I like MSers but are we infirm? Disabled?
I like differently able, there are so many…
Good morning, hope you have a good day, be safe. M
Challenged.
Ronin
What are we?
I am Ben.
End of.
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Indeed,
I am Mick
I just happen to share my life with MS. I am of an age and disposition whereby people can call me what they like or describe me however they choose.
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I have made it a point in my life of avoiding classification. So far I’ve been fairly successful.
However I do like a poster that read, “I am defined by ability, not my disability.”
As a result I’ve just gone ahead and done things that other, more conventional people, would have thought twice about. It’s so much more interesting.
A.
What am I -
mega p***** off, bl**** angry about having this vile m.s. which influences/overshadows much of what I do.
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Fair enough, I certainly understand this position, but for the most part I don’t have enough spare energy to get angry.
I did say “most part” and reserve the right to have the odd incandescent moment…
Keep on truckin’
Mick
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It was on Qi Sandi Toksvig was talking about door handles or knobs. She said for the ‘elderly or infirm’ I didn’t like the phrase hence my what are we? Hey we are all different and damned brilliant for dealing with MS. Be safe take care and thanks M x
What am I I am a retired farmer with ms so what I don’t look any differant to the guy with arthritis in his hip or
When I am driving to anyone else
I feel good most of the time I enjoy pottering about in my garden I
I enjoy the company off other people
I at times suffer badly with ms
But I am not defined by my ms
There is more to me than multi scerosis
There is more to you to
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Well said everyone…we are who we are, not what we are!
Pollx
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we are brave, strong, fabulous, unstoppable.
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I reckon we are all lucky people, it is just that some of our luck sucks
Mick
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yes, all those but still p***** off about having m.s.!
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well ms has stopped me from doing many things so i’m hanging onto my positivity like grim death.
i’m p*ssed off too krakowian but refuse to spend my days angry and glum.
been watching humans and feeling envious of the synths being able to charge their batteries.
carole x
If I’m asked, I describe myself as less able rather than disabled, although I rely on accessible facilities and parking spaces.
I agree, though, that we cannot be defined by our MS or the effect it has had on our bodies, minds and lives. I am who I am, not a disease that has played merry h*ll with my legs (amongst other things).
As for ‘elderly and infirm’, I regard that as a stock phrase, a bit of a cliché really. It’s not something I’d get worked up over.
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I’m Just Phil if anyone asks.
A few close friends and family know about my MS, and those that do know me know that if asked to a favour for someone i will always put others first before me, so most people that do know me seem to call me
SPECIAL kinds of fits for me in more ways than one so i stick with it.
We are amazing, we need to be. Take care, be safe M x
Is redefining the ‘sick and disabled’ a good thing??
Is abolishing the welfare state a good thing?
Should private companies takeover the role of paying sickness benefit using sickness insurance policies?
When I hear, “I am defined by ability, not my disability.” my first thought is - there are political undertones to this T-shirt meme.
My guess is policymakers want to re-define, or get rid of the term, “disabled” so that everyone is in paid employment of some kind - and not dependent upon the state for sickness benefit.
The sickness insurance giant Unum lobbies government for changed in ESA so they can expand their market share of providing sickness cover to companies who employ the sick and disabled workers.
Because of the nature of MS - as a chronic degenerative disease - I am sticking with defining myself as: an outpatient, a dependent, who is chronically sick and disabled.
Remember control the language - and control the debate.
Regards PJ
(I don’t trust this government)
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Ooh good argument PJday. I like it. And I don’t trust this government, nor the one before it, nor the one before that. And the less said about the one before that the better. I wish I lived in Scotland. And that eventually Scotland could leave the U.K. and join the EU.
Sue
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I’m with you there, PJ.
This is part of my problem with the current fad to trivialise MS - it’s all very well to play down your symptoms, but when it comes to a public debate about funding expensive drug treatments - well, everyone knows cancer is often fatal, so we all sympathise, but when you see people with MS on “Strictly” and in the paralympics - they really don’t look that bad, say they get tired (well, don’t we all) - and you want a £20k a year drug treatment for that - hmm, not so sure.
Be really careful with this, remember how little you knew about MS before you were diagnosed with it - the person I knew with it was very bad and had retired before he was 30, but my friend’s colleague just has “good days and bad days” - I’m sure he thinks I’m just making more of it than it is, as most of my symptoms are frankly embarrassing and I don’t discuss them with anyone who isn’t a medical professional or my partner, so he’s unaware of them. And I’m never in hospital (as I’m progressive, so there’s nothing they can do for me), so people think I’m ok.
I’m as guilty of doing it as the next person, but I think we’re all doing ourselves a disservice.
Jo
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