By Lauren Kovacs

Ah, the double-edged sword of summer. We welcome the sun and curse the heat. Just the change of season can wake the MS dragon. The MS dragon is fierce. Just do your best and always be prepared.

That can mean very different things for each individual. I have found some tactics for the summer battle. Aside from a/c, there are a few other things that I do.

Wear sandals, if you can. For me, they are a  must. Cool feet mean a cool body. I choose a closed toe sport sandal. My sons tell me my feet are “jacked up.” I like too also protect my digits. My sandals are my shield. I cover and protect the ugly toes.

Drink or eat something frozen. I like smoothies. One of those is sure to cool me. Seems like common sense. With baby spinach, bee pollen, and protein powder they are great. If out and about, many fast foods joints have frozen drinks. Forgoing healthy for being cool is ok at times.

I once tried to cool off at a theme park with an ice cream cone. I had a tremor, as it was handed to me. A magical place could make ice cream fly, right? Sadly, it splatted on the ground and melted. The good news was that there were no injuries, as the ice cream took flight. Instead, drink very cold stuff like milkshakes or slushees.

Cooling stuff works too. It is very individual though. Cooling wrist wraps and a cool neck wrap are my go-to. Takes some planning, but it helps. If you can brave the gross hair battle, a wet ball cap can help, too.

Having tricks up your sleeve is a good MS practice, regardless of the situation. Planning ahead helps me smooth the MS battlefield. Thus, no last minute stress. Remove the MS rocks from your path. It makes our fight a tiny bit easier.