I Thought I Had Lost My Smile

Posted on October 30, 2020 by MSAA

By Penelope Conway

Added stress for a person with multiple sclerosis is not ideal. Life is already challenging enough, but the added stress makes everything a gazillion times worse. Anxiety easily sets in. You get less sleep, more headaches, your appetite can be either non-existent or you want to eat everything in your cupboard, everybody gets on your nerves with stupid things like just saying hi to you in the morning, weakness increases, you notice the ringing in your ears more, and pain is through the roof. All the little symptoms you used to just accept are now Continue reading →

You Are Not Alone – Anxiety and Depression in MS

Posted on October 28, 2020 by MSAA

By Doug Ankerman

It is not easy.

Of all symptoms one can experience with multiple sclerosis, I find anxiety and depression to be the most challenging.

For foot drop — I wear an AFO. Heat tolerance — I put on a cooling vest. Balance issues — I use a rollator. But for anxiety and depression, there is no aid. No clunky piece of equipment to help you through. Continue reading →

What People with MS Wish You Knew About MS Pain

Posted on October 26, 2020 by MultipleSclerosis.net

Pain can be one of the most challenging things in life to deal with. However, for people with MS, pain is often part of daily life.

While September was Pain Awareness Month, it is important to continue the conversation about the connection between pain and MS. To learn more about the impact of this connection, we asked community members to share their experiences and Continue reading →

Learning About Anxiety

Posted on October 21, 2020 by MSAA

By Stacie Prada

I get anxious, but I never considered I might have anxiety. I’ve heard people talk about how it feels to have panic attacks, and I know I haven’t experienced one. I thought of anxiety as something constant and debilitating. I do yoga, I laugh, I’m active, and I’m productive. Having a diagnosis of anxiety doesn’t fit in with how I view myself.

But when I research anxiety, I realize that what may not be paralyzing for me could still fall perfectly under the anxiety umbrella.

Grinding teeth, nausea, headaches, problems sleeping Continue reading →

Zephyr

Posted on October 19, 2020 by MSAA

By Chernise Joseph (Zivvy)

Anxiety. I’m full of that right now.

It’s pretty common, but it still feels like something you’d see in a horror movie: it sneaks up on you, there’s some loud, dramatic cue of music, and then suddenly whatever else you’re doing feels irrelevant because now you have to run from It.

Tonight, I sat outside with my friends and watched the tree canopies above us get caught up in the wind. It’s a cool, breezy night Continue reading →

Multiple Sclerosis and Communication Issues

Posted on September 30, 2020 by MultipleSclerosis.net

Although many people think of multiple sclerosis as primarily a diagnosis with physical symptoms, its reach is far more extensive. Since MS begins in the brain, it can impact one’s ability to communicate – namely, it often impairs memory and speech.

To find out more about the speech and memory challenges community members deal with, we reached out to members of our Facebook community and asked “Do you ever suffer from communication issues and expressing yourself with MS?”

More than 550 community members shared. Here is what was said. Continue reading →

Reluctant to Change

Posted on September 25, 2020 by MSAA

By Doug Ankerman

Multiple sclerosis has been, and continues to be, the best disease I could ever have!

(More on this later.)

When it comes to change, I have been reluctant, even rebellious, my whole life.

Strange places, new faces, different situations make me Continue reading →

Slow Change and Sudden Shifts: Zooming Out to Gain Perspective

Posted on September 16, 2020 by MSAA

By Stacie Prada

Slow change can be really tough to handle. Its gradual and persistent nature can disguise itself as normal and stable. Only when it reaches a threshold or shifts might we feel the results.

I’ve been living with multiple sclerosis unknowingly and knowingly for almost thirty years, and in the last 12 years I’ve known lesions in my spinal cord are the root cause of pain and my body malfunctioning. I know my body is damaged from MS, I sense where it’s going, and yet Continue reading →

War is Heck

Posted on August 24, 2020 by MSAA

By Doug Ankerman

You, with multiple sclerosis, fall-in, and listen up! You’ve got a battle to win. It’s time to step up and fight!

As you know stress is your enemy in this war. Your silent, invisible, debilitating nemesis.

Now, stress is Continue reading →

The Rx for Stress? It Depends.

Posted on August 14, 2020 by MSAA

By Stacie Prada

Stress is one of the many symptoms that come with living. It isn’t a root problem, although it can feel like one. Stress is the indication that there is something else going on, and it isn’t always bad. The excitement of an upcoming event causes stress, and I wouldn’t want to skip over the feelings of anticipation and accomplishment that come with looking forward to or working hard for something.

That said, it would be great Continue reading →

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