Passing It On

A few years ago there was a movement called “Pass It On”.  The concept was that if you do something for someone, no matter how small, there is a good likelihood that someone will see it and want to do something for someone else.  It is a wonderful thought and hopefully is happening all around the world at this moment.

I read some of the comments on MS sites and blogs by people with MS and other diseases.  I love it when one of them comments on trying a different drug, a different lifestyle or a different attitude.  By “passing on” information, we can all help each other with decisions we need to make about our own condition.  It is great when someone comments on something you have been thinking a lot about.

Part of the reason I began to write this blog was to “pass on” some information that those without MS or Crohn’s might not have known.  Most people who are not directly involved with either of these would have no idea what goes on in the everyday life of someone suffering with these things.  To say “some days I cannot walk” is not nearly as explanatory as an example of the same told in story/blog form.  I know that I have learned so much from other’s writings about many diseases and everyday life struggles.

I think some of the reason that people don’t write about some of the things they go through with drugs is because they don’t want to encourage or discourage others.  If a drug really improves someone’s daily walk with a disease, they may want to praise it, but fear that someone else may not have this outcome from it.  If others have great improvement with their MS symptoms with a certain drug, I would most likely want to try it.  If it did not react in me with these same results, it would be so discouraging and really put me in a slump emotionally. 

If someone had a horrible time with being put on a treatment, they would certainly not want to have a good review of it, but might be hesitant to slam it.  As I said, just because something does or doesn’t work for you does not mean it will or won’t for me.  If someone discourages the use of a treatment because it failed them it might keep someone that the treatment would help tremendously from trying it. It would be such a horrible thing for this to happen. It is a real Catch 22 situation.

Passing on information to those who do not struggle with the diseases we have has helped so many to change their ideas about people who have these diseases.  Many family members and friends really had no idea what a “day in the life of” people with diseases is like.  I hope those of us who try to tell others about this helps many who have had people treat them badly and turn away from them.  It is so sad when I hear about these stories.  Hopefully some of this will stop as more information is passed on to them.  It is the dream we all dream.........................