I think Art hit on something that affects us all. The hardest part of the MS diagnosis in the beginning is the silence from all around. Then the next hardest thing is all the confrontations with friends, family, even total strangers about their knowledge of a cure or something that will help you. I've heard it all, and trust me, I heard it several years before the general public heard it. I'm strong enough now to respond to people. Often just a link to the MS Society research news, or a polite thanks for your concern suffices. When I was new to the diagnosis, I was not that strong. I try to keep an open mind every single day. The nice thing about Mudcat is that a large portion of the people here are extrememly intelligent, knowledgeable, open-minded and caring...and they are not afraid to speak up!