With multiple sclerosis, you don’t get to choose the ladder you climb

# Summary

Ben Hofmeister, diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) in 2014 after a 22-year U.S. Army career as a Ranger and Green Beret, frames living with MS as climbing one ladder after another. He did not choose this climb, and each change in symptoms forces him to start over at the bottom rung.

# A ladder for every change

When Hofmeister was first diagnosed he felt like a new climber who didn't know the route. Learning about MS and his symptoms gave him confidence for a while, but symptom changes soon required fresh adaptation. Each new problem — worsening mobility, decreased hand use, or other losses — becomes a new ladder to ascend.

Starting a new ladder is often demoralizing. Even with prior experience adapting to life changes, Hofmeister says each transition feels like beginning again. He compares modest progress on one ladder to being made to start at the bottom of another despite previous gains.

# Mobility progression as concrete rungs

This stepwise progression makes the disease's impact tangible: each device represents a different set of skills, logistics, and emotional adjustments.

# Medical care: new providers, repeated explanations

Seeing multiple neurologists and other specialists has meant repeatedly recounting his history and symptoms. For Hofmeister, that feels like another reset. New providers may require the same background to understand current needs, which can be draining for a person already adapting to new limitations.

# Who climbs beside you

Hofmeister highlights the people who help during transitions. Family members stand by him through unwanted changes, even when he's short-tempered. Other people with MS share concrete advice and lived experience, reaching down to offer a hand when he's starting a new ladder. Those peers have inspired him to offer the same help to others.

# Tone and outlook

Hofmeister's column mixes bluntness, occasional sarcasm, and gratitude. He says he never felt lucky to be placed on this ladder, but he is thankful for those who assist. The combination of military background, personal determination, and community support shapes how he approaches successive adjustments.

# Practical implications

• Prepare for device transitions: each mobility aid requires learning, planning, and changes to daily routines.
• Build a support network: family, peers with MS, and clinicians all play different roles during transitions.

Hofmeister's main message is straightforward: living with MS means constant restarts. Experience helps, but it does not remove the work of climbing each new ladder.