Sounding Board:  Are There Any Positives?

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Very strong reactions to this question.  Interestingly, most people who posted had found something positive in the experience.  But first, the negative, "How can anything positive come from [this]?" one non-subscriber posted.  "On the physical side of the spectrum there is dizziness, gait problems, weakness, and a host of other less pleasant symptoms, including the possibility of paralysis or death.  Now, I ask again, how can anything positive come from having my condition?  I'm sure you had other questions you could have posted that would have been more suitable."

Given what CM/SM does to people, one might have expected more responses like that, but more typical was this sentiment, "Chiari has opened my eyes to a level of physical suffering I did not know was possible.  Though I disdain my current situation, I have to say that to live in a world oblivious to what others may go through would be worse than suffering along side of them.  Love is what is most important to me and what better way to love than to truly understand another's pain."  Wow, now that's humbling.

The positive comments focused around two main areas.  The first, like the quote above, was about being a better person because of the experience and being more compassionate towards others.  "I have a new appreciation for life and the people in my life.  I am inspired to be a better person and help others with the same condition," submitted one person.

The second grouping centered around finding out who your true friends are and the situation actually bringing a family closer together.  "I have to tell you that the positives that have come from this for myself is that I now know who my friends are and that true love can get through anything," was representative of this type of positive comment.

I am not surprised that many people have found something positive in their experience; it is very human.  Like tempering steel, tragedy and hardship can bring out the best in people and make them and the relationships around them incredibly strong.

- Rick Labuda

This Month's Topic:

Will there ever be a true, non-surgical cure for Chiari and syringomyelia, and if so how long will it take?

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