By Stacie Prada
When I think of all the health care professionals I’ve seen in the last thirty years, it overwhelms me. When I look at how I interact with them and how it’s changed with time, I think changes in my confidence level and perspective have contributed to much better interactions and level of care.
Thinking of the number of health care providers I’ve seen since reaching adulthood Continue reading
By Doug Ankerman
Finding humor in situations is what I did WAY before multiple sclerosis became my dance partner. Writing jokes and doing stand-up comedy about the oddities of life and experiences was a way of dealing. So little did I know this skill (if you can call it that) would help me cope with an MS diagnosis back in 1996. Likewise, who knew sharing silly observations about MS would help others too. Helping them realize they are not alone. That what they are thinking, feeling and doing is not problematic – it is just a part of life with chronic illness.
For example, do you notice Continue reading
By Lauren Kovacs
Funny, not so funny. I know MS is really a mean demon. It tries to throw peanuts at you like a demented circus clown. I hate clowns.
Try and find humor in it, where you can. Be silly. Wear what you want, for example. Try and do what makes your moment. MS changes all day.
I can only wear certain sneakers. I like silly sneakers. Being in kids shoes, I wear whatever ones I like. The ones with lights are not yet in my closet. I have some dignity; however, I love my pink polka dot Chucks and my Sketchers with sparkles.
I do have some adult-restraint on apparel, but not too much. I wear only pull-on shorts/pants now. I kinda had a funeral for my button shorts/pants. Go crazy. There is little control with MS. Control your wardrobe. I am not saying wear big red floppy shoes and an orange wig, but have some fun.
Laugh at yourself. I fell at the doctor’s office recently. I jumped up and shouted, “I’m ok!” I didn’t really jump. I kind of slither up my walker. The only thing was a wee bump on my ego. Chocolate is great at ego repairs, too.
I once told a MRI technician that my lesions light up like a Christmas tree and I recommend he wear sunglasses. When he had to stick me eight times for the IV, I could not find any humor in that. I do not identify well as a pin cushion, and then spending almost two hours in a Pringles can they call a MRI was not funny.
Find humor in MS. Laughter is the best medicine, they say. I have to use a life vest in my own pool now. I call it buoy training. I have very little control in the water now. I would be a floating chicken nugget for a shark, if I was in the ocean.
MS can be very depressing. It is like MS jail. I had to turn in all my talents, before the life-long stay. Heck, I had to turn in my coordination, too. Trying to drink grapefruit juice out of a cup ended up on my face and in my hair. That hand earthquake left me with a burning eyeball. Make light of stuff.
Laugh off your quirks, when you can. If you laugh at yourself, it helps you and others move on. I know MS is mean and a thief. Making light of most MS incidents can help you not to dwell on the MS monster as much.
By Penelope Conway
When terrible things happen, one of the first things to disappear in the chaos is laughter. Somehow all the smiles and giggles that once filled the day get tossed to the wind and pushed aside giving other things more importance. Things like fear, anger, sadness and worries.
For many people, laughter just doesn’t fit in with all that’s happening in their crazy, mixed up world. I mean, how can anyone laugh when their life is falling apart. It just seems impossible…absurd…oh, so wrong. Continue reading
By Stacie Prada
Sometimes feeling crummy and being overwhelmed makes a person forget to do things that didn’t take any thought when they felt well. It’s natural to focus on what’s wrong and stop thinking things are funny. It’s easy to let the hard things override any impulse to be lighthearted.
I haven’t really found a way to laugh at my MS symptoms. They’re inconvenient and sometimes debilitating, they’re an indicator of how much damage my MS has done, and they’re scary for the damage that may be yet to come. Continue reading
By Alene Brennan
Incurable. Degenerative. Chronic. The weight of the words is heavy. The reality of living with them is even heavier. We can easily sink into the quicksand of worries and struggles or… we can find acceptance in this beast of a disease and sprinkle in a heavy dose of laughter.
Laughter is Medicine
We hear it often that laughter is the best medicine, but what actually happens when we laugh? And is laughter strong enough to take on MS? Continue reading
By Doug Ankerman
For me, traveling with multiple sclerosis (and being in a wheelchair) has never been a problem.
I’ve rolled through airports with every conceivable three-letter combination in the entire alphabet. And my latest trip to Phoenix (or should I say PHX) would be no exception.
But this trip WOULD be a challenge for two reasons. Continue reading
By Lauren Kovacs
Most of us with MS see travel as a visit to an energy sucking monster. At least, it is a trip I avoid. Ok, fine, my voyages include a trip to my couch most days. If I am adventurous, I might go to a drive-thru and get ice coffee.
There are handicapped-type plans you can make. When booking a hotel stay, ask for a handicapped accessible room. They generally have more room in the bathrooms and have shower grab bars. Grab bars in the shower are a must. I also found a travel shower chair. Continue reading
By Penelope Conway
Before multiple sclerosis came along I was an avid traveler. At different times I even lived and worked In Germany, France, Mexico and Jamaica. I loved getting out and meeting new people, experiencing different customs and enjoying amazing new food.
When my mobility became a struggle, it was then that I realized just how inaccessible so much of the world truly is, both here in America and abroad. You never really think about those things until they affect you personally. Continue reading
By Alene Brennan
Just because you have MS doesn’t mean you can’t have fun in the sun. MS or not, you want to enjoy summer vacations, barbeques and outdoor activities. So how can you achieve this without having the heat triggering or exacerbate your symptoms?
Check out these “accessories” that helped me manage MS during my mission trip to Haiti just one year after my diagnosis. Continue reading