I came from a family with a poor health history. I knew I was facing some pretty tough odds and I took it seriously. I was a gym rat, “health food nut”, “and marathon runner. Never smoked, manged my weight, BMI was good, handled stress well. My 60th birthday came and went with no health issues. Still running, still cycling, and I set a personal best in a 36 floor stairclimb just before my 62nd birthday, and then, then it all began to unravel.

After a year of suspicious symptoms, I was diagnosed with MS. 

A rare diagnoses for a 63 year old male. In fact, my neurologist commented that by all rights, I should be a 24 year old female.

Consider for a moment how people with chronic illness feel when they hear it said that “health is wealth” 

Sometimes, often when we least expect it, we may have to face overwhelming challenges.

And when the unthinkable happens, we desperately need a lighthouse of hope. And once we find it, we must cling to it with absolute determination. Because when we have hope, we discover powers within ourselves we may have never known- the power to make sacrifices, to endure, and still enjoy life.

I love these words of wisdom:

“Once we choose hope, everything is possible.”

~Christopher Reeve

 “If you stumble, make it part of the dance.”

~Unknown

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”

~Dale Carnegie