Monthly Archives: November 2009

Thanksgiving Blessing

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Happy Thanksgiving…Here’s an Irish blessing that I pass along to you:


“An Old Irish Blessing”

May love and laughter light your days
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

Posted in Blog

Guest Writer

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I’m getting ready for Thanksgiving and the approaching Christmas/Chanukah season, so it’s nice to hand over the reins to another writer this week. Mary Ellen Ward blogs about different health topics and she has offered this stress-reducing piece for your consideration:
“Managing MS Through the Holiday Season”

Multiple sclerosis (MS) can be a debilitating and very challenging disease to live with. For those who are afflicted, they may suffer from any number of symptoms. These symptoms can make daily life seem like a complicated process. Before you give up and feel that the traditions and life that you were once used to are gone, know that there are simple and effective ways to cope with them throughout the year. As the holidays approach, it’s important to keep in tune with your symptoms. Though MS may vary in intensity for those who are affected with it, managing the symptoms is always an important aspect of this disease. As the holidays can tend to bring about a great deal of gatherings, activities, and potentially stress, it’s important to know how to manage MS at this time of year.

Get Your Rest

Not only do you need to get a good night of sleep, but it’s a good idea to plan for a nap whenever possible. As fatigue is one of the most common symptoms associated with MS, you don’t want this to overtake you. Getting your rest is also a good idea to help with other symptoms such as muscle pain and stiffness. So whatever you are doing or wherever you are heading for the holidays, be sure to plan for some much needed rest. This can allow you to still enjoy yourself and time with loved ones, but not let MS get the best of you.

Avoid Unnecessary Stress

Though stress isn’t good for anyone, it can cause the symptoms of MS to become much more difficult to cope with. If you suffer from MS, it’s a good idea to avoid stressful situations. Any stress that you feel can make the pain associated with MS much more severe. Stress can also inhibit your ability to rest well, and this can cause a downward spiral with all of the symptoms that you suffer. Learning to manage your stress and limit your worry or concern can be a helpful tactic in coping with MS, particularly during the holidays.

Keep with Your Treatment Plan

Even if you’re planning to travel for the holidays, it’s important to keep up with your treatment plan. Take your medication as prescribed, as this is one of the most important aspects of living with MS. Be sure to pack your medication and don’t miss a dose as it can result in symptoms flaring up. If your doctor has you involved in some sort of physical activity, do your best to get it in even if it’s in a modified manner. It’s important to be diligent about keeping to your treatment plan. Though the holidays can be packed full of fun activities and it can be easy to forget, sticking to your treatment plan is essential at all times.

***Mary Ellen Ward blogs about how to choose among LPN to RN degrees.


Posted in MS and Emotions

New Non-Profit MS Anthology

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I’m looking forward to getting a copy of this new multiple sclerosis book I’ve recently discovered. Two of my favorite online writers, Diane and Joan, have been included in an MS anthology that gives patients’ stories about the trials and victories of living with multiple sclerosis. The book is Voices of Multiple Sclerosis: The Healing Companion, with more than 30 individual stories about dealing with the condition:

States Diane: “LaChance Publishing has sold books filled with the personal stories of those whose lives have been touched by breast and lung cancer, autism, Alzheimer’s, and most recently multiple sclerosis. The “Voices of…” book series is critically acclaimed, and 100% of the net proceeds go toward the foundation Debra LaChance has started. Read about The Healing Project and buy a book for yourself or a loved one who is dealing with a health condition in the book series.”

“When I was first diagnosed with MS, I searched (and purchased) any MS book I could find. I still have them all. But, with the exception of a few autobiographies, there were no stories about the experiences of regular people. I had learned the technical aspects of my new friend (multiple sclerosis), but I would have given anything for a book like The Voices of Multiple Sclerosis. Not only does it cover, in easy-to-understand terms, all the facts about MS, but it is also filled with short stories written by others with MS, as well as those who care for someone with the condition. And unlike many other books, it is light-weight and easy to hold. I couldn’t put it down until I’d read every story. I am honored to have one of my stories included in this book.”

***Voices of Multiple Sclerosis is available in bookstores, at online booksellers ( Amazon.com), in most major libraries, and at LaChance Publishing. This would make a great holiday gift for the newly diagnosed, veteran MSers, or anyone who wants to better understand multiple sclerosis.


Posted in Book Reviews, News / Research

Bringing My MS Story Up-to-Date

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I don’t have the desire to talk about MS today: I imagine a lot of patients go through such times when the disease is not in the foreground. I think people DO go through phases where the disease is raging and it is all-encompassing. Writing about it then becomes a source of release. Or it’s a new diagnosis and everything is a new discovery. Or patients have a more progressive variety and there are challenges to overcome and milestones to mark. Right now I fit into none of these latter categories. However, I have noticed that I never brought my personal MS story up to the present date, and so I’ll try to get up to speed and continue where I left off. Looks like about a year ago….

I pretty much found the attack of summer 2008 to be less severe than the attack of summer 2006. Thankfully. For some reason, I’ve only had full-blown, acute attacks since starting my disease-modifying med in 2005. I was on it regularly by 2006— after problems with the flu-like side-effects—and I have had a ceasing of small, vague attacks. The larger attacks have also become what I would call “watered down.” Thankfully. My MS is currently manageable and the attacks have become fewer with more time in between. Thankfully.

In the summer of 2008, I won my disability case. I have since picked myself back up and I’ve been volunteering at one of our county library branches for several hours a week, doing database entry for the system’s volunteer program and also processing used kids’ books for a literacy program with the county’s foster care program. This venture in particular makes my heart sing! I’ve also continued to be a library English conversation group leader for foreign-born patrons interested in bettering their conversation skills. I had to stop this for a while back in the spring of 2008, when I began to bite off more than I could chew. Thankfully I got back to it and it’s now been running since 2006. Love it and I love the patrons who remind me all the time how lucky we are to live in the U.S. (no matter the politics du jour.)

I’m now anticipating some volunteer work through our local hospital system….Just waiting for my paperwork and TB test results to come back. I like that the hospital treats volunteers with the thoroughness of actual employees. Good structure.

I’m also taking online classes through my local community college just for enjoyment. Psychology. I’m currently reading Dr. Carl Rogers’ On Becoming a Person, which tracks his thoughts on the Humanistic psychotherapy movement. I DO find it fascinating: I love to hear all sorts of takes on life and what makes it go round. Now I’m contemplating what to take in the spring. Possibly a graduate social work class. At Rutgers University. And I’ll leave the house to do it!

The freelance writing has been pretty good (although a little bumpy) this past year, but I’m grateful to be able to use one of my interests to make a little side income. Social Security Disability Insurance can be tough to live off of.

Notice this post is not so much about my multiple sclerosis, but what has developed in spite of it. The only event that marked this past year and reminded me COMPLETELY that the MS lurks in the background was a searing bladder infection in the beginning of this summer. Caused a faux exacerbation that originally felt like a full-blown attack. It wasn’t. Thankfully. So no small/vague or large/acute attacks now for almost a year and a half. My record is close to two years (between 2006 and 2008.) Now it’s autumn of 2009 and I’m about my baseline normal, which is manageable. I’m looking forward to the holidays and the arrival of oral medications in the spring of 2010. My neurologist, whom I trust with my life, has approved me for either of the first two coming out. We’ll see about insurance coverage at that time. I’m just ever-thankful that I am not only living but THRIVING with multiple sclerosis….. Sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw. And who knows why? But I feel the need to make the most of what I CAN control.

Posted in My Own MS Journey