I'm no hero, I just have MS

I think the public should know that.

And it should know that not only are there people with MS like Larry King's guests – strong and brave, good-looking and well off – but there are also those of us who don't have the time or the energy to be strong, brave, or good-looking. And we certainly are not well off! We spend all our time and resources just trying to manage our symptoms.

The public needs to know that MS is different from person to person, that for a person with MS, the symptoms often change from day to day, and even from hour to hour. Sometimes I can think clearly, sometimes I can't. Sometimes I know where I'm going, sometimes I forget and get lost. I used to alternate between my cane and my walker. Later, I alternated between my walker and a wheel chair. Now I use nothing but my wheel chair. I don't often go out. Most often I sit at home. It's easier, and safer, that way.

You see for me, MS is a debilitating and progressive disease. I don't jog everyday, climb mountains, leap tall buildings or wrestle alligators.

So there was little in Larry King's guests that I could relate to. They were so confident, so polished, so professional, and so attractive.

I, on the other hand, have trouble peeing. The high point of my day is a bowel movement.

I have trouble swallowing, often choking. My left side feels sore and numb at the same time. My left arm, left leg, and the left side of my face and mouth are not “working” very well. My writing is almost illegible. Walking has becoming much more difficult. My vision is worse. My head aches almost constantly. I have a numbness or a fog in the center of my forehead. I can't remember to do things. I can't find the right word. I can't concentrate.

Yada, yada, yada. Nothing anyone who knows MS and who didn't learn about it on Larry King Live hasn't heard before.

You see, neither my wife nor I were on the Larry King show. Neither of us is from a famous family and neither of us has our own TV show.

I just have MS. And bladder issues don't make for good ratings.