Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to ask If anyone has lost their confidence to do things? I used to go on the motorway all the time but now I get scared. I swam loads when I was pregnant with my youngest whose now 9. I’ve lost the confidence and ability to do this now. I went swimming at the weekend with a Noddle and my legs went funny when I got out so it’s looking like I won’t be able to go on my own. Hopefully this won’t last forever.
Nic Xxx
Morning Nic,
I totally get what you mean about confidence. This past year my confidence took a battering but now that I have been retired and know I am not fit for work I am pushing myself.
I literally did not drive at all during this last year but am trying to get out daily going nowhere as such as I can’t really go out now but just a drive.
I gave up swimming a couple of years ago as I was jelly when leaving the pool.
Still do my exercises in the house daily and don’t really sit much during the day when hubby at work. Just potter about doing bits and pieces as much as I can and I am very grateful to still be able to do this [HOUSE HAS NEVER BEEN SO CLEAN AND TIDY!!)
Mind yourself.
Much Love
Maryx
Morning Mary,
I find it really bizarre how our confidence can take such a battering.
I’ve gone into a full time job role and the tiredness does hit me.
I’ve never been a keen swimmer but I did know how to swim but I don’t now.
I do try to work but not as much as I once did and walk the dog round the block as my husband’s scared if I have a fall.
Haha I would love to get out house all neat and tidy.
Much love
Nic Xxc
Hi Nic and yes very much so. For me I think it’s partly a background/ underlying thing. Before MS I just assumed that life would carry on , that all would be well, that I would climb one more rung in my career before a happy retirement doing all the things i enjoyed. Any notion that my body would start failing before old age wasn’t something I ever thought about. Now, I find it very scary that my own body is in effect destroying part of itself. How can that be, if that can happen what else might happen to me? That leaves me with a general lack of confidence in ‘life’. All the old ‘reference points’ disappeared.
On top of the above there are the general struggles of dealing with the reality of MS . Everything becomes more complex and e.g days out, meals out etc. all require planning. Things ‘on the spur of the moment’ are few and far between these days. Most frustrating that part of me still thinks things like ‘oh let’s go to Pompei ‘ before I remember that the heat would kill me and the mobility scooter would struggle to get round the ruins.
Still not totally adjusted to my new reality!
Hi Nic,
I can totally empathise with you there: regarding driving, the last time I got behind the wheel was 1999, the following year I temporarily lost vision in right eye due to optic neuritis. 
I just never had the confidence to drive again after that.
The confidence issue I have now is if my pins suddenly give up on me venturing too far from home, it’s absolutely terrifying, how will I be able to get back? 
Take care,
JP