Coping With Multisystem Atrophy

My dad has MSA and they think he’s had it for sometime now. I recently moved back home to help tend to my dad. When I work my mom stays home and helps him, and vise versa. At 21 this really wasnt the life I was planning, and it has made me grow way beyond my years. Dad can hardly walk anymore. He has his walker, and refuses the wheelchair the doctors think he should now have. He’s just recently started the choking phase, and falls a lot. He’s on blood thinners, so we have to pay close attention to him and make sure he doesnt fall. He hates us being so over cautious, but I had to explain that I was only given one Dad and I’m keeping him here as long as possible.

My brother is in the military and stationed literally across the country. So he doesnt understand how hard it is to watch day by day what happens. It’s an emotional rollercoaster. I want to be going out and living the normal life of someone my age, but I want to spend as much time with my dad and be here for him as much as I can. The hardest part is watching the disease take over him and him giving up slowly.

It would be easier if it was just a physical disease, but it’s taken over him emotionally now. He’s always depressed. I catch him crying. The strongest man I ever knew is the one hurting the most. I had my emotions and tears from my dad. I don’t want him to truly know how bad its hurting me to watch this, because I don’t want him to think its his fault, because its not. And he’s already been through enough. Well, I hope my long story short helped someone else to know they arent alone is such a situation! Good luck to anyone who has MSA or a family member or friend with it. Just stay strong!!