Hi,

This message was sent in by Hannah but due to problems with her username it could not be posted up by her so we've cut and pasted her message to you here as she has some really great advice!

okay, stay with me, im not sure how to work this..

like yourself, i have a mum with ms, and like you, i felt i was alone. however i had grown up with mums diagnosis, so i do not to this day no any different. This did not though make it any less harsh to deal with, for ten years my mum had no help from the nhs to help her cope with ms, so she became depressed, and took this out on myself and my dad, and as a result of this i started a huge downward spiral mentally, and my self confidence hit rock bottom. However 5 years on, the story could not be any more different, my mum went to see a brilliant dr one day, who got mum in touch with jayne, our m.s nurse, and since then shes gone up and up, instead of hating the m.s she has turned it into a positive, and she has started her on support group, which after a year running now has 44 members! and our family life is well, i wouldnt say perfect, but we are all happy!

a diagnosis of ms does not change who your mum is underneath, but even mums and dads get scared! and this is a big thing for everyone to come to terms with, especially yourself, as you are still young, however there are some positives, believe it or not! having got a few freinds who are carers for relatives, it is quite easy to see the difference in maturity levels between us and our peers, and this makes us stand out to other people, also, you will grow up as a more grounded human being, and chances are you will appreciate what life gives you and make it do good! i have found, at my school, the teachers could not be more helpful, and as they are aware of my circumstances they are able to sometimes compromise with me, a big help once you get to your big exams! (espesh. in gcses!) what i will say, is try not to cope alone, i tried this, and it screwed me up BIG time, there are people out there who will help, and when u feel ready talk to your mum and dad, they may just be waiting for you to feel ready to talk...

right so after this.. essay.. im gonna say stay strong, youve come to the right place for help, and it does get better, trust me on that one!

hope this helps xxhannahxx 16