My Tysabri Diary...Merry Christmas everyone!


I want to mention how many of you have enriched my life by your friendship, caring, generosity, understanding, and knowledge. I have only given you a bird's eye view of what it is like to live with MS, to live with its challenges, and what it is like for some patients who continue to struggle with its debilitating symptoms, who are struggling to obtain a diagnosis, and at the same time, are struggling/trying/learning to become their own patient advocate when it comes to their health.

I believe that you have a better understanding than most people do about MS, and you are also experiencing some of the joys that these patients are having thanks to Tysabri. You have so very much to be proud of, proud of yourself, proud of the changes you have made in others' lives (including my own), with wonderful changes yet to come. I am proud of you, and I am proud to call you my friend. I have been blessed to meet some of you personally, and I hope to meet more of you in the future, God willing.

Here is a message that I would like to pass on to you, and which I try to live my life by when times get tough for me, and which might help you keep your life in perspective as well:

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who won't survive the week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.
If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.
If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare changein a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare,especially in the United States.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.
You are so blessed in ways you may never even know.

*Whether I have known you for many years or a few, In some ways you have been a part of shaping things I do. And now that Christmas has come, I realize anew, The best gift life can offer is meeting people like you. -Author unknown-*

I have been blessed beyond belief in knowing you...thank you all for coming into my life.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Lauren :)