Ok fine!
I admit that denial of MS and its friends mental and physical stress is a battle. They go together and share equal importance. One affects the other. I had unknowingly adopted both.
Years of mental struggle and talk-therapy led me to medication eventually. I am not one to rely on pills. I try several options, before I let pills win. Anti-depressants are, for me, a must now.
I take a teeny-tiny dose, but it helps. It gets Continue reading
When I was diagnosed with MS, I was in a complete fog.
The diagnosis came by surprise and it was just six weeks after my mother passed from cancer.
Talk about a wave of emotions.
I was sad. I was angry. I was frustrated. I was lonely. I was overwhelmed.
While I wasn’t sure exactly how, I knew that these emotions were affecting my health. If I wanted to be on a path to healing, Continue reading
Almost a month into 2019 and thank God all the chatter about resolutions and fresh starts is winding down.
The reason my undies are in a bunch about this topic is because resolutions fail and fresh starts, though better, are often postponed. Continue reading
We are in the time of year that we hear many top ten countdowns. These top charts rank everything from music to cell phones and from movies to kitchen equipment. Here are some of my own top things in my life. Of course, I will not be saying goodbye to these items unless something better comes along. As for these irreplaceable items in my life, there is a bountiful list and here are seven.
Let me start with my wheeled chariot. Without this magical manual mechanism Continue reading
Sometimes we want to make changes, and sometimes we need to make changes. We choose some, and some are thrust upon us. It doesn’t always mean we’re ready or able to make them. Making a fresh start can be exciting and intimidating.
I’m a big fan of trying to make these changes easier. Like the placebo effect can help us feel better when we take sugar pills thinking they’re medication, I’m all for using how our brains work to – for lack of a better word – trick myself into doing things I want to do.
How we think, our opinions of ourselves, and the language we use can limit us and our personal growth. I’m considering Continue reading
As a nutrition coach for individuals living with multiple sclerosis, I walk each client through the changes they need to use diet and lifestyle to manage their symptoms.
It’s a process that I took myself through long before I was a nutrition coach. First, I overcame debilitating migraines through diet and lifestyle changes. Then when I was diagnosed with MS years later Continue reading
We all have that New Year’s resolution bug. For MS folks a fresh start comes every day, really. We learn that even tying our shoes in two tries instead of three is a fresh start.
It can be hard for many to see joy in the simple things. Just getting my hair in a ponytail is worth celebrating, for example. If people would take joy in simple things, maybe Continue reading
Aside from eating lots, being merry, and not worrying about the summer heat, we try and keep some traditions. Napping with a cozy blanket, of course, is a given. As my boys have grown, some Christmas traditions have changed. Some changed for the better, others I miss, and some result in teenage whining.
For a family photo, I have had the boys make Continue reading
I love family traditions. They’re unique to each family, and they bond us to each other. Sometimes it isn’t until we’re older that we realize there are other ways to celebrate. It’s also not until we talk to each other that we realize traditions we love may not be universally liked.
Throughout my youth, Santa always included an orange in the toe of my Christmas stocking. As an adult, I feel like Continue reading
In the midst of the holidays, with all of the shopping, decorating and parties, there is a moment when all is well. A moment when the chaos quiets and I am reminded of the true meaning of the Christmas holiday. It’s a moment that I’ve treasured since childhood and now living with MS, I treasure it even more.
It arrives Continue reading