It’s black Friday. The 13th of November 2009.

Today, Tim was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

While we’re both in a little bit of shock. We’re not.

We’ve had our suspicions for a week or two now. We’d already discussed how we would feel if his Dr actually came out and said it.

The problem was, that while we were busy seeing each person in regards to his unexplained pins and needles, each of them asked the question. Does MS run in the family?

The answer to that question was always no. And then each person would dismiss it, saying that they just had to ask.

I guess it runs in the family now.

Then as it got worse and worse, and Tim very quickly lost the use of his left hand, we knew. Something wasn’t right. And whatever it was, was not going to be simple.

Tim had his MRI finally today at about lunch time.

At 2pm, the Neurologist and his side kick came in to give us the results.

His first words were “I’m affraid I have the results, and it’s not good”

But after three weeks of wondering what the cause of the pins and needles could be, and three weeks of being sent here and there for tests that ultimately didn’t give us any answer’s, Tim and I both felt that whatever it was he had to tell us, was just good. Because being able to face something you know about, is far easier to deal with than something you don’t know about.

Multiple Sclerosis.

Even though we half expected that this would be the case, it’s shocking. This is something that happens to other people. Not the people you love. Not you.

Our lives are just about to get a little more complicated. New drugs to learn about and how to use. A new way of looking at things. A new appreciation for what we do have. Appreciating every day that Tim can get out of bed and get dressed by himself. The simple things that we once took for granted will now seem like every day miracles.

We’ve cried a bit, laughed a lot…and things will be ok. But for the moment, they’re sort of not. Because this isn’t something you get taught how to deal with. This isn’t something you ever expect to have happen to you.