The story runs long, but I hope it helps.

Life is about choices.  You make choices based on information available and what you feel will happen.  Decisions have consequences.  I am not talking about fast or slow way to work.  Let us discuss family choices that affect all of us.

When I was diagnosed with MS, my wife was pregnant with our second child.  No more kids, fine.  Let them be healthy and we can go forward.  And they were healthy.  One girl, one boy.  Yes, we have a matching set.  Any additions to the family will be from the animal kingdom.

I was confident that I could beat MS.  Beat meaning that I will live my life with our growing family.  I wanted to be a father.  I found a wonderful woman who agreed to marry me.  Speaking of marriage.

it is amazing that we say the vows of marriage.  Many of us can say them from memory.  Some, like me, have it on videotape when we messed up at the ceremony, but I digress.  Richer or poorer, sickness and health.  It is beyond a blessing when we find someone to live up to their word.

During our marriage, the housing boom occurred and we swapped houses.  SEVERAL TIMES.  Renovations flip, better neighborhood, cross-state lines, back to the original state, and on we moved.

Notice I had the arrogance to never think about how MS would or could affect any of these moves.  I took my Avonex and charged forward.  Next.  Change jobs.  Next.  New house.  Next.

The stress from these situations should have affected me.  I was beyond lucky.

At some point, I got my picture in the newspaper.  I did not like what I saw.  I went from a high of 270 pounds down to a low four years later of 185.  Exercise and less food.  No great pill.  Just sweat.

Upon further thought, that action may have kept MS away for four years.   I would walk and sweat 20 minutes every morning and go on with life.  I was confident that I could control my weight. 

I am an arrogant SOB.

We moved back to Louisiana and within 2 months the most devastating hurricane, Katrina.  Our house received some damage, but nothing compared to others.  We were blessed.

We evacuated to four locations across 3 states.  Our family stayed together throughout.  The only time we separated from the children, they were at their grandmother’s house when we came back as another hurricane approached. 

I am the luckiest person alive.  Through stress of hurricanes, moving houses and keeping employed, I had very few exacerbations.  My wife made sure that Avonex and my MRI photos traveled with us.  Getting better was not really a question, because I felt normal.  MS was a once a week date with needle.

I can live like this with this MS thing forever.  I am arrogant.  Or I was at the time.

Back in New Orleans, things got rolling.  The city was rebuilding and I got the fun part.  I did not work with drywall; rather, I sold them televisions and stereos.  By the time you are ready for the home theater, life if getting normal.  Walls, roof and carpets are finished.  Life is returning for those who were damaged.  My property got hurt some, but I was confident all was going to be great.

The store I worked at was undamaged, and I outsold all records ever kept.  I was working over 10 hours a day, sometimes by myself because I had people doing work I sold.  I can handle this problem. 

I knew I could handle everything thrown at me.  Oh, a mid summer birthday party.  Mid day.  Heat of July.  No problems.

Arrogant.

The party did not go perfectly.  I was running to stores to make things work out and I felt something strange in my neck.  Tension headache?  Stress?

 Over the next six months MS began to rear it's ugly head.  Within five months the foot drag started.  I had already moved from Avonex to Rebif and back to Avonex.  Changed neuros, and the Tysabri drug looked promising.

I can handle this.  Arrogant.

Two and a half years later I type.  Looking back, Tysabri was bad for me, but fatal for others. 

Since the party, I have seen highs and lows that are previously incredible.  No longer working.  Can't play sports with my kids.  Falling down seemingly at random.

I can handle this problem.  I am confident that I can deal with these issues.

Why?  i have done what I can to take control of my situation.  MS is a theory.  I have not rested on what my doctors or specialists of MS group tells me.  I have looked outside of known realities for new ideas and treatments to make my life and my family's life better.  If I can stay out of a wheelchair, that is a better alternative from my point of view. 

I am arrogant.  I know that I can do better. 

I am confident.  I am happy to know that others will help me as I will help them.

Power to the people.  Power to the Procedure.