Thanks everyone for being so supportive and encouraging. It makes it more bearable that is for sure. I am just overwhelmed sometimes by how nice and caring everyone is on Neurotalk. I was almost afraid that no one would respond--silly me!

I think I may still be in shock mode. I'm glad Jules you (and others) think it wears off over time. I just read on some MS website that people tend to be over the shock after 6-9 months and of course I'm at that 9 month mark. Okay now...time for this to be emotionally manageable! Now where did they get this figure from?!

I have been in therapy for 16 years now. I'm a big believer in talk therapy and anti-depressants if you have to use them. I made GREAT strides and thought for sure I would have all of the skills to deal with this MS monster. But it is throwing me for a loop. I have recently switched to a psychologist where 80% of her clients have MS. She has helped significantly. But she has been out of town for the past 3 weeks. Hmmm...maybe that's why I have been struggling? I see her tomorrow which is good.

Good luck with the copaxone!! I'm sure for both of us over time it will become routine like brushing our teeth. That's what everyone says!

I will say that my DH thought I might have had a brain tumor from the O.N., headache, and dizziness that first came on. So we were relieved it wasn't that and just plain old MS! It's hard for me to think of the MS as a "life happens" sort of thing, though. Not to go into huge detail but I spent years in therapy sorting through all sorts of terrible "life happens events" from my childhood, including abuse from 2 different people when I was in grade school, an unnuturing mother who didn't plan to have me, a schizophrenic father who never got meds and whom my mother divorced, and then my father ultimately committing suicide when I was in high school. So right before I got diagnosed I was 4 months away from being 40 years old. I was on top of the world emotionally after years of hard therapy work. I even took a break from therapy and did fine! I had just gotten married for the first time in my life and my career was taking off after long years in graduate school. I thought -- jeez, the first 40 years were REALLY REALLY hard but I made it through. Pat yourself on the back and get ready for the next and best phase of your life to come. You deserve it. And then this MS thing gets dropped on me completely out of the blue. I think...what? You mean the next 40 years are going to be another &*$!# life trial that involves courage and strength too? Doesn't the universe owe me some kind of break? Do I have bad karma or something? Incidentally, I always find the cliche "God never gives you more than you can handle" so so so unhelpful. It makes me mad I guess. But I am sure I will keep soldiering on.

Thanks for listening to me vent, yet again.