Recently, one of our community experts wrote an article about the struggle to find a balance between taking advantage of fleeting, “good” days with MS, and potentially overworking your body to the point of putting yourself out of commission even longer. We received an outpouring of responses from you in the community, ranging from “OMG! Me too!” to personal stories of finding your own balancing point. Here are some the things our community had to say:
Feeling the Pressure of the Balancing Act
“Oh boy this is the story of my life!! I get that one morning that I feel good (not great) and I am on a mission. By the afternoon, I am starting to pay for it. Factor in the heat or cold, then it is a whole new story!”
“I do the same darn thing…will I ever learn? Those few and far between good days are so great and we can’t help but to take advantage of them. It’s like drinking too much and being surprised we have a hangover. But jeez, we pay for doing something not that fun, like vacuuming!”
“I have a ridiculously difficult time with my “time-to-stop” meter; I seem to operate in an all or nothing mode…if I can remember what “all” entailed in the first place!”
“Perfect timing for me to read this, “so true to my life” article. I’m having one of my “good” days and trying to accomplish as much as I can while I can. Funny how our minds can whirl with so much activity, but our bodies don’t cooperate”
Trying to Take Things in Moderation
“This describes me for sure. I feel so good about myself on those “good” days because I get so much done, but as we well know, another “good” day is always followed by “bad” days. So if things get done, fine. If they don’t get done, well that is fine too. This is one of those things you just have to accept when living with MS”
“I’ve had to train myself to “make hay while the sun shines” and (try) to accept that sometimes good enough is…good enough. I still struggle with overextending myself though”
“This is so true. You feel good and get started with one thing that turns into more as you go and always over do it. I want to do things like I used too, then the monster inside me kicks my butt down for days! We all do what we can on our good days”
“Depends on what I do—but one strenuous day I am out of commission at least the next day. Try to do what I can and after more than 20+ years with this beast, I have finally learned to listen to my body and stop most times when it gets to be too much”
Managing the Unpredictability of Life with MS
“Hardest thing for me is to figure out exactly how much I can do each day and not lose my tomorrow. One day I can accomplish a lot, but another day those tasks will put me down for a day or two. Thankful for my good days, but I HATE the inconsistencies of MS”
“I get so happy and excited when I feel quasi-normal. I try and do as much as I can. I do this constantly, then end up unable to move for a couple of days. Just when I feel I am understanding a rhythm to this truly wacky disease, it throws me for a loop. The learning curve is a slippery slope”
We were so overwhelmed by your great responses, and it’s clear that you are not alone in your battle to manage taking advantage of rare good days, while still taking care of yourself to prevent further setbacks. Let us know how you manage this balance, or tell us about any of your experiences!
