Change is inevitable. It’s a part of life. Change is how we learn, cope and grow. Change excites, directs and motivates.
Me? Hmm, not so much. And for that I blame multiple sclerosis.
You see, pre-MS, I was casual. Nothing shook me up. Change was brushed off like crumbs on a table. But now after a couple Continue reading
Life changes. It changes things around you and it even changes you…more than you realize. When multiple sclerosis came into my life, it happened quickly. So quickly in fact that I didn’t even have an opportunity to blink before the tsunami hit. There weren’t months or years of unanswered symptoms. I had a healthy body one day and a non-functioning one the next. My diagnosis only took days where, for many, it can be a long and exhausting process.
The initial shock for me was Continue reading
Our bodies – more specifically our brains – are designed to crave routine. The more habits we create in our lives the less we have to think about and the easier it is for us to move throughout our day.
Yet living with a chronic illness can lead to anything but a routine, habit-filled day.
Depending upon how this “snowflake disease” presents itself in your body, each day can bring Continue reading
I’ve started thinking it should be the standard to have our time with multiple sclerosis described with two numbers. It would be similar to blood pressure readings where two numbers have meaning on their own but give a fuller picture of a person’s health when described together. Our time living with MS could be described as the number of years since we were diagnosed over the number of years we estimate we’ve been living with MS.
For me, I was diagnosed Continue reading
I have a love-hate relationship with back to school. Personally, I hate school supply shopping. I direct from my wheelchair, but I still hate it. It is frustrating and energy sucking.
The high schoolers are fairly easy now. They know what they want and some teachers do have their students get particular things. Mostly, it is hands off; however, I still have one that needs a list. He is also on a year round schedule.
Orchestrating the school supply trips can be no fun, when you have Continue reading
MSAA strives to be a leading resource for the MS community by improving lives today through vital services and support – and we could not accomplish this without the help of our volunteer board members. MSAA’s Board of Directors is comprised of accomplished professionals from across the country who volunteer their time to further MSAA’s mission. With our ongoing series, Meet the Board, we hope to introduce you to our wonderful volunteer board members!
This month, MSAA is proud to highlight our newest board member Ann Baird Bishop, Esq. Continue reading
Chaos to someone living with multiple sclerosis is different than chaos to a healthy person. Our kind of chaos includes a world of broken nerves hidden deep inside our bodies. The only problem is that there seems to be a sign posted at the entrance to this grand attraction that reads “No admittance to the general public.”
We have no way of showing people Continue reading
Did you know that on average, women are three times more likely than men to develop relapsing forms of MS? While we don’t yet know the cause of MS, many researchers and physicians are working to clarify aspects of the disease and provide more information to women who may be affected by the condition.
In an excerpt from the cover story of our Fall 2008 edition of The Motivator, Connie Easterling, a nurse practitioner who serves as clinical coordinator of the MS Care Center, Neurological Services of Orlando, explains how Continue reading
The idea of relaxation is simply subjective as everyone has their way of finding a happy hiatus. Some people find a benefit in working on tasks that they enjoy, yet others need to stop working altogether to find pure relaxation. Specific individuals need the assistance and support of good friends to find absolute cessation. Countless people require total solitude to attain relaxation, while many desire groups of friends to achieve an immersive intermission.
There is the idea of enjoying Continue reading
I used to think I could proudly check off the “rest” category in my healthy lifestyle plan because I slept like a champ.
I would sleep about seven hours every night.
Rest is all about sleep, right?
Then my doctor would ask me what I do during the waking hours to rest… um… hmm… I never thought about that actually.
In my opinion there was always Continue reading