I, uhhh, look. I feel weird posting about this, I don’t need really <i>need</i> anything.<p>This is year 3 since I was diagnosed with MS, and the second treatment of this amazing drug (Lemtrada) I have is in January (did 2 years of another drug first). After this year, theoretically, I should be done getting drugs for this and provided I don’t get cancer or something else horrifying, I should be able to relax a little. Hopefully forever.<p>I’ve had to reinvent myself as a result of this, I lost my old career, I am almost through gradschool to start my second career. I went hiking across Spain in the heat of July, other than my vision being trash and a plethora of weird body sensations, I want for nothing. No, I’m fine.<p>But I wasn’t fine. I was definitely messed up as a result of this, and occasionally I have a really hard time just dealing with life, usually in November when it’s the anniversary of first getting sick. I was really lonely for awhile and while I have great family and great support I had to wrestle with most of this stuff on my own. Nobody else can understand when you get sick if they haven’t had that experience.<p>Anyway, give money, help people out, etc. I get things are hard out there, but if you can, think good thoughts for your fellow human being this year. People are dealing with a lot of garbage and you may not be able to see just looking at them.<p>I look totally normal - I’m just some random middle aged dude, but I’ve recently suffered immensely and you’d never know it unless you knew me closely. I’m on the mend, and I’ll be fine, but I guess I mean to say, often times you don’t know when people are having a hard time. I guess what I ask is that can you cut people some slack? Call your old friends, you haven’t talked to in a bit, reach out to that one friend who’s been absolutely obnoxious during the present Omni-crisis we’re in. Touch base with that friend who’s getting a divorce, or whatever. Reach out to your friends, forgive your enemies if you can, and think good thoughts for those who are suffering.<p>I am not a religious person at all, so this isn’t based in that, but like, be collaborative not competitive, help people not because you think you’ll look good for doing it, but because we all know it’s the right thing to do. Do that for me, please even if you can’t help out here. Treat others nicely this winter, you don’t know what they’re going through, and they often don’t want to tell you or talk about it.