I am just SO glad that I wasn't one of the many young women here in this forum that have asked whether or not they should take the risk and get pregnant, or go get my college degree, when do I tell the guy I am dating that I have MS. I just don't know how you do those things. I guess God knew the right time for me. It certainly made a difference in my life. Some of you may remember my story but there are new ones here.

I was an RN on a very busy cardiac unit and nursing defined me. I lived and breathed my nursing career. Nursing came first then my kids and then my husband. So I was able to work 2 years full time with no problems after my diagnosis. I treasure those 2 years. People with a brand new diagnosis of heart disease would question how they were going to continue a normal life. So I was able to share my story. I don't know how many people were helped knowing that a major illness isn't the end of the world. So in 1999 I started noticing that I was forgetting more and more. Then my right leg started getting weaker again. And it got worse. So one night I had to call in sick. I never went back to work.

That was in May. My youngest daughter was graduating from high school and going off to college that fall. So I found myself a housewife again. I was forced to be with my husband again! I'm not saying that correct at all. We were still married but we just passed in the night occasionally before. We both worked day/evening shifts and just didn't touch base much. So now we were empty nesters and I was the housewife. We reconnected. I can't say it has been a bed of roses but I had to re-evaluate my priorities. I had to see for myself that family comes first. I know for sure that God was giving me a swift kick in my pants when I had to quit work. And I'm glad He did but I'm just glad I had all the years when I was young to be able to do all the things I did without having to question what I could and couldn't do because of my MS.