I have sort of a problem....my Mom has normally been sort of unsympathetic in the past when I have had medical problems, she just seems to be able to deal with things better if she does not acknowledge the problem. She has been super good to me most of the time, but she cannot acknowledge some emotional pain and fear that we all share because of the death of her younger sister, my aunt at the age of 53 in 1999.....she was diagnosed if I can remember right dermomyolitis and polymyositis....what happened was she got pretty disabled and weak, she caught pneumonia because she asperated food at Christmas, she was coughing slightly on Christmas eve, in the hospital on Christmas day, on a resperator on the 25th, septic, then brain dead by her 54th birthday on the 27th. I don't say this to worry people it is just that every time my mom thinks of my diagnosis and all the medicines she doesn't want me to take them since she thinks that prednisone etc. contributed to my aunt's death. I keep much of my condition and how I feel secret from her because she gets so upset and fearful that the same thing will happen to me. I have designated my sister to be my medical representative since she is a nurse and not as fearful as mom, but it is taking a toll on me not to be able to talk about my feelings, symptoms and meds...my sister is available at times and my friend who I call from time to time but it is long distance so on ssd it is hard to pay phone bill. I also have a living will and have given my sister my wishes etc. and a will now as well. I am in no way ready to die and my health so far is fairly stable I just wanted things to be in place. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to rid myself of some of the stress of chronic pain etc. without freaking out my mom and family? Do support groups help anyone? Karly