Embracing Wellness While Navigating the Holiday Season

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Claudia Chavez

The holiday season can be overwhelming. While I enjoy shopping, cooking, decorating, and spending time with loved ones, it can leave me drained and exhausted. The holiday season represents joy and celebration, but life has a way of challenging our plans and intentions. Taking care of ourselves is integral to enjoying this season to the fullest.

Holidays have a significant impact on our lives. Every year, I remind myself to be mindful of my spending. I get so caught up in gift exchanges and not-so-necessary decorations that I lose track of what is truly important. A present is lovely, but the gift of our presence and undivided attention is unmatched. Spending time with loved ones and being present in the moment is priceless. I must remind myself to put the phone down, set aside my worries for another day, and focus on being fully present. If a gift exchange is essential and you have a large family, we can always give a personalized homemade card or a small trinket that symbolizes your appreciation. Seasonal sales are great but be mindful of impulsive spending. Knowing our financial limits and respecting those boundaries is part of our well-being. It allows us to prioritize our expenses and financial goals.

Social expectations can be a source of stress during the holidays. We may feel pressured to participate in events or activities that do not align with our current emotional or physical wellness. I allow myself to leave social events early, take breaks, or excuse myself from them as needed. Your loved ones may be more understanding of your limits than you think. Share your feelings with them, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Sometimes, it’s essential to know the food or seating options at the event, or it may be essential to know who may attend the gathering if it contributes to an unhealthy dynamic. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries and follow through with them.

For those who experience loneliness or grief during the holiday season, know that you are not alone. The absence of people or any loss in your life can be difficult this time of year. Whatever the cause of our grief is, know that it is okay to acknowledge and express it. One way to deal with these feelings is to rethink our expectations and be flexible with ourselves. These feelings are entirely valid. Seek support from friends, family, and professionals, and practice acceptance. My MSAA Community Online Forum offers a free peer-to-peer online forum for individuals with MS, their families, and their care partners to share information and their experiences with multiple sclerosis. Building connections and finding support this holiday season can be done in various ways.

Self-care has become an essential component of well-being during the holiday season. I have learned that prioritizing my needs and preferences does not have to be an added task on my to-do list. I can make small changes that have a significant impact on my health.

MS Symptoms People Rarely Talk About

Posted on November 10, 2023 by MultipleSclerosis.net

Some aspects of multiple sclerosis (MS), such as muscle spasms and fatigue, are talked about often. However other symptoms are not commonly discussed.

To find out more about the people who experience those symptoms, we reached out to the MultipleSclerosis.net Facebook community. We asked, “What are the MS symptoms that no one ever talks about?”

The community was inspired by this topic – nearly 200 community members responded! Here are some of the lesser-known symptoms they shared.

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It’s Not All Glitter

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Diana Cruz

Bubble baths, massages, shopping. These are just a few things that initially come to mind when I think of self-care. Self-care is often glamorized, focusing on the external material aspects that constitute treating oneself. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of all of these aspects, and I love a good shopping spree every now and then. But these aspects are just on the surface of what it really means to care for yourself.

Self-care isn’t always as luxurious as it sounds or looks on movie screens. Taking care of oneself requires dedication and discipline. I’ve found that self-care is uncovering the ugliest parts of yourself. Really getting to the root of who you are as a person, how you react to specific situations, and how you grow as an individual are just a few life-changing processes that I truly consider caring for yourself. But where does this process even begin? Visualizing the person you want to be and showing up as them every day, regardless of your current circumstances, is just one method. Much like the classic saying, “Fake it till you make it,” you are only as good as your mindset. By acting as if you are already where you want to be in life, the rest will surely catch up in due time.

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What MS Has Taught Me

Posted on October 27, 2023 by MSAA

By Suzanne Marriott

Being my husband’s caregiver throughout his years of living with MS taught me a great deal. I discovered hidden internal resources and developed new skills that stretched my understanding of what I could do.

Through embracing the challenges of caregiving, I learned to trust myself to do what had to be done to care for my husband, Michael, despite my self-doubt and lack of experience. For example, in the latter stages of Michael’s disease, I learned to accomplish procedures that only an RN could comfortably do, such as administering IV medications and changing his Foley catheters while maintaining a sterile environment. As his condition worsened, Michael came to trust me more and more, and I was able to ensure that he received the right medical care and the right follow-up—from me.

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What People with MS Wish Others Knew

Posted on October 13, 2023 by MultipleSclerosis.net

When a health condition is invisible to others, people who do not have the condition may struggle to understand it. This is often the case with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Many MS symptoms cannot be seen. This can be incredibly tough for people living with MS. Those around them do not always understand what they are dealing with, even after they try to explain.

To find out more about the MS community’s experiences, we reached out to the MultipleSclerosis.net Facebook page. We asked, “What is one thing about MS that you wish people understood?”

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My Unspoken Strength

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Emily

The lessons that living with MS has taught me are abundant. I have lived with this disease since I was in my very early 20s. Some of the most pivotal years of a young person’s life. I had big dreams of being a sports reporter. I did seven internships throughout my college career at Penn State University. The truth was, I was just downright hungry and would do whatever it took to be able to say, “I made it.”

My last year of college was a pretty exciting time for me. I had just finished an internship with the B1G Ten Network. The show I helped produce won an Emmy Award, and I had just landed a new gig straight out of college for an ABC affiliate in Harrisburg, PA. I was about to take on the biggest news story living in the sports and news world at that moment. Penn State was amidst a horrible scandal that rocked the nation. I was assigned to cover the courtroom news for this story. I spent eight weeks living in a trailer parked in a Walmart parking lot close to the courthouse. I was doing live shots next to CNN, Fox, ABC, and ESPN. I was on top of the world, or so I thought…

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Back to the Grind

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Emily

Going back to school is filled with excitement, and possibly fear. Depending on what grade or level of schooling you’re about to enter. I know the feelings of starting a new school year but have not yet experienced it from a parent’s perspective, until now. And boy, is it tough.

As I pack up my little girl to go to her first day of daycare, I can’t help but think to myself how is she going to feel without me? Will she think I abandoned her? Will she know that I am coming back? I know every parent has a feeling of extreme guilt when dropping their child off at a place that is unknown and possibly scary to them, even if it is in their best interest. Here are a couple things I did to calm myself down, stay present, keep my thoughts organized, and most importantly STAY POSITIVE.

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Being Prepared

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Teena Palathanam

Individuals living with MS face a lot of uncertainty. Coping with the unpredictability of MS can affect one’s quality of life. There may be times when you might be going through a relapse or flare up and you may experience MS-related symptoms. It is good to equip yourself to handle such emergencies. Here are some things to keep in mind that will help you to have control over such situations and put your mind at ease:

Emergency information: Have contact information of family, friends, and health care providers whom you can call in the event of an emergency. Keep a list of all medications with their dosages and a copy of your medical history in an accessible area in your home.

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It’s Time

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Emily

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 11:27 AM on a Saturday morning. I asked my Husband if he wanted to have a bagel for breakfast. I opened my mouth, and the words would not come out as much as I tried. It was one big stutter. Oddly enough, I did not think much of it. Looking back now, that was a not-so-smart thing to do on my part. I went on with my day as per usual. I went to the grocery store, and when I went to the cashier to check out, I reached for my wallet, and I could not grip it. I was so embarrassed as change spilled all over the floor. I had experienced this before when I was first diagnosed, but it was on the right side of my body, not on the left. I managed to get out of the store and into my car loading up a small number of groceries that I had with just the right side of my body.

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Flooded

Posted on August 4, 2023 by MSAA

By Chernise Joseph

If you’re reading this, I know you are already familiar with some type of ‘emergency’, perhaps fortunately or unfortunately depending on your perspective. Multiple sclerosis in itself has thrown us into a world of constant emergencies, however planning for them is an entirely different ball game that can (and will) make life so much easier.

Let me tell you a little story of my experience with emergencies in the last eighteen months or so. Last year, I took a ‘sabbatical’ and decided to sell everything, leave my home in Texas, and drive over a thousand miles up to Yellowstone National Park. No, it wasn’t because of the show–I hadn’t even heard of ‘Yellowstone’ until I started working there. I just wanted a fresh start and I had never been. Seeing The Tetons in person had been on my bucket list since high school, so it was true nirvana to stand in front of mountains that looked like screen savers.

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