Hearing the words "you have multiple sclerosis" for the first time can be scary. That monster wave of discovering you have an incurable disease suddenly makes you question everything about your future. But guess what? You are hardly alone. And you can get through this. Even if you get hit with a literal monster wave.

People say a lot of dumb stuff when they hear you have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.  People mean well, they do (and I'm sure most are clueless as to what to say), but there has always been one comment that, at least until recently, had grated on me the most.

Getting diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (or any other serious disease) falls into one of two categories.  Relief that you finally have answers to those strange symptoms after all these years.  Or you freak the hell out.  Which one did Dave fall into?

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So getting diagnosed with MS (or insert your disease of choice here) means you have to draw up a new play in the huddle, on the fly.  So what?  Zig left instead of right.  No, it wasn't the original play call, but you can make it happen.  I did.

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Endlessly researching multiple sclerosis on the internet does not give you a PhD in Neurology, but after sleepless nights of cramming 32,100,000 Google search results for MS into your brain, you’ll feel duly educated. Ah, I’ve been there. And you don’t want to go there.

You are not alone in your dance with MS, not by a long shot.  Read about a number of other MSers who are in your same boat, some who were just diagnosed and others who have been managing the disease for decades.  Consider joining in on the fun and introducing yourself!