Billy don't be a hero

As part of my volunteering role for our local MS group, I write the quarterly newsletter.

This involves gathering stories and information which will (hopefully) be of interest to readers and means I can chat to a large number of people about their experiences of MS.

The spring edition is currently underway and I've just spoken to a delightful lady about her pregnancy story. It was a happy one and her beaming five-month-old is featuring on the front page.

One thing she said to me during our chat was that she wished she'd asked for more help during her labour. She says she feels was trying to be a bit of a hero.

And I suspect that's how many of us with MS may feel - that we're okay, that we can manage, that we don't want to make a fuss.

And there's the scary thought that we have to keep going because we need to show that we can - whether at work, at home or in relationships.

But sometimes we really should be a bit of a hero, especially when it comes to asking for help.

I rarely, if ever, take this advice. However this current relapse, coming as it does hot on the heels of my last one, means I've not had a lot of choice.

I have battled (and it has been a battle) through work since the end of December and I'm continuing to drag my way through it now. I'm just about managing.

But then something came up for one of the organisations I work for - and I knew I would have to say something.

As a steering group for this particular project, our meetings are generally at the organisation's HQ in London. This is a three-hour meeting which actually means a 10-hour round trip for me with a number of trains, tubes and quite a lot of walking. Never mind then focusing on the meeting itself.

I just couldn't see how I was going to do it. So I plucked up my courage and said something.

And I'm so glad I did. And I'm hugely grateful to the organisation for accommodating a freelancer. The meeting has now been moved to a venue 25 minutes and one train journey away from me. I am beyond relieved.

Of course, it doesn't necessarily mean I will ace the meeting with genius insights or endless creativity, but it does increase the chance that I won't fall over or gibber on the table.

So no, we shouldn't try to be heroes. But sometimes we might need to tap into our inner wonder woman and be just heroic enough to ask for help.

:: Billy don't be a hero by Paper Lace