Brynn, I'm sorry to hear about the MS. It is my hope you're soon back to your physical best asap.
Like you're saying for yourself with MS, my own experiences with polio as a proper example of an infectious disease caused by a virus leaves me little inclination to appreciate alcoholism as a proper disease. Illness as I described my alcoholism as damage done fits with me much more easily. That said, I have no serious difficulty with those who do or don't classify alcoholism as an illness or as a disease as long as they are being honest with themselves and not simply being rhetorical to suit their own purposes. A staged debate is unhelpful. An open discussion of different experiences is always helpful, and I've appreciated ours. Thank you.
Congratulations on your ongoing successes with abstinence and sobriety Brynn!!