To the most influential people in my life

By Penelope Conway

Influential people in my life by Penelope Conway MS Conversations blogLife is a constant flow of people who come in and out of our lives. I have lost and gained many meaningful people over the years. Multiple sclerosis seems to have helped me in the weeding out process. It did that quicker than anything else I have ever faced. I’m not sure if it’s because of my constant unpredictable days or my need for help just to handle the simplest of things in life, but to the ones who have chosen to stick around, I’m forever grateful.

You are the ones Continue reading

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When You Get Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis So Does Everyone Close to You

How MS Affects Friendships

By Penelope Conway

I woke up this morning thinking about the past five years of my life. I get discouraged sometimes thinking about everything that has happened. I have days when I feel as if multiple sclerosis has flipped my world upside down and inside out. That my life, plans, dreams, and hopes have all changed more than I ever thought possible and I wasn’t prepared for the changes.

Many people go through life wishing they lived a life much like a scene from a movie where everything falls perfectly into place. Where they have Continue reading

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Yes, I Admit it, I Have Multiple Sclerosis and Sometimes I Cry

MS emotions

By Penelope Conway

I woke up in tears yesterday. No reason. Nothing bad happened to me in the middle of the night. I didn’t wake up from a nightmare, my goldfish didn’t die and I wasn’t in a lot of unbearable pain. My emotions just went haywire all on their own. I hate when that happens. I take meds to help keep my emotions stabilized, but yesterday’s dose must have been a dud.

Multiple sclerosis has this way of messing with a person’s emotions. Sometimes there’s a Continue reading

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Being Slow Isn’t a Bad Thing

Eliminate MS Stress - Being Slow Isn't a Bad ThingBy Penelope Conway

Is it time for bed yet? That was my first thought as I woke up this morning. I glanced at the clock and it was proudly displaying 6:30 AM. That’s way too far away from the sun going down and me climbing back into bed. I yawned, tried to stretch and yawned some more but only seconds passed. Now the clock says it’s 6:31 AM. At least it’s one minute closer. Maybe I can just lie here for another 720 minutes. Continue reading

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My Life with Multiple Sclerosis… I Got This

Life with Multiple Sclerosis...I Got This

By Penelope Conway

No one likes to think about where multiple sclerosis may lead…not even me. But I can tell you from my own experience, ignoring the possibilities of progression is to live in denial and will only set you up for defeat. Trust me, I lived there my first year after diagnosis.

I chose to deny what was happening in my life because I was afraid of the unknown. Continue reading

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My Multiple Sclerosis Life is Filled with Seasons of Change

MS changes

By Penelope Conway

This morning I made an absolute mess of things. I was making my morning coffee, and for the umpteenth time, I spilled the coffee grounds all over the floor and myself because my hands fumbled and wouldn’t cooperate. I cleaned myself up and turned the coffee pot on so it could brew me a cup, but left the mess all over the floor for later.

As I’m writing this, I’m sipping on a freshly brewed cup of coffee while sitting in my bed knowing that there’s a mess in the kitchen waiting for me to tackle, but do you know what? Continue reading

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It’s Okay to talk to Your Doctor About the Tough Things

Talking to Your Doctor About the Tough ThingsBy Penelope Conway

Doctors are smart. They have gone through years and years of study, had hands on experience, seen the good bad and ugly, and want the best for their patients. We’ve been told over the years to trust them because they know what they’re doing, but in today’s day and time, we have access to vast amounts of information that many times even doctors haven’t researched for themselves which gives us more choices and options in how we manage our own health.

My first neurologist, the one that diagnosed me after MRI’s and a spinal tap, wasn’t Continue reading

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I Have Multiple Sclerosis and I Still Smile

By Penelope Conway

When terrible things happen, one of the first things to disappear in the chaos is laughter. Somehow all the smiles and giggles that once filled the day get tossed to the wind and pushed aside giving other things more importance. Things like fear, anger, sadness and worries.

For many people, laughter just doesn’t fit in with all that’s happening in their crazy, mixed up world. I mean, how can anyone laugh when their life is falling apart. It just seems impossible…absurd…oh, so wrong. Continue reading

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Traveling with Multiple Sclerosis Isn’t Always Easy

By Penelope Conway

Before multiple sclerosis came along I was an avid traveler. At different times I even lived and worked In Germany, France, Mexico and Jamaica. I loved getting out and meeting new people, experiencing different customs and enjoying amazing new food.

When my mobility became a struggle, it was then that I realized just how inaccessible so much of the world truly is, both here in America and abroad. You never really think about those things until they affect you personally. Continue reading

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What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

By Penelope Conway

My life turned into a whirlwind of chaos after I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I was faced with more choices than I knew what to do with. Which medications do I choose? What therapies are needed? What supplements help? What diets work? Is there really a cure? So many questions and so few answers. Continue reading

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