Hey hun. It's tough isn't it? I've been officially diagnosed for just over a year myself.

You're absolutely right. Not necessarily the MS, but the dealing part.

We're all unique, so I can only speak for myself. I decided for the most part to ignore the MS. Yup. As much as I can. Which is tough where I have daily pain. But there's certain things I've done differently.

I got rid of most of my MS sites and bookmarks. I come here now, and don't frequent other forums, and I cut back on my time here. I made the tough decision (I don't recommend this, it's just what was right for me) to stop shooting needles into myself everyday. I changed my diet completely, eat low fat, exercise, get good sleep.

Most importantly, I got the diagnosis and was determined to keep going as long as I could, and not let things hold me back. When I returned to work and people asked if I was 'better', I answered, "I'm no worse, only I can name it now and get better medications!". Which is pretty much the case!

Keep positive, have fun with what you have, not with what you don't have, and live life to the fullest every day. Don't dwell on the 'what ifs'. Guess what? That person beside you without MS could be gone tomorrow. What's the use in worrying, you know?

Show the fam you can kick major butt. Maybe they'll never 'get' it, but spend that energy trying to get them to 'get it' elsewhere