These threads pop up often, you are not a lone in dealing with family/friends in this manner.
Fortunately for me, my father blazed the path for me and understanding in my family. He fused entirely in back/neck, fortunately upright... but from all close to him knew he had a chronic disease. Friends I had at time AS started showing signs was my difficult point... they all expected I could still do physically what I always had done.
Cannot let it get you down, there will always be family and friends that do not understand what it is like to deal with AS.
Take care,
Tim
