Waiting for results, how to keep living life?

Hi all,

I’ve literally just had my MRI today to determine if I have MS (or at least get that ball rolling). I see other posts here about having to wait a good month and a bit before getting the results, and I guess it’s sent me for a bit of a tailspin.

Poor timing, but I have uni exams this week, and work assessments due in the next month - the uni have been lovely and basically told me that I can fail these exams and retake without penalty come August but… but I don’t want to fail. My revision motivation tanked over the last month with the worry, and I don’t want to fall behind my peers.

I have an appt with a therapist later this week, though I don’t know how I’m going to get through it. How does everyone just keep going? How do you motivate yourself and do the tasks that need to be done? I’ve just started my dream career, and I can’t help but fear that it’s over before it really began.
Sending hugs to everyone, I’m feeling very small

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Hi there @Poems, I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through this - makes complete sense that this is playing on your mind, especially if it’s a little unclear exactly when you’ll hear back and impossible to know what the results will be. You’re not alone in feeling very small - how horrible and unfair that you’re dealing with this plus uni exams/assessments too!

I’m long past exams (and hope you will be eventually too!) but know the feeling with waiting for medical results playing on your mind/distracting you from everything else going on. I’m there at the moment, too. What’s really helping me through this - as well as other tricky times in life - has been watching funny things. I’ve turned to quiz shows like Taskmaster and QI as well as comedy specials just to make my body laugh/relax a bit. Sometimes it helps to give yourself something to smile at during a break to take your mind off things for a while.

Playing video games (especially ones with puzzles) has helped me too since that gets my brain to really focus on something else for once.

Seeing and messaging friends to talk about their lives/realising other people have big problems too has also been super helpful, too.

A big turning point for me is also realising that I can only control what I can control!! Sadly I can’t change the results for the better of any MRIs (boo!!!), but what I can do is be super kind to myself, not doomscroll, and be thankful that MRI machines have been invented and I’m currently at the best time in human history to be diagnosed with something.

There’s an MS helpline I haven’t used yet (https://www.mssociety.org.uk/support-and-community/ms-helpline-support-services), but therapy sounds like a really fab step and bet you’ll get some good strategies there. Wishing you all the best and so glad your uni are being super understanding - go smash your exams and please go gently with yourself!

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Thank you @mackenzieblackman it’s been lovely to find this forum <3
I won’t lie, I’ve been binging a lot of Stardew Valley recently!! I know there’s a new season of Taskmaster out, so I’ll give it a look soon.
First exam today, fingers crossed! Feeling a bit better about things this morning, which I hope follows me through the day
Thank you for the links and encouragement, sending big hugs your way x

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Stardew Valley is the best! Haven’t played in a while but this has encouraged me to pick it back up.

So glad things have been feeling a tiny bit more manageable. Hope your first exam went well - bravo for even taking it in the first place and good luck with the rest!!! You’ve got this :flexed_biceps::flexed_biceps: xx