Wow, everyone on here is so wonderful. Moomoo, remember you might feel lonely but you are not alone. Some harsh thinking needed I think. Not easy to say but as my GP says to me āTime to do this or that Pam, no rush, tomorrow will doā. I have support from him and my specialist nurse and as they know me well and know I donāt like any grey areas or bull doo dads, they tell me straight. If I am feeling blue they tell me off, if my blood test tells them I have been eating fatty food I stop, if my leg stops working I try to stretch it each day to improve it, it is all hard. They told me to change things slowly but also exactly when to stop doing certain things, starting others, recommending things that I would have never gone to previously, gave me about volunteer transport and the bus for disabled people that you can phone up and picks up outside the house. The library offers things on a Monday and Tuesday for anyone who wants to go, we all have something a-miss with us but it is a lovely time. I donāt attend much, I donāt do much but I do do some.
For very few people I think, the friends remain. For me and a lot of others, if you canāt stand in bars or bounce about here there and everywhere, we go to the back of the queue. I have five that I see several times a year. After that, they have all gone. I donāt mind, they have lives - go live them, be well. It is just difficult adjusting after this happens. It is easier for me as in my background although there were people there, I have always had to be careful about looking after myself so I am very independent and so it is an extension of how I lived previously. However, I never depend on anyone so I have to be strong and pull my socks up regularly, especially on the days when the world seems to cave in and my bungalow looks like I am looking out at the full, fat world. Stopping in all the time with M.S. is like fear of heights, it just gets worse if not tackled. If you sit in everything will deteriorate, no one person can be expected to change all things without help. I suggest getting a big pad of paper some different coloured pens or using your computer if writing is difficult, writing down all the things you see on this forum and locally that are about. There will be one thing that can help. Keep this as your record of what you are looking at with phone numbers etc. But, hereās the hard thing, be responsible for it. My GP, the nurse, the disability shop, the CAB, even the PIP lady all pointed me in the right direction otherwise I would have been a bit stuffed! The local council, library, support groups, volunteers, they are all there. But gathering yourself and changing things is down to support and you, like a partnership.They all helped me be very organised and make some decisions. Well, if some years ago in Sankey Soap nightclub dancing all night somebody had told me that the highlight of my week now would be the colouring group at the library on a Monday I would have called them a liar! Anyway, see what I mean. Keep posting. Some help is there. GP first call I would say, Gp then emotional support then find something close and see if there is any way of getting out with physical support. If you are sight-impaired have you asked any group locally what they offer, how they get out, how they manage?
ps I only went to the local M.S. support group once, everyone was so nice but quite a few in denial, it made me feel bad and I was shattered for days afterwards. Decided to go to a āhealing clinicā on a Saturday instead. Much nicer with free treatments and warm people.