New Friends

     Remember last year when I wrote about becoming a Mermaid, well I have since given that profession up. Since diagnosed with MSA I have one speed now, SLOW. It is not good physiologically when 80 year old's are faster than 48 year old's. 

Also we all know my speech is affected. I not only have trouble with projection but articulation as well.  The natural order is as you age your hearing goes, and none of these Mermaids would want to tell me they couldn’t hear or understand me. To me it feels like I am shouting but I am not. Even though I grew up around the Atlantic, we had ten acres on the water; I must wear a floatation belt now. I had to stop going for the reasons I mentioned above but also because when I swim unless I think kick, kick, and kick my legs will stop moving and I start to sink. Another symptom of the MSA is the lack of coordination. So, instead of putting the other Mermaids and myself through this I just stopped going. They still invite me to their potlucks, which attend. If you every want to feel love, just go one of these!

     When I first started going to the pool there was a fellow Mermaid who told me about a friend who had a Rare Disease, I mentioned that I knew this disease Multiple System Atrophy. She asked how did I know of it because most people hadn’t heard of it. That is when I told her that I was diagnosed with the same thing.  She looked at me shocked, of course to have someone so young have this awful disease. 

That is when I introduced her to Tim's  Shoe and asked her to bring it to her friend and tell what it is all about and take a picture.

     I'd come to learn there were three women friends and three men friends. The men friends had worked together and were in the military together. Well one of the friend's got sick with MSA. Each week these friends would get together and visit their friend and the wives who were also friends would visit.  

     One of these women was a retired schoolteacher, who wanted to meet, and to occasionally write for their monthly bulleti TLC. She wrote to introduce me to the rest of the group. It is amazing sometimes how other's see us, We have to learn too see ourselves through others eyes and remember we are someones wife, mother, partner, sister, relative or friend. I accepted her request but for my own selfish reasons, these were all people with so many life lessons that they could teach me so much. This group had helped a friend through a rough period and lives in Western Canada, well this person sent me “Angie” a Guardian Angel Bear to watch over and protect me. She sits on my table and watches my every move.

     At this time the wife my fellow Journey-Person with MSA wanted to meet me. So we agreed to all meet. She was just small but I thought how strong she must be. What she must of experienced over they years, being the spouse, mother of his children and love of his life. I knew first hand what MSA does to plans and dreams. We have to learn to forgive ourselves for getting sick and changing all that.

    These three women and me met for lunch. To think for years they heard their husband talk about their friend with MSA and now know someone else who has MSA. For a disease that is suppose to be so rare, to be in contact and personally know two people in one lifetime with the same disease.

It is amazing how many friends I have lost because of MSA but it amazing how many new friends I have gained because of MSA!