I don’t need any help!

Accepting the diagnosis of MS is one thing, accepting help is quite another. The reality is that many of us will ultimately need help at some level, so we need to come to grips with this feeling that needing help is a sign of weakness.

This was a major hurdle for me, a type A personality who was always ready to help others but rigourously independent and proud of his ability to ‘handle’ anything. MS and I wrestled often over the years following my diagnosis, and MS won every match. Eventually I came to respect this adversary that I could never defeat, certainly a grudging respect that is very like that accorded the schoolyard bully. Yes I admit it, the respect is firmly grounded in fear because I am defenceless in the face of what MS is capable of doing to me.

Having accepted the notion that I need ‘help’, which later expanded into the much heavier term ‘care’, I then had to answer questions like ‘With what?’ ‘Who from?’ and jump several hurdles to get to today.

1 Comment

1. As and agency who provides personal support to those with physical disabilites, this is a struggle many of our consumers/clients face every day. Attendant Services is meant to be just that…a “service” not “care”. I hope you were able to land somewhere that endorsed the independent living philosophy when you landed on the other side of your hurdles!

   Comment by Toby Harris - April 7, 2008 @ 9:50 am

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