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Live one day at a time… it’s okay to not be okay

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Living with multiple sclerosis can be crazy and unpredictable. I have yet to have two days the same. I have good days, bad days, terrible days, and what the $#*^ just happened days.

One day I was normal and the next it was like I had just gotten off one of the most exhausting, nauseating roller coaster rides of my life. My head was spinning, I couldn’t get my balance or catch my breath, and my vision was blurred. Try doing anything when your body is sending you those kinds of signals. It was like I was living on a perpetual roller coaster ride without a stop button or an ejection lever to help me escape.

At those times I get tired quickly and find it hard to move any part of my body. Even just lifting my arm seems impossible to do because I feel so weak. I have to coax my muscles to cooperate with me in order to do anything. At worse, I can’t get out of bed or even sit up without falling over. It’s at those times that I feel useless, tears flow, and depression sets in, after all I just want to have my life back but MS keeps taking things away.

I have to stop and remind myself that I’m needed and important. That I’m stronger than I think I am. It’s okay to fall apart and need help. I don’t have to do everything but there is always something I can do. Today I’m going to exercise as much as I can. That may seem impossible but my definition of exercise is much different now. I just need to move as much as I can. There are a few hand and finger exercises I have already been doing just to get my upper muscles going.

This morning as I’m bundled up on the couch due to it being cold in my house because I’m trying to save on using too much heat due to the costs, I see two beautiful deer munching on the grass along the tree line. Their playfulness makes me smile. I need that kind of carefree living. To just take things a day at a time and a moment at a time.

My plan today is to just enjoy my day regardless of what crops up… how about you?

A new year has begun

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It’s hard to believe that another year is over and a new year has begun. As they say “out with the old, in with the new,” right? It’s a new year, a new day, I have a fresh cup of coffee… same ole body. Hmm, that didn’t go as planned. I guess you can’t have everything you wish for. I tried wishing for a million dollars too but that didn’t work out for me either. I still have the same bills, house payments, piles of dirty laundry and dishes to clean.

I think the new and the old ran into each other and crashed into a pile on my bedroom floor. It even tried pulling me down there the other day. That accounts for the bruises I now have.

As I reflect over the year gone by, I realize I have experienced some truly wonderful, beautiful moments. Times that made me sing even though I can no longer carry a tune. Times that gave me great joy and created memories that I will hold on to for the rest of my life.

It has also been a year filled with pain, weariness and sorrow. Those are the times I wish I could forget but know I won’t because those moments are still a part of who I am. If nothing else, they have made me stronger. And trust me, I need all the strength I can get right about now.

Last year at this time with multiple sclerosis I was struggling with the use of my legs more than I ever thought possible. I couldn’t hold myself up in a standing position without support or use the recumbent bike in my exercise room without using stretchy bands to hold my legs into position by tying them around my calves in order to peddle without my legs flopping off their position. Rehab was my goal to gain further use of my legs.

Although rehab was well worth it and the exercises I learned I still do to this day, my legs never returned to their full function. Does that make me sad? Angry? Fearful? Sure. But I’m not going to let my disability stop me from living even if I do it from my chair shaking my trembling fist in the air at MS.

I know it’s not easy to find the good around you when the tears come so easy, but there is good out there. Being diagnosed with MS isn’t the end of the world so don’t let it ruin your year before it even gets started. There is a light shining through the darkness. And no, it’s not the light of a train barreling down the tracks heading in your direction. It’s hope.

Regardless of everything happening in your world and the weakness you feel in your body, choose to go into today filled with hope. Hope is the very thing that will get you through the struggle and keep you going when everything else around you appears to be falling apart. Hope that in spite of MS you will accomplish great things this year.

I hope for strength.
I hope for less pain.
I hope for laughter.
I hope for understanding.
I hope for pancakes, lots of coffee, and chocolate…definitely chocolate.

Out of everything I could hope for, most of all… I hope for hope.

Think back over last year. I’m sure you’ve had both beautiful and terrible moments. Times that make you still smile to this day and others that bring tears to your eyes. That’s called life… and you lived it. You experienced it. And although your experiences have changed how you do certain things, why you do them and when you do them, they haven’t changed the person that you are. You are still you.

You may live life differently than you have in times past. You may need additional tools to help you get through your day. You may get tired and weaker faster than before. You may even do everything slower. But you… YOU are not your MS.

You are an amazing, beautiful, lovely, awesome, precious, one-of-a-kind, delightfully unique individual. There is no one else in the entire universe like you. You have so much to offer the world, even with a disability. Don’t allow MS the satisfaction of stopping you from enjoying life or even from enjoying today.

As this year begins, choose to be thankful for all the beautiful moments you have waiting for you and choose to use the terrible times of yesterday as bricks to fill in the potholes along the way. I can’t promise you that the new year will be wonderful and void of any pain, but I can promise you that each brick you place along your MS journey, you are building a path that may ease the burdens of those that will come along behind you.

MS may only leave destruction in its path, but you are leaving a legacy of strength, resilience and beauty. You didn’t know you were doing all that, did you? Don’t ever underestimate your value and worth. You are priceless and those bricks… well, they just might be rubies, emeralds and diamonds which only get formed by pressure! You’ve had loads of pressure to build from. I’m proud of you for not giving up.

See you next year…

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The Holidays are upon us and I want to let you know that I will be taking a break for the remainder of the year. Expect my blog posts to restart again early 2026. I will still be sparingly on Facebook and Twitter during this time. You can’t get rid of me entirely. (Grin)

I deserve this break and remember you deserve it too. I will be spending my time…

RELAXING

Regardless of how stressful my day is, I need to take time to de-stress and distance myself from blogging. You’d be amazed at how exhausting putting my thoughts into an understandable written form can be.

CONNECTING WITH OTHERS

I need a little bit of time set aside to spend with family and friends with no pressure to do anything other than just to be. Small talk, times of laughter, no agendas, and no time limits.

ENJOYING UNLIMITED COFFEE BREAKS

Oddly enough caffeine breaks for me are super effective and will be guilt free during this time.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year to all.
I’ll see you soon.

My Adventures in MS-Land

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The phrase “down the rabbit hole” comes from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, where a curious girl named Alice tumbles into a strange, topsy-turvy world after following a rabbit. One moment she’s on solid ground; the next, she’s falling into Wonderland, where logic bends and the unexpected becomes routine.

I, too, have fallen — unexpectedly — into a place I call MS-Land, a realm shaped by multiple sclerosis. Like Alice, I’ve learned to navigate its quirks, though my fall came with a stumble down the stairs, courtesy of MS’s unsteady grip.

In MS-Land, the rules grow “curiouser and curiouser,” as Alice might say. Take the riddle of what to eat and drink — it shifts daily. One day, rice feels like a safe haven; the next, it betrays me with fatigue. Coffee might lift me up, only to let me crash. Dietitians seem as lost as the Mad Hatter, each peddling a different tea party menu. I’ve decided to trust my own palate, forging a path through the chaos without a marketing firm’s glossy promises.

Deeper down the rabbit hole, I meet a cast of peculiar characters, not unlike Alice’s Cheshire Cat or Queen of Hearts. There’s the BusyBody, buzzing with unsolicited tips; the KnowItAll, lecturing me on cures; and the NoseyNeighbor, peering into my struggles. Their intentions may be kind, but their advice spins my head with confusion and dizziness — symptoms MS already amplifies. I’ve found their chatter less helpful than the silence of my own research.

That research has become my guide, revealing tools to navigate this strange land. Leg and foot braces steady my wobbly steps, walkers support my journey, and trapeze bars hoist me in bed. Wheelchairs and scooters ease my fatigue, while adjustable beds adapt to my needs. There are eating utensils I strap to my hands to prevent dropped forks or spoons, exercise bikes with seatbelts to keep me secure, and cooling vests to fend off summer’s heat. These are my Wonderland gadgets, practical magic in a world that defies normalcy.

Yet, the truest companions in MS-Land aren’t tools but people — those who know its terrain and challenge me with care. Like Alice’s wiser guides, they ask gentle questions: Is this choice serving you? Friends, family, mentors, or a counselor — they’re the ones willing to descend the rabbit hole with me, walking beside me as I map this unpredictable place. It’s okay to fear what lies below; the journey is less daunting when shared.

As I venture deeper, exhaustion creeps in, my thoughts tumbling like Alice’s after her fall. I muse — do brown cows give chocolate milk? It’s a silly distraction, and soon I doze off, dreaming of cows leaping over the moon, one landing softly on my toes. I wake, unharmed, still able to move. In MS-Land, even dreams offer a reprieve, a reminder of resilience.

We don’t need to dwell in the rabbit hole forever. Each trip down fosters a deeper connection — to myself, to others — unlocking an inner strength that flows from those bonds. I hope you, too, have companions ready to explore this strange land with you, no matter how odd the path. In MS-Land, as in Wonderland, the adventure shapes us, one curious step at a time.

Multiple Sclerosis: How it began in my life

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I woke up one morning about 14 years ago and knew something was wrong… really wrong. The day started out just like it always did. My alarm clock buzzed me awake declaring a new day had begun. I sat up, stretched really big and yawned, only as I rubbed my eyes I could tell something was different.

I sat in bed and realized I couldn’t feel the upper right-side of my face. It was such a strange feeling. It wasn’t like I could have slept wrong pinching a nerve in my face. Was that even possible? And I knew an elephant didn’t sit on my head during the night because elephants don’t live in my neighborhood. What was it?

I spent a few days contemplating its cause. I think I was more hoping it would simply go away than anything else, but each day I woke up to more of the same as the numbness kept growing on the right side of my body: my head, torso, arm, leg and even my vision. That’s when I became concerned.

My diagnosis was a quick one due to the increasing symptoms that began appearing all throughout my body. The MRI’s were indisputable. They showed the damage taking place inside my body. My immune system was having a picnic creating lesions in my brain and spine. They seemed to be starving and my Central Nervous System was their food of choice.

Ever since that day, multiple sclerosis has been tagging along with me trying its best to define me. I’ve tried to shake it loose, hide it away, deny its existence, and even ignore it in hopes it would find somewhere else to live, but no matter what I’ve tried, it seems to simply dig its heels in deeper refusing to move.

For whatever reason, MS has made its home in my body but even though it is a part of my life, it’s still not who I am. I am not my diagnosis. I am not my symptoms. I am not MS.

My identity isn’t tied up in this disease. But do you know what else I learned? My identity isn’t my career, my talents or my style either. Because of MS my career ended, my talents became a struggle and my style became simple. Life changed and in the change I discovered I wasn’t any of those things.

But if those things are not me, then who am I?

I’ll tell you who I am. I’m a fighter who refuses to give up. I’m a warrior in the making. I’m brave, I’m courageous and I will never surrender. That’s who I am. Sure, days get hard and I cry much more than I ever thought possible as the world comes crashing in on me, but somehow I rise above the despair, the pain, and the heartbreak. Somehow I get through my day. Somehow I make it through the struggle. My faith in God, my tenacity and my never quit sprit keeps me strong.

I’ve learned to be thankful in all circumstances. To look this disease of MS squarely in the eyes and say, “I am not defeated because of you and I will never give up.” Sometimes I have to do that while shaking my fist in the air as I remind myself that even though I feel weak and broken, I am still a winner.

I’m thankful for my weaknesses. I’m thankful because they show me just how strong I really am. You see, my strength isn’t measured by the amount of things I can or can’t do. If that were the case, I’d be in a whole lot of trouble. No, my strength is determined by the attitude I bring with me while going through the chaos I face daily.

Don’t let MS define you. Don’t let the bad days determine who you are. With each passing day, you are an amazing warrior standing strong even though your body is weak. Some days the battle will overwhelm you but you will also have days when you will overwhelm it. Stay in the fight. You are not your MS. You are amazing. You are fabulous. You are incredible. You are… well, you are YOU!

When did society stop caring for the sick?

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My biggest pet peeve is people who say one thing and then either do the exact opposite or nothing at all and prove themself to be untrustworthy. I’m finding it harder and harder to believe people will do what they say they will do…unless they are getting a paycheck in return (and even then they are not always trustworthy).

It’s sad really. As my health declines, my circle of friends have decreased with it. It seems that happens to everyone I talk to when it comes to living with a chronic illness. It’s easy to commit to helping someone for a month or two, but anything longer than that you become a burden to them and they find other things to take up their time.

When did society stop caring for the sick? It’s easy for someone to post a status online saying how much they care about others or share a cute picture of cats as well as ones of a beautiful flower garden to say they care, but to actually get their hands dirty and physically do something is waining. You just don’t see that happening much anymore.

People seem to want the recognition by the masses. They want the press coverage and plaques of achievement hanging on their wall to show off their accomplishments and prove that they care for others. I’m just sitting here at home needing my trash taken out and can offer a hug in return. Not much. But a hug will last much longer than any 15 minutes of fame. After all, a hug is eternal.

I am pretty good at faking being okay for a few hours if someone were to stop by to visit or I needed to go to the store. Make-up and hairspray does wonders. But come live with me for just a day and you will see how tough life with MS actually is.

Don’t just assume because I’m silent, that I’m okay. Most of the time I get tired of always asking people for help and getting excuses in return. That’s why I simply quit asking. Sure, you can fault me for that. I should be more persistent in voicing my needs. But the flip side to that is when I am persistent, I get a defensive response that basically becomes an “I’m sorry I can’t help you today, I’m busy” reply.

My advice: Hang onto those that have proven their word time and time again. Shower them with thanks and gratitude as often as you can so they know that their work and help is needed, valued and appreciated. Get creative and come up with a back-up plan for all the other people that disappoint you.

You might think you aren’t hurting enough. That there are people worse off than you and have been through more struggles. You may even think your story isn’t significant enough when you compare it to others and then the thought comes to your mind that people will think you are just seeking attention.

There is no measurement for pain, hurt and loneliness. No matter where you are in your story or what it looks like, it means something. Your pain is important because it’s yours. Your story can help other people continue their stories as well. Yes, all pain is different but there are things that we all share when the darkness comes and we feel hopeless.

At times you may even find yourself in a place where your thoughts fight back at you more viciously than they ever did before. Where you think and feel too much and just want to be numb to it all and left alone. 

I want you to know that you are valued.
You are important.
You exist.
You breathe.
You love.
You fight.
You hurt.
You feel.
And because of everything, because you are here in this world, you matter.

Never let other people’s actions keep you from knowing how amazingly incredible you really are. You truly are an beautiful person and not a burden. You may be living with an incurable, unrelenting, horrible disease, but you are AWESOME!

Living with a urostomy and MS

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I’ve been having trouble functioning due to the kidney stones I am dealing with. The one I passed last month was over 19mm in size. That’s a monster. As you know I had my bladder surgically removed due to the bladder issues I was having with my suprapubic catheter (SPC). With multiple sclerosis most people do well using a SPC but I now have a stoma that helps me to empty my urine. It’s called a urostomy.

It gives me control of my makeshift bladder which is a urine pouch that I attach to my stoma at my stomach area. I empty it myself when it gets full just as you empty your bladder throughout the day when you go to the bathroom. And at night I can attach a larger night bag so I don’t disrupt my sleep needing to empty it.

Thankfully the pouch fits inside my jeans or whatever clothing I may be wearing so people don’t even know it’s there. My kidney’s are still functioning just routing my urine to an external pouch that I change about every 3-4 days.

I didn’t know my kidney’s could pass stones via my stoma like the monster I did pass. But at the moment my recent CT scam shows that I have a stone that is blocking urine from passing in my right kidney. Because of it my kidney is inflamed which isn’t good. I see my urologist on the 10th. I was hoping he could see me sooner.

But in the meantime I’m taking pain pills to help curb the pain. I’m exhausted just writing this. I also have a temperature that I recently got under control. It’s now 102° but manageable with antibiotics and Tylenol.

I’m thankful that I had my bladder removed, it has been a great help to me in dealing with wetting myself as I did before. The only problem I have now is when my pouch has a leak from where it attaches to me, which doesn’t happen often.

I don’t have to time my bladder to my life like I did daily before. I have an empty water bottle in my van if I need to unexpectedly empty my bladder which really helps. Just if you ride with me and see that it’s full, know that it’s not a Mountain Dew. (grin)

I also have a birthday coming up and hope anyone that can help me to cover the cost of my new powerchair will help. If everyone gave $20 that would help out tremendously. Thank you so much for your help.

____________________

Fundraiser for Penelope’s New Powerchair

Give at GoFundMe
Give at Positive Living w/MS

I didn’t choose a life flipped upside down

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Once diagnosed with multiple sclerosis I wanted to do something to help others like me who live day in and day out with an unpredictable life of chaos. I didn’t actually know if the things I had to share would make a difference or even matter, but I knew I needed to try. If not for others, at least for my own sanity and peace of mind.

So, I started writing away even though I was unsure who would actually read what I had to say. I know that sometimes I get serious and real about what things are like for me and others living with MS. Other times I can be a bit goofy. But my hope has always been to help others feel less alone and less scared about living with MS.

I have been amazed at the growth of Positive Living with MS over the years, not just among other MSers but also with caregivers and people dealing with other chronic illnesses. We all have something in common… an unexpected disruption to our lives that has brought about a whirlwind of change, confusion and pain.

I didn’t choose to have my life flipped upside down. I didn’t choose a life of constant struggle because of MS, but it didn’t give me a choice. I didn’t cause it, I can’t control it and I can’t cure it.

Somehow it found me and here I am living in a world that is constantly changing. I don’t want to feel like a failure because of something beyond my control. I refuse to believe it will be because I didn’t fight hard enough.

Like so many others around the world, we research, we dig for answers, we hope, we cry, we even get discouraged. But you know what? No matter how low our emotions get or how bad life becomes, somehow we find the strength to keep going. Somehow we get through one more day. Somehow hope fills our hearts when the weariness grows deep. Somehow. Somehow.

I don’t know how MS really works or why some people have more challenges and difficulties in life than others, but I do know that no matter what you are facing or how hard things get, you are not alone. I am here along with thousands of others around the world to bring encouragement, hope and peace to a broken and chaotic life.

Together we love, help, dream, and live for a better tomorrow. Together we stand arm in arm holding each other up as we swing our swords in battle. What a sightly bunch of warriors we are. Bruised, wobbly, weary, tired… but somehow less afraid of tomorrow.

If you feel sad today, know that you aren’t alone. If you feel you are losing hope, hang on a few more days because the sun will come out and the birds will begin to sing once again.

You are amazingly strong, resilient and a fighter even on your weakest days…especially on your weakest days. Keep standing. Keep hoping for a better day. Keep sharing. Keep fighting.

____________________

Fundraiser for Penelope’s New Powerchair

Give at GoFundMe
Give at Positive Living w/MS

An open letter – from someone living with MS

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To whom it may concern:

There is an entire world filled with people who don’t understand multiple sclerosis. I know since you don’t live with the disease yourself it is hard to comprehend, but I hope what I have to say will help open your eyes and heart to what life is really like for me…hopefully giving you insight and understanding into the life of someone living with MS.

First off, I would like to say that multiple sclerosis is real, it hurts, it is full of challenges and struggles, and if you haven’t figured it out yet, it is invisible to a majority of the population since the destruction takes place inside the body. The effects are seen in other ways as I walk, talk and go through my day with disabling symptoms, but if you were able to see inside my body, you wouldn’t judge me so quickly. My insides are a wreck and filled with chaos.

Sure, I wear a smile much of the time, but that doesn’t mean the disease isn’t there. It just means I’m doing a pretty good job at covering it up. You see the mask I wear, but let me explain what happens day in and day out. I get angry, fearful, weepy and scared. Lingering in the back of my mind is the fact that one day my future will be drastically different than it is today. You see, MS is progressive. That means that although today I may be moving around okay, tomorrow I may not. It may take a year or 20 years, but my life is changing every day.

Please know that it hurts when you so casually decide you know what’s best for me. MS has affected every part of my life, but that doesn’t mean it’s made me incapable of making decisions. Don’t exclude me from things just because you think I wouldn’t want to be a part or because you think it would be too hard for me to do. Let me make that decision. It hurts more to be left out than to give a response of “no thank you” to an invitation. I would much rather be given the option. Please don’t stop inviting me or including me even if you get a lot of “No” replies.

Another thing that really hurts is when you tell me you know how I feel. Really? You understand the fatigue that never goes away, the numbness in my body, the pain, the bladder problems, the vision struggles? I have major damage in my brain and spine causing continued chaos throughout my body, and you want to try and compare your flu symptoms to my MS? Please don’t do that. Unless you are living with MS yourself, don’t even try and tell me you know how I feel. Support me, help me, console me if that’s needed, but don’t make the assumption that you get it.

Then there’s the problem I have of you always trying to fix me as if I’m broken. I’m not broken. I’m simply living with a chronic incurable disease. That means it’s not going away unless a cure is found…and no, there isn’t a cure yet. All those supposed cures you read about online, they aren’t cures. They are either symptom management techniques, wishful thinking, or money making schemes. Nothing has been found to completely remove MS from someone’s life. Nothing aside from a miracle! So your great Aunt Sue’s cousin’s friend who was cured using a combination of bumble bees, tin foil and baking soda…I’m not interested in the recipe. Accept me for who I am. I’m thankful you care, but your remedies cause me more weariness than help.

Something else I’d like to say…for some reason you have this need to ask me if I’m feeling better every time you see me. As I’ve said before, MS is progressive so that question truly has no answer. If I express a concern that I am having due to MS or talk about a new symptoms I am facing, responding by saying “get over it” doesn’t help in any way.

I’ve always thought that to be a strange response. Get over what? Get over the pain? Get over the fear? Get over a chronic illness? What exactly am I to be getting over? How am I to get over something that I’m living with on a daily and minute-by-minute basis. It’s easy for people to come along and say “get over it” when they aren’t experiencing my challenges, but a person doesn’t just get over multiple sclerosis…they live with it.

Instead of always asking me if I’m feeling better, treat me like everyone else. There are more things to talk about in life than my having MS. I don’t want that to be the center of conversation every time we meet. I am more than my MS. I am still me and would much rather talk about gardening, traveling, architecture or the next movie coming out. Don’t ignore my struggle, but don’t make it a continual focus either.

Please know that I have my bad days and at times terrible, horrible really awful days. Getting out doesn’t make them better either. In actuality, going out has the potential of making them worse. Me doing more will not make my MS symptoms less. Yes, exercise is important, but it has to be done carefully.

That old saying “no pain, no gain” will not work for me. If I get to the point of pain, I have pushed too far and my body is going to rebel for days, if not weeks. I have to do everything carefully and with great planning. Sometimes my bad days happen within minutes of a good moment. That’s just how rebellious my body can be. So please don’t tell me I need to get out more or I just need to lose weight to feel better. That’s not the cause of my struggle and it is not the answer to my pain.

So, the next time you decide you want to judge me for my bad days, bad moods or even my bad responses to your insensitivity, keep these things in mind…

I am the same person I was before my MS diagnosis. I am intelligent, caring, full of fun, loving, ready to laugh at any given moment, and a great friend. I also have the potential to be angry, moody, and frustrated. All still part of who I am. I would like nothing more than for MS to be cured, but as of today that reality doesn’t exist. Please don’t look at my disability as if that’s all that I am. I am still me…MS and all. The only difference is that I need a lot more love, support, care and understanding. I would much rather have someone fighting alongside me than against me.

Signed,
An MS Warrior
(Penelope Conway, Positive Living with MS)

P.S. Please share this with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Multiple sclerosis awareness is needed all around the world.

When opinions become facts

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Knowledge can be powerful, but you can’t misinterpret a tiny glimpse of information about multiple sclerosis and then declare to the world that you know all about it… both the cause and a cure. Many people are even pushing their own products as support for their theories. It’s all a scam for get rich quackery. After all who else can make money today but the fakers and the takers.

Big pharma has been a great example. Push a product with no actual facts as a cure and people will buy it by the droves. No proof needed. Just spout off a few unapproved statistics and you’re gold… rolling in it that is.

To those online experts that talk about MS as if it’s cured I say…I wish you could live in my body for a day. You would quickly give up your degree in neurology. Oh, wait, you didn’t go to medical school. You got all your schooling from Uncle Fakealot and Dr Google. In that case, you need to fire Uncle Fakealot and even more importantly give up your university degree. 9 times out of 10 Dr. Google is WRONG.

But really, the internet isn’t what’s wrong. It’s people. We live in this weird period of time where people try to solve all of the world’s problems with bite-sized theories, unproven statistics and wacky medical solutions. Gone are the days of real knowledge. Opinions have become truth and everyone is an expert.

No one is wrong in how they go about living with MS. There are always things we could do better and new things to learn, but NEVER should we act as if we are the guru of all knowledge and wisdom regarding something as unknowable as MS and the human body, because we aren’t. Even doctors aren’t, they are all just practicing. That’s why their business is called a practice.

Don’t let anyone make you feel bad because they chose a different path than you. You be you and do what you know you need to do for yourself. You know your body better because you are the one actually living in it. Be unique, be crazy, make a mess, try new things, make mistakes, and even succeed…but most of all, hang onto the smiles around you and enjoy living.

There’s only one you and only one today, but there is a potential for lots of smiles to help you through this mess called life. Choose to find the smiles.