The Isolation of Others

I am a member of various Multiple Sclerosis associations, some of which have on-line forums where people with MS post about their experiences.

It certainly brings you back to earth.

As a new member of one of these forums I get contacted by others, interested in background and perspective. I am also interested to hear theirs and how they deal with various symptoms. Through this I have come across people who are dealing with MS at a later stage or a harder stage.

One word keeps coming up, though, which is not a symptom. Lonely. People dealing with their issues in isolation. Leaping at contact with others as they need company. Sad to see that this can happen in the so connected modern world.

How It Makes Me Feel

I will not say anything about who these people are or where they live or what MS association this contact came via. I will not even say their genders. My initial reaction when I see their posts is, selfishly, fear. I am scared of going to the place where they are.

And then there is a measure of anger. Frustration. For them. Alone, some abandoned by friends and family. I cannot know what happened to cause such social fractures and perhaps at least some were due to issues not related to MS.

But that word, isolation, appears too much to just be the result of familial of social friction. It’s also experienced by people with other medical conditions similar to MS. Now, I am absolutely not isolated. It is sometimes difficult for even the most understanding friend or family member to get what is going on with me and that can feel lonely. But it is more an understanding gap and absolutely not malicious. They are also making an effort. Which is special. Not everyone like me has such support. That’s is what I see in these reflections of others.

So, tonight, I feel for people behind those words whose MS is such a lonely experience. And it is so difficult to read those experiences and just let it pass by. I wish them all the best.