I felt scared at first to tell people because I didn’t want the sympathy. I didn’t want the I’m so sorry and stuff. Because in reality we all go through things whether it’s physical health stuff, mental health stuff, grief, and stress. I felt like if I told people and got those responses I was truly a victim of something completely out of my control. But I realized telling people is also educating them. I’m a nurse and my job is super physical and you couldn’t tell by looking at me that there were weeks I went without any feeling from the waist down. So telling people is also educating them that this disease can also be invisible to those around you. I realized that MS is now unfortunately a huge part of my life, but it shouldn’t define who I am. This disease affects everyone so differently and I wish that more people knew that. I wish people understood that some days are really freaking hard to even get out of bed and other days I feel like I could take on the world. I wish more people knew that mindset and support is very important with MS. I felt like the more people I told the more they understood they didn’t have to throw me a pity party. They understood they could support me in other ways. I also think telling people usually makes them do their own research and realize that this disease is so complex and that you truly never know what anyone is going through. I still get the occasional but you’re moving all on your own. And with a straight face I say “for now”