I have had multiple sclerosis for 18 years. It was Valentines Day 1998 when my symptoms started. Three days later I couldn’t really walk. First I saw an orthopedist he took one look at me and sent me to a neurologist. When he told me that it was probably MS. I cried. I cried because I really didn’t know what the hell MS was or what that was going to mean to my life.
So here I am 18+ years later and this is what I’ve learned about MY multiple sclerosis. I’ve had numerous exacerbations through the years that sometimes I’d fully recover from, somethings not. There is ABSOLUTELY no rhyme or reason to this disease. You can’t guesstimate at times when you may have a relapse or do something specific to prevent them. Hopefully the medicine you take helps keep your MS quiet, that’s there goal, but eventually most people, including myself, move to secondary MS which progression is not specific to an exacerbation.
I wake up 6 out of 7 days and workout. Sometimes I push myself and it effects my ms symptom for the whole day, sometimes I’m good the day. On the one day I don’t work out, you’d think that would be my strongest day but most times it’s my worst…no reason just is. My mother said it best “each day you wake up with X amount of steps in you. Whether that X is 10,000 steps or 1,000 steps varies everyday. You don’t know until the day starts”. It basically sums up the truth. I’ve now have many assistive devices in my house and in my car to get around but I AM getting around. I do what I can and if I can’t do something I don’t. I don’t let MS dictate my life. It’s very rare it gets in the way. Yes I’ve had to modify many things to make it work but the point is IT DOES WORK. I have MS and I’m ok and anyone out there will be ok too. Xoxo