one else has ever had anything like these symptoms and you didn't say that you were until I emailed you the symptoms journal I'm keeping.

I think a lot of it is her just trying to talk/think me out of even having the possibility of having MS.  She likes to avoid things until they're right up on her, whereas I always prepare for the worst that way things can only go up.

I've gotten in a better mind set and I'm being a lot more patient when it comes to rolling with the punches you have to take to get a diagnosis for a condition like this, but I would prefer it if people didn't try to downplay what I've got.

I thought that by emailing her the pages of my journal, it would kind of let her a glimpse of this hell I've been dealing with.  Instead, she insists its nothing.

This is why we don't talk often, and I hate that, but really it goes down to one thing:

__________________________________________

People really just don't get it.

[Heather3418]

After all these years with a diagnosis of MS, I truly believe that some of our loved ones, actually react out of fear.  It scares them, that their loved one has MS or going through the process of being diagnosed with MS.

There are still so many people that think, "Hey if it's MS, that means a wheelchair, doesn't it?"  They think of people like Annette Funicello, or Richard Pryor. (sp?)   At least, I believe that's what they think.

You're right, there are some people that just don't get it....

Heather