OK First, just breathe! Next, be in the now & deal with what's immediate- like meds, feeling better, getting out of bed, sleeping: whatever u need right now. Then, u take baby steps, take one day (or hour or minute) at a time. Let the future be the future- it will get here soon enough, & just enjoy the little moments of 'good' that we get & stop obsessing over 'what ifs' bc no one knows what's coming- maybe it will be better!

Know that you are not alone,specially here. Everybody ,even people without ms have the same questions at some point in their lives. Usually when we think about this things that have no answer ,we will feel down and depress. So breath and climb out of that hole leaving behind a note where you wrote those questions. Before an ms dx you probably never tought about those things. Live, love and laugh.

i understand..your not alone in your worries..i have 2 little ones 11 and 9 but i cant worry bout the what if's because then the daily living will be full of fear....but i do understand where your coming from...take the advice here...live in today and make the best out of each day

no matter how scarey it is,you cant predict your future..it might even be better...12 yrs ago i was sick,pregnant and homeless,with m.s....now lifes better....you ever need to talk..im here!!!
hugs
amy

You are young and beautiful. Perhaps if you start to think about when I do this, and when I accomplish that. It's good to be practical and plan for things but you also should try planning on success. Just because you are having aproblem today does not mean you will suffer tomorrow or the next. There are plenty of mysteries to be unraveled on how best to take care of ourselves, what supplements may help, what dieting may work for us. A cure or a solution could be here today and we just haven't overturned that stone yet.

Pick that beautiful chin up and start thinking of what you've got and what you can plan for that's positive. You are so much more than what you feel at this moment.

Sorry, I have an opinion about this subject, and this post will be a long one.

Encouraging you to plan for the worst is going to be a hard sell for me, especially in light of the advice you have been given here already. After all, who wants to spend time thinking about all the yucky things that can happen in life? Some people even think that it's bad luck - they believe that planning for those things may make them happen. Other people don't want to "waste" the good times worrying about possible bad times. And people with MS often say that they don't want to give any more time, energy or thought to MS than they absolutely have to. Everyone here has said "we'll deal with that problem (disease progression, disability, job change, and so on) if and when we need to" but I think that careful planning is one of the best gifts that you can give yourself and your family. If you gear up to deal with whatever challenges MS can bring, and then find down the road that your MS has actually remained pretty stable and manageable, you haven't lost anything except some planning time. But, if you lay down some plans and the disease progresses enough to interfere with your life in a significant way, you'll already have some safety nets in place to meet the challenges head on.

The best way to deal with the stuff that scares you the most is to take the time to think about what you would do if those scary things actually happened. Formulating a strategy - by consulting with the experts, identifying helpful resources and developing a contingency plan -- helps you feel prepared. And when you feel prepared, you can worry less about the future and enjoy the present more.

Take the time to learn about the ways MS can change over time. For example, even though MS is an unpredictable disease, it's helpful for your planning purposes to know that the majority of people who are diagnosed with RRMS transition to a more progressive course within 25 years.

Let yourself think ahead, even if it is scary. By thinking ahead about ways that MS may affect your lifestyle can help keep you one step ahead if and when you exprience major changes.

Ask the right questions of the right people. You don't have to figure everything out alone. Legal, vocational and financial experts can help you get your thoughts in order. Share your concerns about employment and your financial future - whatever they may be - and let these folks guide you.

Develop the plan that feels right for you. Gather all the information you can, and then take whatever steps you need to in order to feel prepared, whether that means increasing your savings, requesting accommodations in the workplace, or training for a different kind of career.

I want smart planning to be part of your life, but I'm certainly don't want it to be the most important part. Don't get so wrapped up in planning for your future that you forget to live your life and enjoy the present.

Some of the changes you mentioned all have a financial implication that are important to keep in mind as you try to create a financial safety net for yourself. A scooter, for example, can be quite expensive, so you may want to c heck how much of the cost would be covered by your insurance. Also, your insurance plan may cover some of the MS medicatiosn and not others, or cover PT services but not those provided by an OT. You may have to consider building a medical savings account for yourself to help pay for some of the extras that your insurance doesn't cover.

Planning doesn't have to be a downer. Wise planning can help you pursue your goals with confidence and optimism without having to focus too much attention on your MS.

A good friend of mine (single with no family) recently had problems where she couldn't get out of bed due to her MS, and she wasn't prepared. It was a difficult few days for her to deal with this situation, and I would hate to see this happen to anyone.

Hi, I'm prepared I can survive and be entertain from my bed. In plastic containers I have, one for meds, one for food and goodies, water, diapers and gloves, among other things like books, tel, remote, cane ,walker and wc all within hand reach. I prepared my survival area since I was dx. Financially Im covered by my kids and Hopefully ss. I prepared like I do for a hurricane, then moved on, check on food bucket ( or my kids will) every once in a while,replenishe and go. I'm afraid like anybody else but refuse to give up life before is taken. I live, love myself and laugh alone or with company,at myself sometimes with them others. Love, Alma

thanks everyone..my bf read this n he was sad that i think that way..he keeps saying hes not going anywhere n that i shouldnt think aweful things like that.. i shouldnt be worrying bout crap like that.. so u guys of course are right but i cant help but feel down sometimes u know? its a weekend u wanna go outside but its just too uncomfortable/painful to do so.. ugh im a bit cheered up since i wrote this..geez ps mood swings like crazy!

Happy to know you've been blessed with that boyfriend of yours. Maybe getting some board games will help. As you know my daughter is 19 and have a bf who understands that plans are not written in stone, sometimes they plan to go out and she feels to weak or something and they stay in watching movies, board games or just listening to music and talking, sometimes he watches her nap.othertimes they plan to stay in and she feels good ,,,so they go out, even if its just for a ride to town to get ice cream. As young as she is she manages very well that " going with the flow" way of living. Happy to hear you are somewhat better. Love Alma

Okay, I have been meditating on something I read in a devotional book:

"One of the sayings that most comforts me when I go into a state of stress is (I am always safe in the moment). When I am stressed it is nearly always because I am dealing with the "what if's" of the future or the "if only's" of the past." "The only power we have is in the present".
Laurie Beth Jones, "Jesus in Blue Jeans", page 103.

Hope this helps. I have had a LOT of stress recently and last night I took a Valium to calm down and kept repeating that I was "safe in the moment". It helped me, so maybe it will help some of you.

My pastor told me to write scripture or an inspirational saying on note cards and put them around the house to help me keep calm and to help me out of my bad depression. Our daughter's heart stopped twice in Sept. when she was being preped for knee surgery. Then in Nov., an intruder broke into our home, when she was home alone, she remained calm, hid and called 911 and the guy was caught and will probably be in jail for the rest of his life. We have an alarm system now. So, that is partly why I have such severe anxiety....oh and daughter has to have the knee surgery next month!

Oh, my daughter and I both are in counseling about the intruder. Thankfully, our sheriff's dept. is paying for 20 visits for each of us. That is a blessing and I am getting ready to make our appt. for this week!!!!

Counseling can really help, especially when you find a good one that you can really relate to. Even if you don't have insurance, you can call your local mental health center and get help.

Some things we just cannot go through alone! That is why I am thanful for DS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are deffinantely not alone in feeling this way. I am single and living with my sister and her husband since my divorce 2 years ago. These thoughts run through my mind all the time. It gets a bit overwhelming sometimes.

We all understand your fear, that's for sure. But also think of all the new medications that are coming out (abc had a program on a breaking thru drug for ms just recently) and I'm sure there will be more options in futures.

I don't mean to be too hopeful but MS treatmetns has changed over the past 20 years and I am sure it will be new and more promising treatments available in future.