1. Living with MS in Your 30s: Staying True to You Rosalind C. Kalb, PhD Clinical Psychologist National Multiple Sclerosis Society

2. 2 What We’ll Be Talking About Today Making a place in your life for MS without giving it more space than it needs Maintaining your self- confidence while living with MS Building a future in the face of uncertainty

3. 3 Integrating MS Into Your Life Remember that there’s no need to make a career out of your MS Develop your support network 1 – Partner with your health care team – Nurture old relationships; build new ones – Tap available resources Let your body be your guide Be flexible, creative and ready to find humor in just about anything 1 Kalb N, Holland N, Giesser B. (2007). Multiple Sclerosis for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

4. 4 Get informed; stay informed – About the disease – About management strategies – About assistive technology Focus on the things you can do—even if you have to do them differently Help others in whatever ways feel good to you Be your own best advocate – Know your needs, rights, and priorities--at home, at work, with your health care team Maintaining Your Confidence

5. 5 Let yourself grieve over changes/losses and move on 2 Keep an eye on your goals and priorities – Create an energy “savings account” – Focus on the things that matter most to you Don’t get stuck on the “what-ifs?” – Plan for uncertainty; create safety nets Optimize your wellness—it’s not all about MS – Find your “MS-Free Zone” 3 2 Kalb R. (2008). Coping and adaptation: Making a place for MS in your life. In R Kalb (Ed.) Multiple Sclerosis: The Questions You Have; The Answers You Need (4 th ed.). New York: Demos Medical Publishing. 3 Kalb N, Holland N, Giesser B. (2007). Multiple Sclerosis for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Facing Forward—The Future is Yours

6. 6 Top Take-Aways Try not to give MS more space in your life than it actually needs Confidence comes from meeting challenges with creativity, flexibility and a sense of humor Planning for the “what-ifs” can make unpredictability easier to handle Remember to take care of the whole you

7. 7 Helpful Resources – National MS Society ® (nationalmssociety.org) – MS LifeLines ®, a free educational resource sponsored by EMD Serono and Pfizer, Inc. (mslifelines.com) – Real Talk. Real Answers program Web site (realtalkrealanswers.com) – Can Do MS, lifestyle empowerment programs for people with MS (mscando.org) – Relationship Matters, a program for couples living with MS (nationalmssociety.org/relationshipmatters)

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