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I’ve been in the MS closet at times. I remember once staying seated awkwardly in a meeting room until everyone left because I knew my unsteady walking couldn’t be played off as a sprain. I would laugh along with co-workers when someone pointed out a sloppy mispronunciation I made. I’ve made flimsy excuses for not carrying heavy objects when everyone else at the office pitched in. I know I don’t have to explain to the choir my reasons. Sometimes we’re outed because our symptoms can’t be covered. People for some reason have easier time understanding cancer or terminal dx vs. MS. There is no rule book on explaining MS so when I see a professional continue to work and clearly explain that they are experiencing new neurological symptoms with unclear prognosis, it caught my attention. I hope this helps any of you struggling with explaining your condition. I share a video from 2 pt guys who have posted pt videos on internet for years, Brad & BoB. In this video, they address Bob’s recent ataxia, speech, and uncertainty of his condition, with a straight forward no BS professionalism I’ve always sought in explaining my MS.
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I'll have to watch this. I haven't been open about my MS/Lyme. My kids know about the Lyme but not the MS. Only my husband knows about both. No one else knows - no one. I figure that as long as I am able to hide it then why worry my kids? The only reason they know about the Lyme is because I was hooked up to IV antibiotics at home for 3 weeks. Kinda hard to cover that up!
I guess most of the reason I am still "in the closet" is because I don't think it's anyone's damn business. It's my health. It's my business. -
Pistachio, I couldn’t agree more that it’s no ones business. I got to place I had to disclose. Here’s a link from The MS society on things to consider when outing oneself to work, friends, or family.Comment
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