I just wanted to say Hi, I’m new here and new to figuring things out. I was recently diagnosed with MS after a hospital trip. A recent hospital trip was caused by me having balance issues going around the supermarket and nearly falling when I tried to carry the stuff inside. Doctors were very confused about why for a long time, but after an MRI they noticed and found I had MS. It’s been a big change, from the strong donkey doing everything to having to ask people to help. The steroids have helped me get my balance back in the home, but I’m still iffy outside and on inclines and uneven pavement. But I’ve gone on enough. I just want to say hi I’m new here.
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Welcome to the club which none of us wants to belong to. I hope you are finding help and support to cope with your new life.
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Hi PeteTheTech. Sorry to hear about your balance problems. That must be really frustrating! Like you I used to be the one who did the heavy lifting etc in this family- it does take a bit of adjusting to being the one who sometimes needs help.
Do you use a walking stick to help with balance? (Finding yourself having to use a stick also requires a bit of emotional adjustment but it can help and provides reassurance. I have two - and I must admit one was bought out of sheer vanity - a kind of upmarket walking cane of old - although I haven’t gone so far as to get a silver topped one !
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I’m a stubborn independent person so asking people to help is a little hard for me but I try not to shy away from asking for help. I have a walking stick now we tried a cheap collapsible one to see what height I felt most comfortable with. After that I was pretty adamant to find one that didn’t make me feel like an old man being in my mid-30s. Found one made of carbon fibre which felt a little less old man like at least.
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It’s hard to ask for help, it can feel like a bit of a role change. Perhaps because we hang our sense of status and self-worth on the wrong things.
But when you think about it, we all depend on others for help, every day. The food you eat, the clothes you wear, the drugs you take, all produced by someone else.
If you’re “thetechguy”, for example, I’d imagine you might be inundated with requests for help, MS or not.
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I think there is a lot to be said for refusing to look like a standard old and disabled guy and much to be said for keeping individual identity - and doing it in style 
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I’ve started using my hiking pole, I walked the west highland way with that pole wild camped along the way and carried all my kit…ok ok that was 13 years ago, I’m still the same person. I’ll never call it a walking stick it’s a balance pole
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Hi Pete,
I’m new to the forum and MS - I had terrible balance problems for a while there, but I’ve found that some exercises have helped, mainly flexibility/mobility ones -some days I nearly fall on my face, but they are helping and the balance has improved. The doc also prescribed me some tablets for balance issues which also help if needed.
I think we have all had to adjust to some really horrid things, but we will learn to work with this - maybe I’m a stubborn old mule, but this thing isn’t going to beat me!
Good way to put it balance stick as must say that’s what mine is pretty much to keep my upright when outside.
This is true its just me getting used to asking for help for stuff that was so easy for me to do before hand.