How do you respond to this?
 

I had a visitor stay for a couple days. We have a lot of company since we bought a house on a lake. Its really great to see people more often to laugh and play...............
However; my guest said something really strange to me while we were having a conversation about M.S.
She said, "I think MS is a "catch all" diagnosis. After all, there is no definitive test to diagnosis it. I think when doctors don't know what is wrong with you, they say its MS. The people I know who really have MS are really bad and die"


WHAAAAAAT?

Hi karilann
 

throw that comment right out the window. That person doesn't know anything obviously about MS. My cousin has it. Sometimes people blurt out things like that when they don't know how to address a situation. Try to forget it and realize this person really has no idea of what this disease is. I hope you can forgive that person and move on. ginnie:hug:

People often say that about fibromylagia and other in- visible conditions.. :(

Did the person stop talking as soon as they said that??
Hopefully they realized that they said something pretty dumb...:rolleyes:
That last bit is really an ignorant thing to say to anyone with any illness.

If you have lesions showing on your MRI you could show them to her :rolleyes:

She looked me dead in the eye as if to let me know that she does not believe the whole MS thing.....
I honestly think she doesn't believe I have it because I still function.
For what its worth, she always blames the victim. She is also afraid of disease talk because she's afraid if she talks about it, she may catch it.

Nonetheless; I was mortified

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/word/omg.gif, What a mean remark.

Sounds like she was challenging you.

Why does she think it really matters what she thinks? Did she just blurt this out?

I know the moment has passed but if it comes up again I'd look her straight in the eye and say "and where did you say you studied Neurology?" :rolleyes:

I have a neighbor who tells me how her brother is in a wc-HE has bad MS...I know better than to complain about my "benign" MS and the pain/sxs to her:rolleyes:

There is no way you should feel mortified. She should be mortified for saying something so asinine.

Sometimes you have to forgive people for their ignorance and short comings and try and not dwell on it .
Also possibly help educate this person about M.S.

To forgive is easy, to forget is not.