July 2009: The long awaited diagnosis

No one ever thinks that something like this will ever happen to their family, especially to the one person on Earth that means the most to them. A few of you are aware that Mike has not been able to swallow solid food since late April. There has been a long chain of events that has brought us to a recent diagnose that my incredible, faithful, loving husband - my champion- Michael has Multiple Sclerosis. I can't even write this without crying. It has been a heart-wrenching time the past little while full of an array of emotions I'm sure you can imagine.

Mike and I are fairly private people but at this time we are inviting others into our lives to help sustain us. I truly know that it is often through the hands of others that prayers are answered.

Mike has been optimistic and hopeful, as normal for him, throughout this entire process despite being disappointed & left unknowing for so long, hungry, exhausted, poked by needles of all sizes multiple times, and pushed to his physical limit through countless tests. I think I have had a rougher time of dealing with this outcome than he has. I think you can be tougher when it is yourself that is in pain, but watching someone you love so much go through all of this and imagining what may come next for him has been very, very difficult. I think I have been going through a type of mourning; mourning for the loss of dreams and expectations of what I thought Mike's life and our life together would hold.

But through the mercy of my loving and omniscient Heavenly Father and my deep rooted testimony in the knowledge of what Jesus Christ's life, suffering, death, and resurrection mean I have hope that that life ahead of us will bring joy, refining, and a revealing of Mike and I's true and best nature as God sees it.

We take our official first step into this life battling the effects of MS as Mike starts his injections tomorrow. I ask for your thoughts and prayers in his behalf as he is quite anxious to how his body will react. I also ask for your patience as I learn to be comfortable talking openly about such a difficult subject. I think just writing this was a needed step in the right direction for me.

Mike's family has asked him to create a blog updating them on what is going on, which he has and invites you to read it if you wish:
http://mybutifnot.blogspot.com/

I am sure you all have lots of questions: some of which may be answered on Mike's blog, others possibly by this site by the National MS Society a friend referred me to, and still others may need an individual response which I hope I may be able to answer.

Thank you all for your listening ear and caring hearts.
Briana