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I seem to be allergic to multiple sclerosis

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The immune system is made up of a complex and vital network of cells and organs that are created to protect the body from infection. Their entire purpose is to defend the body and keep bacteria, viruses and fungi out, and to destroy any infectious microorganisms that try to invade the body.

Growing up I never had an allergic reaction to anything. Food, bug bites, hot or cold weather, animals, dust mites, pollen, or drugs. The only thing I was allergic to was poison oak. It always seemed to spread by me just looking at it. I didn’t have to actually touch it… or in my childs mind I didn’t. Once I had gotten such a bad case that spread all over my face even causing my eyes to swell shut for a few days. After a visit to the doctor, some meds and lots of calamine lotion, all was well.

Since multiple sclerosis has taken up residence in my body, I have discovered that certain foods cause me to have increased symptoms like expanded weakness, spreading of numbness beyond the normal residual symptom from my initial MS troubles years ago, visual disturbances that have a tendency to keep me from being able to properly read emails without double vision, dizziness that meclizine doesn’t seem to help with. For me, over time, I have discovered those foods and know which ones to avoid. Each person has to find their own foods to avoid. It will always be different person to person.

I have also discovered my difficulties in balancing. I fall over trying to sit up. I can no longer do as my mom always said… ‘sit up straight and keep your elbows off the table.’ I simply can’t seem to do it unaided. I have cognitive problems too unlike anything I had before. I used to be able to read an in depth computer manual and be able to code computer programs based on what I had read without difficulty. Now I can’t put a line of code down without constantly looking at every cheatsheet available.

It just seems like every new symptom shows up out of nowhere and has a tendency to hang around for a long, long time… sometimes forever. I have also discovered certain drugs now give me an allergic reaction and I have to be watchful of them. My body just doesn’t seem to want to cooperate with my own body.

One thing I told the doctor is that I found I was allergic to ice packs. They always turn my skin red…(grin). I can’t get through a summer without them. They help me survive the heat. I’m also allergic to a lack of humor. There’s not enough smiles, giggles and laughter in the world of the chronically ill. You do know that it’s okay to laugh, don’t you?!

Over the years I have found that I need to take things slow and listen more closely to my body. It always seems to talk louder than I wish it would but thankfully it speaks up. Sometimes it’s the only reason I feel as good as I do. My body isn’t perfect. I fall down too much, pain visits way too often, confusion happens and brain fog seems to have taken up permanent residency. And although I wish life was different, it’s still mine and I refuse to give up.

You can’t give up on your life either. MS makes things complicated but not impossible. Impossible says it all… I’m possible.

Just like you. You’re possible too.

To those not living with a chronic illness

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Whoever you are, I fear you will never learn the injustices people living with a chronic illness endure all because they are facing the unknown and the unseen as their body is destroying itself from the inside out.

I fear the gifts and strengths a disabled person  carries within them will be dulled before they are able to share them with those who need them the most.

I fear you will cease to help a disabled patient in need because your own life is more important than the needed medical equipment, meds and even vitamins or supplements that would greatly benefit their lives.

I fear you will never know what it’s like to be disabled, abandoned, homebound, and not believed when sharing their troubles with those closest to them who should be their support…but aren’t.

I fear you may fail to see the worth of the disabled because it’s not a popular thing to do and it disrupts your day too much.

There’s nothing I can do to wake people up. Many won’t read this and others will simply discount it as nonsense, but one thing I know is that regardless of what troubles happen in my own life, whatever disabling symptoms arise and consume my day, I won’t quit. I refuse.

Me, MS, or why I can’t just get over it

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Multiple sclerosis depression… it’s a real thing and it happens. Not even the happiest, peppiest, most positive person in the world is exempt from it’s effects. It can sneak up on anyone. It’s not known exactly why multiple sclerosis has a higher rate of depression than other chronic illnesses, but it’s believed to be caused by changes in the brain’s functionality along with the emotional stresses of unexpected progression, loss of mobility, pain, social isolation, and financial struggles.

Those of us living with MS are fighting our bodies every second of every day. At times, we feel as if we have slipped into a raging river and the current is pulling us under as we fight the rapids in order to pull our head up far enough to get a breath of air only to sink yet again. We find ourselves lying in our bed with tears flowing, completely worn out, weary, and with  awful thoughts spinning out of control.

All those “what if” thoughts, doubts, fears, and questions flood our minds. They have a way of overtaking even the smallest amount of hope we have left and leaving us with only a tiny strand of hope to pull us up to safety.

That has happened to me more than once. During those times, I find myself feeling alone and worthless in a world that doesn’t seem to understand me, MS, or why I can’t just get over it. It always catches me off guard almost as if I got sucked into a vortex filled with every mixed up emotion imaginable and it pulls me deeper into the abyss of depression. It’s not easy pulling yourself out of such turmoil and confusion. This kind of thing it invisible to the rest of the world, so they just don’t get it.

What I have learned most during those awful, vulnerable times in my life is that I need someone there with me to help me process those crazy random thoughts that I find bouncing around in my brain…not with advice, opinions, or judgements, but with a hand to hold, an ear to listen and a box of tissues near by. Oh, and maybe some ice cream or chocolate.That somehow always helps.

Don’t beat yourself up just because you are having a bad day, week, month or even year. Depression is real and sometimes it’s really, REALLY hard to overcome. It takes guts to talk with your doctor, friend, counselor, spouse, or family member about what’s going on inside your head and heart.

Don’t allow guilt to creep in and cause you to think that you can’t open up about what’s going on. Sometimes we need help to weed through everything that’s going on in our life in order to find hope once again. And just so you know, seeking help is not a sign of weakness. It takes great courage to admit you have a need.

Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes that’s the hardest step you will ever take…but you can do it. I know you can!

I will never sugar coat my life with MS

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Have you ever had one of those days when you wished you could just curl up into a ball and hide away under the covers in bed because life was simply too much, too crazy and too overwhelming to bear? That was me yesterday. I woke up in tears… literally. That happens to me from time to time, only yesterday it hit me really hard. Harder than usual.

I hate when that happens. Sometimes no matter how hard I try to remain upbeat, positive and steadfast, I fail. It just goes to show that even people like me who strive to find the good in everything around them actually have times when they wish their out of control life could be put on hold and the pain had a pause button.

I’m human and I’m real. I will never sugar coat the difficulties of living with multiple sclerosis and I never want people to think that MS is a breeze to manage. Too many people out in the public don’t hear of the struggles we go through because too many MSers don’t talk enough about the truth of living with a chronic disease.

I am thankful for those living with minimal symptoms and that can handle the pain with ease at any given moment whether it be physical or emotional. But I know for a fact that’s not me. I talk about the struggles I face because I believe the more the public is made aware of what we experience, the more they will come to understand the reasons we have our unpredictable mood swings, cancel seemingly simple plans and spend so much of our time at home.

It’s not always easy for me to voice my needs. That’s because many times I don’t even know what I need in the first place. So when someone calls or stops by and asks how they can help out, I don’t always have an answer. It’s not because I’m being rude, antisocial or don’t want their help. Most of the time it’s because I simply can’t see past the pain in the moment to know what I truly need. That kind of thing requires too much thought and most of the time my brain just blanks out.

But I can tell you this, what ALWAYS helps is genuine care, concern, support and love. Those things help at any given moment and can be expressed through a simple “thinking of you” text, help around the house, offering to pick up some groceries, or just stopping by for a chat.

My greatest fear is to be forgotten in this fast paced, on-the-go world. It’s easy for that to happen too because many of us get to a place where socializing becomes  extremely stressful and is filled with too many uncertainties and obstacles.

Getting out of the house requires great planning and considerations that many people don’t really think about. Will the place I’m going to be accessible for my needs? Will I have quick access to a bathroom when needed? Will I be in a place where I can remain cool? If a meal is involved, will someone be there to help me cut my food? If I get too tired (which is normally a given in my case), can I leave early? Does it cost because I live on a limited budget and even small expenditures are impossible to afford?

Any number of questions have to be considered in order to leave the house. Some days those questions are easy to answer, other times they are simply too much to face.

I woke up yesterday with my laugh-box broken because the questions in life smacked me in the face as soon as I woke up. If that ever happens to you, give yourself a break and allow yourself the needed time to grieve. Grieving is a real part of living with MS, and it’s okay to have those moments. Just try not to stay there.

I had my good cry already yesterday. The world may never see my tears, but they will always hear my pain. I refuse to be silent in the struggle.

A sleep deprived life

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My body has a problem with sleep. Either I have an inability to fall asleep even though my body is screaming for a much needed time of rest or I fall asleep at the drop of a hat without warning. Seems contradictory doesn’t it?

I’ve been known to suddenly fall asleep when I have company over and we are in the middle of a great conversation. It can be 10 minutes into the time together, my eyes wide open and I wake up without knowledge of what happened. It’s not because the topic was boring, just my body had given up responding and snoring seemed to be the best option. I call those times sleep attacks. It’s as if I’m sleeping with my eyes open.

But then there are times when I find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. That’s the insomnia part of my day. I can wake up in the morning not feeling rested no matter how much time I spent in bed. No amount of added sleep seems to be helpful.

In life today, it’s becoming harder and harder to calm the mind. We are over-stimulated and overworked, and we find less time to do the things we enjoy because of the things we have to do.

I know the feeling of exhaustion that goes deep down into your soul. It’s awful. Having experienced it yourself, your view of sleep will never be the same again. When sleep comes, it will bring with it waves of gratitude because you know how rare it is. Don’t be too proud to not talk to your doctor about it. There are some drugs that help along with some supplements. Each person will respond differently so don’t be discouraged when you find that nothing works for you.

For me, extra doses of melatonin doesn’t work neither do other sleep aids. I’ve tried them all. I seem to be lucky if I get 3 hours of sleep at night before my brain kicks into overdrive and won’t shut up.

I think my bedroom needs to be set up in my old college physics class. Nothing put my to sleep faster. How I passed the class I will never know. I have no idea what life lesson I learned spending time there.

For now, cling to hope that restful sleep will come. Be gentle with yourself and encouraged. This too shall pass. Your body just needs time to catch up.

If you feel like you’re just surviving, that is OK. You are doing enough and I have no doubt you are doing a great job at it. Know that you are not alone.

It will take you by surprise but suddenly life won’t seem like such a blur. I still wake up with a song in my heart grateful of the life I have whether sleep deprived or not. Take heart sleep is coming.

 

I’m Raising $500 for the annual website costs of Positive Living With MS. Any amount would be a tremendous blessing and give this blog further reach to people living with multiple sclerosis. Caregivers, family members and fellow MSers have always enjoyed reading my blog. Many say that they would miss me terribly if I would ever go away. That I am a light of hope and encouragement that helps get them through their day. I was diagnosed with PPMS myself in 2013. Most of my writing is about my own experiences. I try to mix in humor as well as the reality of what life is like living with MS.

Show your support by going to this link

 

There’s an earthquake happening inside my body

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I woke up this morning to an earthquake.  The entire room was shaking. No wait, it wasn’t the room. It was just ME. My normal hand tremors were happening in other parts of my body as well. My legs, my arms, my head…everything was shaking. It seemed like all of my nerves were on a quadrillion-trillion dose of Red Bull or had way too much caffeine.

Much of it has calmed down now after taking a few muscle relaxers and some pain meds, but I still have the feeling of tremors even though I can’t see them. I have a weighted bracelet that helps to calm things down in my hands but not much is helpful to control the other parts of my body. It’s such a weird feeling too. It’s almost as if my body is trying to jump out of my skin. Now, the only problem is, the muscle relaxers and pain meds make me sleepy. We’ll see how well that goes today. Sleep or tremors. Not sure who is going to win this battle.

It’s so hard to get through a day when you spend a majority of it fighting your own body. When you have to think just to take a step or concentrate in order to move your body in the direction you want it to go. Most people just don’t get it when you try to explain what’s happening. It almost makes you feel as if you’re going crazy.

Nobody should have to think this hard to do the things that everyone else can do without even thinking. I’ve already spilled my coffee trying to drink from a no spill cup, tossed my grape jelly toast on the floor trying to take a bite, and kicked the coffee table for no reason at all.

Our bodies have been trained since we were toddlers to move and function: to walk, pick things up, sit down, stand up, reach, and even do the happy dance. But when those wires get crossed or damaged, and the message transmitted from the brain to the rest of the body becomes disrupted, there’s no telling what might happen. We may want a certain leg to move and it won’t, or need a hand to function properly and it refuses to obey, or need a tremor to stop shaking everything in sight without success. But when sensation is crazy too…that’s an entirely different level of weird.

When it feels like water is dripping down your cheek and you find yourself constantly checking just in case it’s real, or when it fees like bugs are crawling across your skin and yet there’s not an ant to be found, or when you feel millions of needles stabbing into your hands and feet, or when it seems like every muscle in your body is twitching and on edge…all happening inside your body where no one else can see. You begin to feel like you are losing it.

I have been known to kick the coffee table, throw things across the room, drop my drink and even hit people…all due to multiple sclerosis. At least now, if someone says something stupid and I smack them upside the head, I have a valid reason for my actions. “Oops, sorry…that was MS, not me!”

It’s hard dealing with an out of control body,  but life goes on and nothing ever seems to make sense anymore. This unseen monster is too weird and unexplainable. Life changed without warning and I can’t send it back.

 

I’m Raising $500 for the annual website costs of Positive Living With MS. Any amount would be a tremendous blessing and give this blog further reach to people living with multiple sclerosis. Caregivers, family members and fellow MSers have always enjoyed reading my blog. Many say that they would miss me terribly if I would ever go away. That I am a light of hope and encouragement that helps get them through their day. I was diagnosed with PPMS myself in 2013. Most of my writing is about my own experiences. I try to mix in humor as well as the reality of what life is like living with MS.

Show your support by going to this link

 

Never stop asking questions

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Making my way through the medical insurance nightmare has been a challenge since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It wasn’t something I thought much about before MS came along. I never really got sick so health insurance and my own wellbeing just wasn’t a priority. Talk about a learning curve. I was thrown into things head first and then bounced around a few times before landing hard with a thud.

My life was suddenly filled with doctor appointments, medications, unpredictable symptoms and massive medical bills. I found myself in this new world of the chronically ill and I didn’t like it one bit. To be honest with you, it scared the crap out of me more than anything I had ever been through.

I think the first year after I was diagnosed, I spent much of my days in a mind numbing fog. I became overwhelmed with the vast amounts of information I found online about MS and the high costs associated with it. The more questions I asked, the more questions I had.

I became more concerned with being able to afford my co-pays and medical insurance premiums than with the latest phone apps or music downloads. I found myself searching for insurance plans that made MRI’s and durable medical equipment more affordable. I researched Medicare, SSDI and early retirement. I looked for ways to afford home modifications and accessibility aids.

I discovered that no one can look out for me better than me.

When I was searching for a supplemental insurance plan that would cover all the things Medicare doesn’t, the monthly cost was too high for me to be able to afford. So, what did I do? I got online and through asking tons of questions came across a foundation that helps people with MS pay their monthly insurance premiums. That was something I would have never known about if I didn’t dig around for answers myself.

I found that asking questions is the best thing anyone can do for themselves.

When the cost of my pain medication went up, again I got online and found that my Medicare drug plan had an exception form that can be submitted to request a lower co-pay. I had my doctor help me fill it out, sent it in and the cost of that one medication went from $45 a month to $3. The insurance company won’t tell you about that option in bold print on their home page. It’s something you have to ask questions about and search for yourself to find. Even the doctor didn’t know about it.

Then there was the time a few years ago when my powerchair was damaged in a car accident. I was okay but my chair got banged up a bit. I discovered that my homeowners insurance covers things like that. I was able to get a new chair to replace the broken one. Who knew homeowners insurance (or renters insurance) worked that way? I sure didn’t. Another lesson learned by again asking lots and lots of questions.

I don’t think I will ever understand insurance or how they calculate the costs associated with their services, but through asking tons of questions and digging around for answers I have been able to ease much of the costs associated with MS and living with a disability.

You have to be your own advocate, do your own research and never stop asking questions! You may not be able to control the progression of your MS but that should never stop you from taking control of your own health care.

Multiple sclerosis explained by someone living with it

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Those long lists on medical sites that describe multiple sclerosis really don’t tell the full story. They list out symptoms that make MS sound no different than a vacation to the hospital for a broken toe. So here is MS according to someone who actually lives with it. Yes, there is humor in there somewhere. You just gotta laugh at MS or you will go crazy.

  1. FATIGUE

    Much like someone who has just hiked 20 miles up a steep hill after two days of no sleep while carrying a backpack loaded with rocks on the hottest day of the year… that is fatigue. It’s that moment when your legs can no longer hold you up and every muscle, bone, and even eyelid hurts. Then as soon as you sit down (or more like fall down) you are asleep. A tornado could blow by and you would sleep right through it.

  2. WALKING DIFFICULTIES

    No we aren’t drunk, but imagine those times when you have experienced being drunk yourself. You attempt to walk across the floor with full intentions of simply going from your chair to the door but end up walking into walls and tables instead.

  3. SPASTICITY

    A constant charlie horse in the legs is more like it, but sadly it’s not just in the legs. Any muscle can be affected. We also have a tendency to involuntarily twitch and kick without warning. So if you say something stupid and we hit you in the head…oops, we’re sorry. That was an involuntary spastic moment.

  4. NUMBNESS

    Do you remember a time when you were sitting on the floor with your legs crossed and your foot fell asleep? Now imagine living with that feeling every minute of the day, only it’s not just in your legs. Many of us have that very feeling in our arms, legs, face and body.

  5. VISION PROBLEMS

    We don’t enjoy seeing two of everything unless it’s chocolate, or not being able to read an email on the computer because the words are blurry. Many of us will lose color clarity as well. So, if we are wearing uncoordinated clothes, don’t laugh. We didn’t know we were wearing bright neon green.

  6. DIZZINESS & VERTIGO

    You know that feeling you get when you are sure you’ve entered an unknown universe for a split second because you stood up too fast? Everything goes blank and things in the room begin to move around? Yeah, we live there. Who needs an amusement park when we have a roller coaster in our heads everywhere we go. We can tilt our head a certain direction and we’re off on the most exhilarating ride of our life.

  7. BLADDER & BOWEL PROBLEMS

    Long bathroom lines are our enemy. We can’t hold it and will give you a reason to mop the floor if you don’t let us cut in line. We can go from the extreme of not being able to go, to “I gotta go NOW!” One positive in it all, if you ever need to know where the nearest bathroom is… just ask. We know the fastest escape route to every bathroom on the planet.

  8. COGNITIVE DIFFICULTIES

    We forget often: scheduled appointments, birthdays, someone’s name, words, phone numbers and even how to do something we’ve done for years. Multitasking is out of the question. And asking us to deal with a difficult situation that requires deep thought may be met with a blank stare because we simply can’t get our brain to work.

  9. PAIN

    Yes, we experience pain. Lots of it, too. It’s not pain like when someone is stepping on your foot either. We are in pain because our nerves are misfiring and sending incorrect signals to our brain. And just in case you were wondering, Tylenol doesn’t help. You have to stop the communication process, not the actual pain. Sadly, MS pain never gives us a day off or allows for a time-out.

  10. SWALLOWING PROBLEMS

    If you invite us over for dinner and offer us a deliciously cooked steak and we decline, choosing to eat a bowl of soup instead, don’t be offended. Sometimes the effort of chewing and then trying to swallow what we just chewed is difficult. It’s MS’s fault, not your cooking… although, if you met my neighbor you would have a different story to tell.

  11. HEAT & COLD INTOLERANCE

    Heat causes chaos to our already damaged nerves making our symptoms a hundred-trillion times worse than normal. Add humidity to the mix and it becomes an unbearable situation. The cold is just as bad for many of us. Someone once said that there’s a place where the temperature is perfect all year long. It’s called “My Imagination.” Have you heard of it?

  12. SPEECH PROBLEMS

    Aside from the long pauses we take as we search to remember words, our voice can sound weak, winded, choppy and soft. Many times people will ask us to speak up, and although we would like to and even try, we can’t seem to get the words out any louder. Drive-thru ordering can be comical…“So, you want lettuce and popcorn on your hamburger? Really?” Regardless, we have a lot of wisdom, so pause and take the time to hear it.

  13. EMOTIONAL CHANGES

    Mood swings are real and we have them more than we like to admit. We have been known to burst out laughing at the most inappropriate times, like when someone is sharing a sad story about how their pet fish died. We also cry for no reason, get angry faster than normal and become extremely frustrated at things that never frustrated us before. After all, our life has flipped upside down and we are living in a world we don’t understand anymore.

  14. ITCHING

    Oh, the terrors. Itch, itch, itch…scratch, scratch, scratch…and not one mosquito in sight. We probably look like a ninja contortionist as we uncontrollably scratch at different parts of our body without any visible reason, but when our skin itches we just want it to stop. We have been known to scratch our skin raw in the process.

  15. TREMORS

    No, we don’t have Parkinson’s Disease… although it does look similar. Our hands, head, and sometimes whole body, can go through bouts of uncontrollable shaking and we can’t make it stop. We would make a good breakfast chef if anyone’s hiring. When it comes to cooking scrambled eggs we could whisk those eggs to pure fluffiness.

  16. BREATHING PROBLEMS

    MS can cause muscle weakness in our respiratory muscles giving us one of the most uncomfortable hugs ever. The MS Hug feels like a boa constrictor has wrapped itself around our torso and refused to let go. Good news: we are still breathing. Bad news: we have yet to discover the secret to breathing fire. I blame my breathing difficulties on the fact that my dad took my nose when I was 3 years old and forgot to give it back.

  17. HEARING LOSS

    Hearing loss, fluttering sounds, and ringing in the ears can be frustrating. For many, it feels like water has been trapped in the ear muffling sounds. Between that and the ringing, we carry around our own heavy metal band in our head. Although, sometimes our lack of hearing can be voluntary due to people being ignorant and saying stupid things that we don’t want to regret responding to later.

  18. SEXUAL PROBLEMS

    Something people don’t like to talk about, but just because sex isn’t talked about doesn’t mean it’s not a problem. Numb body parts, disrupted nerve signals and emotional changes make intimacy 100 times more challenging. Lots of patience, understanding and care is needed. Well, that and maybe some chocolate, or bacon…or chocolate covered bacon.

  19. HEADACHES

    Our headaches can be caused by many things: medications, lack of sleep, damaged nerve receptors, depression, a bladder infection, steroids, stress, and of all things… annoying questions. “Have you taken an aspirin?” is not an appropriate question to ask us about our pain. Neither is a response telling us it’s all just in our head. Really? MS…in our head? Who would have thought?

  20. SEIZURES

    Not all seizures are the same. It’s possible for us to have the typical kind with uncontrollable jerking movements, but we can also experience lapses of consciousness without any movement at all, experience a “drop attack” where our legs turn to jello causing us to drop to the floor, and have moments when we appear to be wide awake but are completely non-responsive. Those are all considered types of seizures, not new dance moves.

Bladder issues with multiple sclerosis

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I have had an SPC (suprapubic catheter) for over 7 years now. It’s a device that is surgically inserted into the bladder to drain urine because I can’t properly urinate on my own. At the beginning of my multiple sclerosis journey I was having problems being able to void my bladder. I lost muscle control which caused me a lot of problems. My MRI showed lesions on my spine where the bladder is controlled. They cut off my ability to use my bladder muscles.

I used to say my bladder was conspiring against me because as soon as I would get home from work and opened the front door, my bladder would let loose and I would have a puddle in my entryway to clean up along with myself. When the urologist suggested an SPC I thought that was the answer to my problems. That is until I discovered some issues with living with an SPC. No one tells you about that.

What I discovered is that sometime the catheter doesn’t drain properly because of bladder stone, increased sediment in the bladder, unwelcome UTI’s and of all things, a faulty catheter. Yesterday I called home health because my catheter was clogged and wouldn’t drain. Every time I drank something, within 15 minutes I was uncontrollably peeing on myself meaning the catheter wasn’t draining as it should. I had a load of laundry after two days of fighting with the clog.

When the nurse came to change my catheter I was so glad because I needed my coffee. It’s crazy how that was my main thought. Not the problem with cleaning things up constantly or running out of clean clothes or even a clogged catheter, but coffee. As I’m writing this I’m enjoying a fresh cup of coffee. Ah, yum! I’m glad a catheter change worked.

If you would have told me MS had this kind of trouble I wouldn’t have believed you. I thought a catheter was a good thing, but I have noticed it can be a blessing and a curse. That’s true for a lot of MS symptoms. I always thought my tremors were a curse but I discovered that when I uncontrollably kick someone or slap someone that says something stupid, I can blame it on MS. Oops… sorry, that was a spastic moment.

Or when I forget an important event that I really wasn’t interested in. Oops… sorry, my brain doesn’t work right and I forgot. (grin)

Or when I can’t remember a show that I previously watched… that’s just my reason to watch it again and be surprised at the outcome.

There’s always a way to look at things differently. Don’t take a life with MS too seriously. Besides smiling is a lot better than a frown. It helps your immune system to function more effectively. It is thought that when you smile, your immune function improves because you are more relaxed. So smile! It does a body good.