September knocks on our door and before we know it, the season of change is among us. Autumn arrives with crisper air, vibrant colors and fresh perspective. I’ve always viewed autumn as a transformative season, a time to “turn over a new leaf”- quite literally. Fall arrives with an array of beautiful colors and then eventually they tumble to the ground. Come next spring, the tree’s will be bursting with bright and fresh new leaves. The changing of season to autumn is the perfect time to turn over a new leaf in life and set new goals and embrace change.
The change of seasons is exciting for most, but for those living with MS, it can be a daunting time. The weather is getting chillier, which means for some of us, our spasticity is kicking in. The extreme fatigue can reach an all-time high, and cognition can begin to suffer.
The colder months ahead can cause a bit of stress regarding the uncertainty of your health. Tremors, numbness, tingling, trouble with balance, issues with cognition… OH BOY! It can be nerve-racking to have to think about all these things. I have picked up a few things throughout my 10-year MS journey that have helped me manage these symptoms.
Get moving
You could find it more difficult in the coming months to get moving. Daily movement is not only good for your body, but it is also great for your mind. Take time to enjoy the season! Get outside for a walk if you are able and take in the beauty of autumn and the colorful foliage. Or stay indoors and do some stretching and/or yoga. An MS diagnosis does not mean you need to stop living. It is a time to START living. Enjoy the little things in life!
Boost your mood
Every morning I meditate. I take 10 minutes before everyone in my house wakes up to just BE. Be still, be present with my thoughts, set my intention for the day, and be mindful of my emotions. Living with a chronic illness – can bring rough days, be mindful of these rough days and feel what you need to feel, whether it be frustration or sadness.
Be proactive and productive
It is so easy to fall into a rut. I have used the “I’m too tired” statement one too many times. The truth is yes, I was tired, however, I have learned in this journey that being “too tired” and not doing anything will only make you more tired. Fatigue is unfortunately a big part of battling MS. I know my limits and sometimes I do have to say, “I’m too tired” and rest. But on the days my body and mind can afford to get ready, put some makeup on, get dressed and have a wonderful time are always the times I am glad I pushed through my fatigue.
Stay on top of your health
Write down when you are experiencing a new symptom and talk to your doctor about it immediately. Be conscious of even the slightest change in speech, mobility, or balance. In 2020, my infusion center had to shut down due to the pandemic. I was behind on my disease-modifying treatment by 2 months. I woke up one morning and was unable to swallow, move the left side of my body, or speak. I spent two months in the hospital and 12 weeks (about 3 months) in rehab teaching myself how to walk, talk and write again. MS is completely unpredictable and changes in your health can happen overnight. Take it from me. Be your own patient advocate, since after all, no one knows you better than well… you!
MS has been a part of my life for a decade. It has certainly never been easy. This disease is extremely unpredictable. I will leave you with a saying I use when I am having a rough day.
“It is not about the cards you’re dealt, but it’s about how you play them.”
Team MSAA Champion Allie (Dee) Trela has been running and raising funds for MSAA for years, raising thousands of dollars for our free programs and services. For Allie, the runs are personal – she was diagnosed with MS herself just 5 years ago. Allie has been running with Team MSAA ever since. This year, she’s taking on the Walt Disney World ® Marathon Weekend’s greatest challenge – the Dopey Challenge, a 4-day, 48.6m run, in which participants double their running distance each day, with a half marathon (13.1mi) and full marathon (26.2mi) on the 3rd and fourth days.
Allie shows off the multiple medals she has won while raising thousands of dollars as a member of Team MSAA at runDisney.
Fall is a wonder of its own. One gets to enjoy the significant drop in the temperatures which is a wonderful respite from the sweltering heat in the past months. The kids are settled in their schools by now after the long summer break. It is also the season when daylight savings ends, and we fall in the cycle of shorter days and longer nights. College football is officially on and in full swing.
The spooky season of goblins, ghosts, and ghouls is upon us, and Halloween lovers everywhere are stocking up on candy, making costumes, and decorating their homes with cobwebs, jack-o-lanterns, and giant skeletons (ok – that last one is just my colleague Jen here at MSAA). Such a fun time of year brings family and friends together over all sorts of activities and events – all great opportunities to hold a Do-It-Yourself DIY fundraiser for MSAA!
MSAA’s DIY fundraising platform helps you turn any Halloween event into a (fun!)d drive for MSAA’s free programs and services. When you register your fundraising event on our platform, you can create a customizable and fully shareable fundraising page to promote your event and collect donations. Creating and sharing your page will be the easiest part of planning your DIY fundraiser –the real fun is deciding what kind of event you want to do! For inspiration, check out some of our ideas below:
Halloween House Party
Everyone loves a Halloween party at the end of October – and you are already planning one! If you are having a Halloween party, you can encourage guests to donate to MSAA. We would be more than happy to provide MSAA-branded swag and literature for your party, and you can even incorporate some of our other ideas below.
“Trunk-or-Treat” Fundraiser
Trunk-or-treating has become widely popular in communities looking for a safe alternative to trick or treating. Partner with a local community center, park, or business with an available parking lot, and get a group of friends together to decorate their cars and fill their trunks with candy. Parents who bring their children can donate to MSAA, while you provide a safe and fun activity for kids in your community.
Costume Contest
A costume contest can be a wonderful time on its own, or a fun added element to any Halloween-themed event. People spend hours creating costumes for Halloween – give them an opportunity to show off! You can set a minimum donation to enter the contest. Assemble a panel of judges and incentivize your contest with fun spooky (or sweet) prizes!
Halloween Baking Class
The return of chilly weather in the Fall sends many of us to our pantries and ovens. If you are an experienced baker who likes teaching their craft or hobby to others, why not host a Halloween baking class in your home?
Monsters and Goblins 5K
Walks and runs are a classic DIY fundraiser. Make it a costume run, and you have a Halloween 5K! Our DIY platform makes it easy to create fundraising teams and pages for your runners – it is one of the most popular DIY fundraising events – and we have lots of run/walk related swag we can share for your event.
Halloween Decorating Contest/Haunted House Tour
Organize a house decorating contest in your community. Like a costume contest, you will need to assemble a panel of judges and ask participants to donate to MSAA to enter the contest. As a bonus, participants could include a haunted house tour element with a suggested donation to MSAA!
While the month of October is Halloween season, the needs of the MS community persist all year. MSAA is there for people with MS, their families, and care partners with free programs and services, including cooling and medical equipment, MRI funding, a toll-free helpline, and award-winning online tools and resources. If you have ever thought of hosting a DIY fundraiser for MSAA, Halloween is a terrific opportunity to do. For resources or more ideas for your Halloween event, contact Joe Sperlunto, Manager of Donor Experience, at jsperlunto@mymsaa.org – I would love to help you plan a fun and spooky Halloween event to support MSAA’s free programs and services!
Fall is undoubtedly my all-time favorite season. There is something so tranquil about feeling my favorite flannel brush against the cool breeze. The sight of beautiful vibrant leaves falling upon the jack-o-lantern on my doorstep brings color to my world. The scent of freshly baked cookies being carried throughout the house warms me as I watch classic horror movie reruns on the TV. But for a multitude of reasons, autumn this year resonates with me on a deeper, more existential level. It is the season of change, both externally and internally. As we come to adjust our surroundings and habits to correlate with our altering environment, we may begin to reflect inward.
Fall has arrived, and it brings many beautiful changes. The cooler weather is typically a welcomed change, comfort food is readily available, and trees change their color to all sorts of gorgeous shades of red, orange, and brown. I personally love the pumpkin overload and watching the rain while sipping on a cup of coffee, but many others find this time to be the cause of sadness, anxiety, and even dread. For many, this drastic change in weather and the holiday season can mean unwelcomed feelings and a need to be extra gentle with ourselves.
Being a parent with or without a chronic illness is challenging. When you add in the constant worrying about staying healthy for your family, it can be even more challenging. As a new mother to a little girl, I find myself wondering how to keep everything in order. Laundry piles up, bottles need to be washed, dinner needs to be made, and sometimes I feel as though there is just not enough time in the day to get it all done.
I am not an expert on time management, but I have found a couple things that tend to keep me organized, less stressed and keep me on track with running my family’s household.
A picture quote by Michael Altshuler illustrating how you can work smarter that reads ‘[The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.]’
The term “Time Management” is an oxymoron, if you really think about it. The truth is, time cannot be managed. Time marches on its own schedule and the clock continues to tick. Time is out of our control, but we are in control of what to do with our time. If you need to cross things off your to-do list, it’s important to prioritize tasks and divide your time between different activities. The key to greater productivity and performance is to work smarter and not harder. But the question is, how do we work smarter and not harder?
Prioritize. If you find you’ve bitten off more than you can chew with your to-do list, it’s important to prioritize your tasks based off urgency and importance. Focus on the urgent tasks first and set aside the non urgent tasks to do later. Delegate and divide your tasks!
