Ten-word answers get a point across, but a point is hardly a whole painting. As a chef, I think of it as reducing a complex stock down to a perfect sauce. If one small thing is out of balance, the whole reduction is skewed. Put a word wrong in a short answer about what multiple sclerosis (MS) is, and the impression — which will linger far longer than we may think — may forever be a misrepresentation.
Some 10-Word Descriptions Are Factual, but Not Informative
“MS is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system.” There are 10 words that perfectly describe MS. They say it all, but say nothing at the same time. (Incidentally, this is the kind of 10-word answer politicians love to use in debates!) While the statement is 100 percent factual, it’s far from informative. “Degenerative” how? Is this “disease” contagious? If it’s in the “central nervous system,” does that mean it’s a brain tumor or something? While many of us may think it a clear description of the disease with which we live, that’s likely because we’ve lived with the information (and the condition) for long enough that, like the candidate at the podium, we understand what we’re really trying to say. RELATED: ‘Pandemic Fine’: The Way Many of Us Are Feeling in 2021
It’s Important to Convey the Frustration of Living With MS
To paraphrase from the National MS Society’s answer to the question “what is MS?”: “Unpredictable … disrupts flow of information between the brain and body.” Now we’re on to the mechanics of the thing. These 10 words begin to explain not only what MS is, but what it does. They draw back the curtain so people can see some of the frustration of living with this disease. I think it’s important to introduce some element of the MS experience when crafting such a short response. “Unpredictable” is a good descriptor to add to our 10 words. But it leaves questions: unpredictable how? (“In every way” is the answer, but you can only get so much nuance in 10 words.)
A Brief Response May Feel Like Small Talk
I believe it’s important to know one’s audience when we pull out 10 words about MS. Give them the chance to say “Thank you” and move on — that’s another function of the 10-word answer. While it may seem like a small talk answer to an in-depth question, sometimes a question about MS is really just that: small talk. I have found that personalizing my response helps to inform people that I’m open to giving more information if they’re interested in it, as well as making it more relatable. What MS, the disease, is to me is the same as it is to everyone living with it. But what MS and its symptoms do to me — to each of us — ranges as far and wide as one can imagine, and even beyond that. RELATED: What’s on My MS ‘To-Don’t’ List
A Short Answer Can Invite Further Inquiry
If we go back to the billboard analogy, we realize the short answer needn’t give everything away. Rather, it can be an invitation for further conversation. I’m not going to buy the sofa advertised 60 feet above the highway that I pass at speed, but if it piques my curiosity to know more, then I know where to go — and if I want to know more about that sofa, I’ll ask. If someone wants more information about this thief of abilities with which we live, then a well-crafted, personalized sentence can tell them both what it is and that we are comfortable talking about our MS if they truly want to know. RELATED: 3 Important Words in the MS Lexicon
For Now, I Have My 10-Word Answer Ready
No answer, whether it be 10 words or 100, could give the full story of life with MS. But then again, no one asking is likely to want the full story. My 10-word answer would hopefully convey the complexity of the disease, what it means to me personally, and — importantly — what it does not. My answer has changed through the years, and it will probably change again. For now, though, when asked “what is MS?” my 10-word answer is: “Complicated and unpredictable. But it’s my disease, not my definition.” Wishing you and your family the best of health. Cheers, Trevis
