Life is a crazy thing. But it seems to get crazier with MS

Valorie & Her Daughter

 We sometimes tend to blame new things that are coming up on MS. And we have to realize that not everything is connected to the MS. Sometimes it is due to old age! LOL! We hate to admit that we are getting older. But that happens! The alternative is not what we really want yet.

But we seem to be letting things bring us down more often than others who have some of the same things but not the MS.

 My outlook on this is very simple: What doesn't kill me makes me stronger. And as long as I can type or do my crafts who cares how I get around. In the past two months I have had three severe allergy attacks (last one took me to the ER). I sneezed so much that a disc in my lower back is now out of whack and my right hip hurts all the time. Not to mention the issues with my right knee. I now longer can stand to do dishes and vacuuming. But I have made changes so that it doesn't stop me from doing these things. I sit on the seat in my walker to do dishes. And it has wheels so that I can roll it to do the vacuuming. There are adaptations we can do to continue doing what we need to do. We are very valuable to our families! Not trash to throw off to the side. Please figure out what to do so that you can continue giving! 
HugZ

WHAT OUR DOCTORS DID'NT TELL US ABOUT STEROIDS

Valorie Diamond, Columnist, MSnewsChannel.com  

I was diagnosed in February of 1997. That year I had two flares that caused me to go into the hospital for 5 days of IV steroids. That was 900mg a day. The first time in June of that year and then again that year (was in the hospital when Princess Diana died). Well shortly after I got out I started having issues with my walking. I would take a step and fall to the ground from the pain that just hit me with that step. I never knew when this was going to happen and let me tell you that is very scary.

So I went to my Neurologist and he thought that I might have some tendonitis going on. So he told me to take anti-inflammatory medication for about 3 weeks and see if that helped. Well in three weeks I was back in his office and we were discussing what to do. We decided to send me to an Orthopedic doctor. So in the next couple of weeks I went and he did x-rays and said that he needed to do an MRI to confirm his thoughts. So it was scheduled and I returned to his office a couple of days after.

WHY DID MS HAVE TO TAKE MY SUMMER AWAY FROM ME?

I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year! I love the outdoors and want to be out there with everyone else enjoying the summer, but cannot because of the heat. If you want to see someone that is totally useless that is me after about an hour outside in the heat. Even 75 degrees is to much for me anymore.

I used to spend all summer outside doing things, tanning and just having fun. But because of my MS I can no longer do that. I feel like a hermit in the summer. Yeah I have a cooling vest but it only lasts 2 hrs if it isn't over 90 degrees. But here it gets in the triple digits all summer.

I really miss the outdoors. All winter I am outside without a jacket because I love it! I flourish then. Why did MS have to take the summer away from me? I even had to put an air conditioner in our kitchen so I could can! Now who does that? People with MS that love to can and summertime!!!

I guess we learn to adapt to what the MS has taken from us. I just wish I could enjoy summer again!

MY COLUMN INCLUDES TIPS THAT HELP ME DEAL WITH MS

I have found over the years (diagnosed in 97) that you have to learn to go with the flow.  If you get a new symptom don't panic as that will only make it worse. I call my Doctor and go in and see him and tell him what is going on. Now mind you don't think that everything that happens to you is related to you MS because it isn't.

EDUCATE YOURSELF! The more you know the less likely you are to panic when something new happens. Some people prefer not to know what could happen and that's fine because not

EVERYTHING is going to happen to you.  But educating yourself about symptoms, treatments and new research are powerful tools to help you through this.

This next thing is my personal way of handling what MS has done to my life.

I don't sweat the small stuff. I have a good day and I will push my limits. I am going to have a life regardless of what the MS thinks. I pay for it the next day when I do push it but I can honestly say that I have lived my life like I want to. 

I am not letting MS take that away from me. Yeah, it may not be what I envisioned for myself when I was younger but it is still living. And I will do whatever I need to do to do that. Life is short enough as it is. And always remember you are not alone. We are here to help you through the rough patches!!

HugZ

PAIN...LIVE OR LET RULE

I have been in pain for the past two weeks. I had difficulty sitting or standing for a long time. I could lay down for a while but it had to be flat on my back....and that reminds me of what the Neurologist stated in my evaluation. She said that I have issues sitting, standing, walking for any period of time but she can lay flat on her back! My husband laughed at that and said you are not working that way!!!!!

Anyway, I have taken pain medications and they still didn't help. All they did was take the edge off.  I even took warm bathes which are not good for me.

But they did help with the pain some. The pain kept me down for several days. Then yesterday it rained and that helped relieve some of the pain.  Told my husband that I could predict rain with these hips! LOL!

People don't believe that pain comes with MS but I am here to tell you that I have had more pain than they would believe.  And I can tell you they don't believe me. But that doesn't take my pain away. You have to make a decision when you have pain....whether to live your life or let it rule you life?!

HERE'S MY MS STORY!

Valorie Diamond, Columnist, MSnewsChannel.com

I was at work one day at Kmart unloading a truck when my face starting going numb. It was odd but I didn't think anything of it as it had happened before and always went away within the hour.  Well this time it didn't and started in my left hand.  I thought that maybe I had a pinched nerve somewhere. So made a doctor appointment to see my PCP.

He sent me to a Neurologist that decided to do a spinal tap. Well that wasn't a pleasant experience as he hit my spinal nerve! Have you ever tried to lay still when something like a lightening bolt goes through your body unexpectedly? I managed to do it but the nurse's and my mom's hand will probably never be the same.! He also did an MRI. So when all was done I went back to get the results. My mom went with me for support as I wasn't married at that time. Well, let me tell you I will never go to a doctor again that just started practicing!! He told me it was all in my head! No truer words were ever spoken.  But he said that it was probably my migraines that were causing it and that I was just depressed! And at that time I hadn't started with the depression but I did when I walked out of his office.

Do Not Judge Me and My Multiple Sclerosis!

Valorie Diamond, Columnist, MSnewsChannel.com    

Again the other day I was told "You don't look disabled"....What? 

Seriously you went there? Can you see diabetes, mental illness ,someone in pain, Fibromyalgia? Come on!!!  

Why would you want to judge someone that you have no idea what they go through each and everyday?

It takes everything I am to get myself out of bed because of the fatigue. And you think you know fatigue...not! You can have a great nights sleep but still feel as if you never slept and have no energy to do anything.  It is something I fight everyday and when I make it out of bed and function to the best of my ability that for me is a great day. For you it is easy.  Not so much for a person with MS.

Can you see my cognitive issues? No. Not unless you talk to me on a day that I cannot find the words to describe something or repeat things over and over because I cannot remember that I already said that.