msfocusmagazine.org 8 To the MS Focus Editor, One thing I'd like to see in MS Focus is the (admittedly rare) case of the person with MS who started getting better. I happen to be one of them; I don't wear leg braces anymore. I must admit the "rah, rah you can handle it – therearenewdrugs–wow,it'saterribledisease, but we’re tough" isn’t getting through to me. We’re tougher than that, at least I am. I spent a yearforcing muscles to move again, celebrating while damning lactic acid in those muscles, and finally, I’m walking without braces. The crutches will always be with me because I can't tough my way through vertigo, but the braces are history. Jade Kauffman, Via email Dear Jade, Getting better is not as rare as one might think. With appropriate therapy, many people regain at least some function lost during relapses. However, it’s always better not to have the relapse in the first place, if your risk can possibly be decreased. We think you’ll enjoy Cherie Binns’ story of how she achieved recovery on page 20. (Also, there’s the case of our next letter writer!) Dear MS Focus, I just found the magazine, and was reading recent past issues. On doubters (Dealing with Doubters, Spring 2017), what really angers me is when my issues are downplayed. For example, when discussing fatigue, somebody might say "everybody gets tired." Then you have to explain that it's not the same, that fatigue isn't simply being sleepy, overworked, or from lack of rest. My own fatigue is more like narcolepsy, and can hit at any time, sometimes requiring that I sleep more than my cat. My first MS attack was major, resulting in significant paralysis. Thankfully, I regained most of my mobility as the years progressed. But ghostly tingling symptoms sometimes return, and it can be frightening. What I don't want to hear is somebody saying "oh, that happens to me all the time, you must've just slept on it or something," often adding some- thing juvenile like, "don't be such a baby." I went undiagnosed for almost two years because even doctors had such attitudes. "It must be something else." No, it mustn't. Be quiet. Listen. Don't try to explain it away. Kevin P. , Via email Dear Kevin, We are so glad you found our archive of past issues at MSFocusMagazine.org. We hope you now know you’re not alone in these