My dad has MS and hes had it for 13 years. Like your mother in law, my dad is quite mean at times. He acts childish and does things even though he doesn't mean to. I don't know your mother in law, but it's hard not to get irritated with people that act like that. I think you should just deal with it and try not to get too upset about it.

I don't get upset it's just hard to deal with when she says my husband only married me because he felt sorry for me Actually she has had Ms for over 20years, Actually my husband said she was like this before M.s. but I think it has to do with nobody understand how she must be feeling I talked to my husband about it and he said that means she likes you because she only does that to people she cares about

It seems to me that she's a bit of a miserable person. I'm sure her MS has affected her in some way emotionally over the years. It is a lot to deal with as I'm sure you're aware.

OK, Having the disease MS does not make people mean. However depending on the form of disability that one has can change their attitude however they are in charge of this. And it can be fustrating when a family member says 'Oh, but you look healthy and you were able to walk 10 minutes ago or had energy 2 hours ago, etc...

I know this as I have experienced this and it did not make me an angry person. It only inspired me to educate these people of what MS truly is as it is an unpredictable disease of the Central Nervous System with the key word 'unpreditable'. Some finally understood and the ones who did not nor wanted to...well that is their loss. I know what I know and how to deal with it.

Also, medication can make one angry. When I would get a little snappy in a response my husband would ask "Did you take tabs (hydrocodone) today?"...my response would be yes and one of the side effects can be anger. I take very little now and if I find myself beginning to cop an attitude...I stop and rethink my answer.

I believe when a person knows what to expect from a disease and knows how to handle it as well as any medication they are taking and if / when the battle begins, they will be well armed.

Second thought, depending on where the lesions would be may actually affect cognitive issues and may alter a person's attitude but if the attitude is just towards one person than I would say that this is not the problem and cognitive / anger issue with an MSer should be managable.

~Zig

well, my dad has MS about as bad as it can get, he can't think very much let alone type a response to this thread. He has made the worst choices possible to deal with having ms. the doctors told him to stop smoking and start exercising, but he still smokes whenever he can get his hands on a cigarette. He doesn't remember things and whenever someone points out that he did something foolish he gets very very mad. A simple joke makes him angry, and I think its because he is so defensive. He could be angry, because he can't control his emotions anymore or because hes tired of being treated like a child. Don't take it to heart when your mother in law says mean things like that. She probably just wants to feel powerful.

I DUMPED THE BOYFRIEND HE WAS NO GOOD

Hello, my name is Chelsae Dumbauld and I am participating in the National MS Society Bike Event. I plan to ride 25 miles or more in order to raise money for people with MS. My goal is to raise at least $200, but more would be wonderful! Please visit my page here:

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/ Bike/NCTBikeEvents?px=6986657&pg=personal& fr_id=10800