My mother told me she had MS when I was about 8 years old. A lot changed in our household; I am an only child and picked up a lot of chores. Things didn't seem to change much very fast. My mother continued to drive and live life as normally as she had before. She didn't appear to be sick for several year. First she started using a cane, then a walker, then became completely dependent on a wheelchair. I'm 23 now, and in the last few years, my mother has taken a turn for the worse. She was using her wheelchair and getting out occasionally, but a few months ago she started to lose control of certain body functions. She took this very hard and refused to leave the house. My father decided it was best if she got a catheter put in semi-permanently and she agreed. She now spends all of her time in a bed. We have had several ups and downs. She nearly died of sepsis and her memory is failing her. Our insurance company fights with us about social security and disability !
 because she was a stay at home mother with me and did not work very much. My father is caring for her on his own, and though I do what I can, it is hard for me to help as I\'m living away from them.Hardest for me is the memory loss and her brief moments of complete clarity when she cries and does not want to go on. She has tried a few different drugs, but as I said, the insurance does not want to experiment anymore. She is now around 75 lbs when she was once a healthy and plump woman. Watching her decline hurts.My grandmother also has MS, and it has been a struggle wondering if I will also have MS. I try to be there for both my mother and father when I can be.