Sarah Snyder (English teacher at Nobles) writes:
Wow, she has quite a story - sobering and affirming... January 1999
Mardi Newman (former librarian at Suffield Academy) writes:
A beautiful model for living and an inspiration for all of us--what a wonderful story!! thank you !! =) mardi ... January 1999
WHAT I THINK OF M.S.
by Diane Lemay, 1/19/99
Prior to having m.s., i was a "laundry worker," when i was a teenager. until, i decided to get on the job training as a nursing asst.. while, i was learning this job i started talking with my residents about how they felt being in that nursing home, the one's who could speak said,"it's not home,but, they had a roof over their heads." this to me sounded sad because some of my residents were mostly geriatric and said,"the reason they were there is that their family did not care whether they would "live or die." this taught me the lesson, that "you should, live one day at a time because you never know when "god" will take you"...
it was 1973 when i started having problems with my "eyes and also, standing" i was told i had "tis-mals focals." my neurologist,in fall river, did not have the x-ray machine to diagnose my condition, so, he set up an appointment with dr.james lehrich the head neurologist,mass.gen.hosp.. when he entered the examining room,
he said,"i hope your not here looking for a "miracle" " i can't." i said your right only "god" can". so, i was admitted in the hospital at the end of [oct.80]. i was given a pamphlet "about living with m.s." by 1981 i had an exacerbation and readmitted i tried [a.c.t.h.]. it was given as an i.v., then they had me do it intra-muscular. later, when they discharged me ,they also placed me on lioresal
and i've been on the latter medication ever since. my ex-husband wanted his divorce,especially, since, i would be in a wheelchair. myself and my brother were estranged and distant.
but, i still had the love of my son an elderly aunt, to me two was better than none.plus, i was never alone i had "god" my best friend. "he", helped me reach out to two young gentlemen whom i befriend. just around the time i was discharged from the hospital.
one was," blind,had epilepsy, lost his sense of smell and hearing in his right ear." i told him," if he'd be my legs," "i'd be his eyes, i'd tell him how things smelled and i'd be his friend." he may be dead, but, he'll always be in my heart.
now, the other young gent, has an illness known as ADD ... i became "his friend", by, "teaching him how to except, his problem, reaching down inside himself and try facing his innermost fears because "god" was the best friend he had. for he came to my home for me to listen and just be his friend."
"you could probably say, "god", made me "his" "peer counselor", on earth the same day, i was told i had "m.s." .. i think my "m.s." is more "god-sent," than a "hindrance."
MORAL OF M.S.
"always keep the "faith", "god", does have the "power to heal", in the most peculiar ways":[i.e.] thanks to the donation of kind people,staff and volunteers we have computers,e-mail, and now we have dragon dictate which allows each of us to hear how we speak and formulate phrases, sentences and words. just by speaking slow and checking each word we say to the computer. we're entering the new millennium with the hope that the future will bring new medical results by placing our "body, heart and mind" in "god's" hands. enjoy today, for to sit and worry about tomorrow it may not come our way.
Living with an illness that I could not explain to my son when he was a child, at least now we can speak about the erratic behavior which comes with the illness.
They still cannot find a cure but at least my son and I speak to each other and there are no misgivings about why he was placed in a Foster Home. Independent living was an option for a while but I needed to receive proper care which I did not have while I was in my apartment in Fall River, Ma. Provisions for a nursing facility was my option and I made sure my son understood why I wanted to place myself in a MS nursing facility because I did not want to be a burden on him or his family.
Lo and behold I was placed in a Ridgewood Court Rehab Facility in Attleboro, Ma. and while I was there they informed me of The Boston Home and I came to visit. What amazed me was the atmosphere and how pleasant the staff were also. There was no awful odor to cause anyone to think twice about living here.
Placement in the beginning when I arrived was a wee bit difficult but I finally settled in after 1 year. Who would have thought I would be living here 6 years?
Living with MS has brought about new pursuits.
Every day is a new experience for me. My son is amazed at the way my outlook on life is -- in general -- different than most people he has known.
Surprisingly, I must agree with his ideas because I happen to be an individual with a personality that no person can try to figure out in any way, shape or form. Courage stamina and the "Grace of God" are what has brought me to where I am today. Hopefully, I will not change. Laura, my aunt who lives in Fall River, Ma. has always told me to never give up no matter what the outcome may bring. She tells me that good things come to those who wait. She tells me to expect nothing from anyone who needs help and you will enjoy life to the fullest.
Relying on my Aunt Laura's words I found out she always gave me the confidence I needed every time even when I was a child. Occupying my time now is working on the computer and video conferencing or browsing on the Internet. Steve Bergen says, I am the "Queen Wiz" and my son says, he created a ³nerd."
Surprisingly Iıve amazed myself because I never thought I would be capable of using a computer or for that matter even browsing web sites. I was never intelligent before I had MS but since I've come here I now found another hidden talent which needed to unleash itself from my brain. Surprises come in different shapes and form I'm so glad to know itıs happening now especially since Iıve always wanted to learn something new. I can now say thanks to The Boston Home and the auspices of Steve Bergen and Noble and Greenough School. Also, I thank George Silvestri. They've all given me a second chance to assert myself in more ways than I ever would have had if I'd stayed in my apartment.