Today while out and about I went to a store here called Real Deals(dollar store) I saw these attractive ladies going in(25 years old maybe) and one of them was holding a cane. She appeared to walk fairly well, even saw her crouch down to a lower shelf at one point. She merely lightly held the cane and it didn't make contact with the floor half the time. She was definatley faster on her feet than me. Sooo I also had my cane with me and decided WTH, I'll see what happens. I end up doing a fly-by and she smiled at me and I back....She is facially beutiful and really just generally attractive. I had to ask and I asked her if she has MS....SHe said yepp and so the convos started lol. I just told her I haven't ran into many fellow MSers around town....turns out she is from Ontario Canada which sucks, because I was hoping she was a hometown girl.

She said she was three years into it and feels fine.

I dunno...just feels weird when I come across with someone else that has MS.... It's like "Hey! I'm one of you!" I guess I think just because I have MS I am automatically friends with everyone that has MS, but with her it was just "ho-hum, yepp, take care" and off she went. Like it didn't really matter to her that I too have MS.... she was like any other able bodied person that didn't seem interested.

Meh...it was somewhat disapointing.....guess I expected an intence conversation followed by hugs or something....

Sorry you didn't get the warm experience you wanted and so needed. But don't let it discourage from trying it again. Is there a local MS society where you live. We have a mentoring program here through ours.

Eric-

Just like everyone with brown hair is not the same type of personality, no two MSers are either.

I suggest you investigate joining a local MS support group; I bet you will make a lot of friends who feel "open" to sharing.

I don't think there is one here directly in town(WaterTown, NY) may be one I'm too lazy to research it. I did walk in the MS walk we had in may though, but I didn't ask anything.

She was a nice girl, just that I expected her to be like "OMG you have MS to?" but it was more like, "yepp had it goin on for three years now with a slight giggle and that was about it. Guess I feel like I am in some sort of dream land feeling special ever since I got the official DX, I dunno....I just expected more.

It drives me nuts wondering who has MS around here(hard to tell) I see young guys walking with a cane and not like leaning on it either, just walking with a slight limp and holding the cane. I did see another woman about 42 years old walking with a 4 prong cane and she had a slight drag to her left leg. I can almost say she has MS....her walk just looked "that way" We saw each other, but I didn't ask this time.