“I try to have a very open
relationship with my kids, so it’s
easier to explain what issues I’m
dealing with—age appropriate,
of course.”
“My life has been so much
easier since I let go of the idea
that I had to be a perfect mother
for my children to be happy.”
“It’s OK to not be Wonder
Woman.”
Double trouble
Some people aired the particu-
lar difficulties they experienced
raising a child with issues of his
or her own. “I have a child with
ADHD. My concern is keeping
up with his doctor’s appoint-
ments and the benefits he can
get from school. The stress of
keeping him and me healthy can
be exhausting.”
“My son has cerebral palsy,
but I have learned that MS
doesn’t care if you have one
disease or five.”
“My doctor is worried about
my stress levels. My 17-year-old
is having problems with drugs.”
“I have a chronic illness and
Susan, diagnosed 1995, with son, Zach.
a special-needs child, so I make
sure I have the resources to deal
with both.”
It takes a city …
“If there was anything I would
do differently about parenting
with MS, it would be asking for
help,” wrote one parent. “I got
so tired I was cranky more than
I should have been. But some-
how my children survived!”
Parents with MS, there are resources here for you.
• Talk to another parent living with MS through the MSFriends support program: 866-673-7436, 7 a.m.
until midnight, Eastern Time; leave a message at other hours to get a call back the next day.
• Call 1-800-344-4867 to link to support groups in your area, or to talk to an MS Navigator®, a highly
skilled professional who can provide information and guide you toward resources.
• Ask your chapter for a DVD of Timmy’s Journey to Understanding MS, an animated cartoon aimed
at children ages 5–12.
• Download Keep S’myelin, a newsletter to help parents and kids talk about MS together, at
nationalMSsociety.org/keepsmyelin, or ask your chapter for copies.
