It outlines symptoms, coping
techniques
Pem McNerney
When a parent is
sick, even for a little while, it can be tough on the kids. When a parent
is stricken with something like multiple sclerosis, repeat attacks of the
disease can leave children scared, frustrated and angry.
One mother who recognized
that problem decided to write a book to help children understand the symptoms
of multiple sclerosis and cope with their parent's illness. According to
an article in C-Health ( http://www.canoe.ca/Health0105/04_ms-can.html
), Caroline Courey started experiencing strange symptoms in 1992. A year
later, her doctor told her she had MS.
MS is a disease that
interrupts the flow of impulses along the nerves because it attacks the
protective coating of the brain and spinal cord, called myelin. Symptoms
can include temporary blindness, immobility, extreme fatigue, muscle stiffness,
and problems with balance and coordination, the article says. MS is not
fatal, but most people have relapses that get worse over time.
For children, having
a parent with a recurring illness that puts them out of commission can
be frightening. The kids wonder if it's their fault. They wonder who will
take care of them. They are angry, then feel guilty that they are angry.
The book, written as a novel, encourages parents to talk with their children
about the disease and find out what their kids are feeling.