Telling Extended Family

Since I received the definite MS diagnosis in October, I used a note in annual Christmas cards to tell extended family members and friends about the diagnosis. I didn't just talk about MS, but described events which happened throughout the year too.

The response I received ranged from sympathy cards, to no response, to long letters of support. My great-aunt wrote me very kind notes as did my sister-in-law's mother. Come to find out that her uncle also has multiple sclerosis.

Another thing I did, which certainly not everybody has to do, was plan to participate in the Walk MS which supports the National MS Society the following spring. I mentioned this in my Christmas card to ask for support and to spread awareness. The response was overwhelmingly positive and friends chose to walk with me.

I'm very glad that I took the opportunity to tell 'everybody' at the same time. It eliminated any confusion or sense of exclusion which some family members might have felt being left out. It also brought some of us closer together, including my brother and myself.

Whenever I travel home to visit relatives, my sister-in-law's mother always asks how I am doing. Not everybody does. She really wants to know, not just because she is a nurse, but because she considers me as family too. I'm a lucky gal.