This past almost two years brings to my mind the story below about twins--one an optimist the other a pessimist.

There are twin boys of five or six. Mom was worried that the boys had developed extreme personalities -- one was a total pessimist, the other a total optimist -- their parents took them to a psychiatrist.

First the psychiatrist treated the pessimist. Trying to brighten his outlook, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with brand-new toys. But instead of yelping with delight, the little boy burst into tears. "What's the matter?" the psychiatrist asked, baffled. "Don't you want to play with any of the toys?" "Yes," the little boy bawled, "but if I did I'd only break them."

Next the psychiatrist treated the optimist. Trying to dampen his out look, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with horse manure. But instead of wrinkling his nose in disgust, the optimist emitted just the yelp of delight the psychiatrist had been hoping to hear from his brother, the pessimist. Then he clambered to the top of the pile, dropped to his knees, and began gleefully digging out scoop after scoop with his bare hands. "What do you think you're doing?" the psychiatrist asked, just as baffled by the optimist as he had been by the pessimist. "With all this manure," the little boy replied, beaming, "there must be a pony in here somewhere"!

I went to the neurologist this week about the MS diagnosis. First let me say I think it went well, but there are four types of MS. Since I didn't recognize or report the symptom when they first appeared around 10 years ago or get treated it progressed to the next stage/type. Thankfully,the progression was slow so I'm still in decent shape.

After the stroke I was aggressive with physical therapy but would get better, get worse, get better again then get worse and over and over. I told the doctors but they only looked at me like I had two heads and neither of them were working and would change the subject. I honestly almost threw my hands up and quit. As it turns out I was doing everything "right" for stroke recovery but some of the exercises were wrong for MS and caused my muscles to deteriorate faster. How's that for "damned if you do; damned if you don't"!? Okay, so I didn't know and I screwed up but I'm still in good shape AND can get better now that I have the right information and game plan. I see that as good news. I start physical therapy Tuesday with MS in mind. Modified exercises from yoga,tai chi and water therapy...and he said I can still use my bike but I have to walk it up steep hills.

Of Course, he prescribed new meds too. A year ago I felt like I was staring straight into a pile of horse manure but finally I think I can see the pony in there.

Jamie