By Stacie Prada
Lately, I’ve been pausing periodically throughout each day to ask myself, “How do I want to show up today?”
It only takes a moment, just enough time for a brief inhale and exhale. It allows me to shake loose whatever thoughts are running through my mind and start fresh. I like to imagine I’m shaking a marked-up Etch-A-Sketch toy to create a clean surface ready for whatever I want to draw.
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By Angel Blair
When we hear the word relationships we often think about the connections we have to others. Bonds with our family, friends, significant others, etc. So we tend to forget one of the most important but commonly overlooked relationships we have, and that’s the one we hold with ourselves. We work hard to maintain and foster the relationships that we have with other people in our lives, but the relationship we have with ourselves deserves the same attention and compassion. This is a concept that can get lost in the shuffle of juggling life’s demands, but it has earned the right to be found.
Continue readingWhen living with a chronic illness like multiple sclerosis, building a community for yourself of people who truly get it is incredibly valuable. Having a support network in your life of people who are there for you in easy times and hard can make all the difference. A support network can be made up of neighbors, friends, and family members you see regularly. And, with the variety of digital options, your support network can easily be found in virtual forums, like MSAA’s My MSAA Community.
MSAA features the work of many talented artists affected by multiple sclerosis as part of our annual MSAA Art Showcase. Each month we share these artists’ inspiring stories and beautiful artwork with you as our Artist of the Month. This month, we celebrate Shana Stern as February’s Artist of the Month. Shana is from Los Angeles, CA.
Feels Like Lightning
Continue readingBy: Dr. Eva Jackson
For the past 15 years, members of my community have routinely organized vision board parties toward the end of the year or at the start of the new year, with an emphasis on goal setting. Personally, I have often felt uncomfortable during this period, as traditional goal setting has never resonated with me. I tend to set ambitious goals but frequently find myself unable to achieve them, despite starting with clear intentions. This recurring pattern leads me to believe that perhaps my goals are often unrealistic.
Continue readingBy Stacie Prada
I created a vision board years ago that included images of women doing yoga poses I couldn’t do. I attended yoga classes weekly, and I loved how it combined calming breathwork with some of the gymnastics, athleticism, and flexibility that my multiple sclerosis issues had curtailed.
I placed the collage vision board near my makeup vanity, and I didn’t put a lot of effort into tracking it. About a year later, I looked up, and I was startled to realize I could do all the poses on my vision board! Without realizing it, I slowly worked my way toward poses that seemed completely out of reach a year prior. Dancer, feathered peacock, and crane pose had become regular movements in my yoga practice without any periodic notice or celebration. With this realization, my glee absolutely overflowed.
Looking back, I think about how dreaming and acknowledging my aspirations, combined with regularly showing up to yoga class, were the key. They helped me achieve things I hadn’t been convinced I would ever do.
Continue readingBy Angel Blair
I always considered myself a planner. I constantly made lists; I carefully thought out decisions, big or small, to get to the most optimal outcome. I loved comparing the pros and cons of possibilities for things to come. Though I have to say since having kids, the planner in me has changed a bit. I still try to plan and prepare the best that I can, but I’ve had to come to the very real fact that plans change – no matter how much you prepare otherwise.
Continue readingMSAA features the work of many talented artists affected by multiple sclerosis as part of our annual MSAA Art Showcase. Each month we share these artists’ inspiring stories and beautiful artwork with you as our Artist of the Month. This month, we celebrate Elizabeth Rash as January’s Artist of the Month. Elizabeth is from Winter Park, FL.
Self Portrait: A Girl Freed from MS
Continue readingFeaturing Barry A. Hendin, MD
MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer
Barry Hendin, MD
Question: What should care partners do if they suspect depression in their loved one with MS, and what are the treatment options?
Answer: Like other medical illnesses, depression is often a shared experience between the person experiencing it and their care partner. It’s helpful to be an empathetic listener and supporter, rather than believing that it’s up to you to fix it.
Continue readingAs we approach the season of giving, the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) would like to bring special attention to the many wonderful community members that we serve. With our mission of Improving Lives Today, MSAA genuinely strives to advocate for and prioritize the well-being of all individuals who have been affected by multiple sclerosis. Over the years, we have collaborated with so many inspiring people, and we are honored to be able to highlight their stories.
In the spirit of the holiday season, we would like to share the heartfelt story of mother and son, Monica and Brian, who both live with multiple sclerosis.
“I’ve learned that in any situation, if you are not advocating for yourself, you’re not going to get anything. My name is Monica Proctor Wilson, and I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on my 40th birthday after spending several years seeking answers to my symptoms. For four or five years, doctors kept saying that it was fatigue, and that I was overworked and needed to take a break. I believed it was multiple sclerosis, and I started asking about it. People would ask me, ‘Why would you want MS?’ I did not want MS. I just wanted to know what was going on with me,” Monica shared.
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