MS Strength

I must confess here that I’ve been away from this site and it has felt GOOD. I remember when I was going through tough times with my MS, I’d post at least once a week and tell my continuing story. Now not so much. And I’m thinking it’s because I’ve been doing relatively well with this condition. Things have picked up in terms of manageable employment and an opportunity to do a graduate program. However, I do feel the whispers of multiple sclerosis when I’m immersed in the “real world”, where things run at lightning speed and others expect me to juggle many tasks because that’s what grown-ups do. So being back out in the “real world” has been good but it’s also been a tad bit isolating: I don’t go at lightning speed and I don’t cram my schedule with too much to do. I’ve been burned by this in the past. So I have almost become more aware of my MS and how it makes me different when I am out with non-MSers. There’s nothing wrong with this— I know this in theory. But I do have a nagging feeling of, “I have multiple sclerosis” when I get out into the world. So it’s good and it’s not so good. This is my thought today as I manage to do homework and consider how I’m going to perform a watered-down schedule this week to keep up my strength. My inside world freely acknowledges this and I almost forget my MS. My outside reality, however, reminds me that I am a product of my multiple sclerosis and that I have adapted my lifestyle, for better or worse.

Wow! I haven’t written at this website in ages. I must tell you that I’m currently swamped with work for my graduate program: a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) degree. I’ve had a dream of getting a graduate degree for quite a while—  I’m not sure why, besides the fact that I love to learn. I simply have this goal on my list of “life to-do’s.” This being said, I am also trying to log a more basic accomplishment list for day-to-day triumphs. As you probably know, living with multiple sclerosis can take a toll on your ego when your abilities wax and wane (or completely disappear) and you find yourself feeling less than accomplished.

Take heart: although we are challenged on a daily basis, we can track what we achieve, because it ALL COUNTS. I used to think that major accomplishments were necessary to feel important or validated. I have to be candid and completely honest with you now— some days just getting out of bed IS the day’s accomplishment! It’s true. So I log this achievement and treasure what it means on particularly challenging days.

Here are some ideas for you to start your own MS accomplishment log:

• choose an inviting notebook to log your achievements
• set up your log in a simple manner, much like a journal with daily entries
• you can list your daily accomplishments or write about them in paragraph form
• remember: no accomplishments are too small (include the fact that you made the bed or swept the entryway, if these are challenging tasks for you)
• don’t feel compelled to list a certain amount of daily accomplishments– this is your space to state positive achievements, whatever the number
• this log can be much like a gratitude journal where you give thanks for what is possible

This will be your log, so make it as personal and as uplifting as you like. Pat yourself on the back for making dinner one day, or for enduring a long day at the office. Whatever you do, it is important to YOU and it COUNTS. Over time you can look back and see all of the positive things you’ve achieved on a day-to-day basis and this will help you in challenging times to remember how absolutely vital you are and how far you go, in spite of MS.

Good luck!

I recently learned this tip for enlarging text fonts on all websites, thanks to a friend on Facebook. I figured I’d share it, considering many of us with multiple sclerosis not only have MS-related visual problems, but we also just suffer from the great leveler: AGING!

Here goes:

To increase or decrease font size, simply hit Ctrl (Control) + or – , depending on your needs.