I can’t count the number of times that Jennifer and I have said and written phrases that relate to these two thoughts:
“Multiple Sclerosis is an isolating disease.”
and
“It’s important to surround yourself with a strong team of family, friends, medical professionals and people who understand what you’re dealing with.”
Connecting with others reminds you that you aren’t facing MS alone.
We’ve lived by these ideas for each of the more than 20 years we’ve lived with MS, so it made perfect sense to get involved with myMSteam. It’s a free and engaging online social network for people living with MS. I encourage you to take a few minutes to check it out and see how it helps you build the connections you need to keep moving forward.
I’m excited to share my journey with you through a partnership with myMSteam over the next month. This is a sponsored post on behalf of myMSteam, and building a team is something that we’ve talked about for years as a fundamental way to stay ahead of MS.
Find others who can relate to your MS
I remember when I was first diagnosed with MS. Attending a support group and actually talking to another 20something man who also was living with the disease made me feel less isolated. I realized then that there was another person living within 15 minutes of my home who knew what it was like to have a life-altering illness punch you just as you were getting started with your professional and family lives.
So imagine what it was like for me when I was perusing through the “Meet Others” feature on myMSteam and could filter my search by everything from my location to my MS type, specific symptoms, types of treatments, length of diagnosis, age and more. From the comfort of my own home, I can find the emotional support I need from others who understand my MS realities and get their advice and insights on adapting to any new challenges the disease throws at me.
Here is how mind blowing this is: There are more than 158,000 members on myMSteam, and when I searched for members who live close to my home in Michigan, I found that I already am in-person friends with one of them. Plus, there are few other people who live nearby I plan to connect with and meet for a cup of coffee when COVID restrictions are lifted.
Again, we all are building our team to help us each stay in our respective games with MS.
MS friends for thought
Within minutes of completing a personal profile on myMSteam, I was connected in a conversation with someone who had posed a question about potential dependency on the nerve-related medication Gabapentin. I was prescribed a low dose of this medicine to ease my MS-induced restless leg syndrome and shared some of my experiences to help provide some perspectives. I also learned insights into potential side effects that I need to watch out for.
And what’s great about this community is the knowledge that we each are providing comments from our personal experiences. It isn’t medical advice, and we regularly remind each other that, just as MS impacts everyone differently, we all need to talk to our respective neurologist for the best medical advice.
I can’t say enough about what myMSteam does to help people connect with others in the MS community and see that they’re not facing this disease alone. Even if it’s as simple as posting a picture to check in and say how you’re feeling today, within minutes you’ll have people commenting to celebrate your good feelings or boosting you through your bad.
I encourage you to build your team and join this free community here.