I didn’t sleep well yesterday. Actually I barely slept. It’s been a very long time since I had a night like that. I don’t do well with lack of sleep, most MS patients don’t. For me personally, lack of sleep can create a very bad day. Luckily, I’m home today. I’ll be cooking in the morning. This afternoon my air conditioner/heater in my bedroom is being fixed. I end today with my MS fitness trainer in my pool.

I have to say, my fatigue, which use to be my most difficult symptom, has really not caused me too many problems lately. It finally occurred to me why. I plan my activities and days much differently now. I know which of my daily activities are going to cause me to fatigue and I plan my day accordingly. I also have to say, having an aid has been a huge difference. I still fatigue, but the difference is I’m able to sit down and not move through most of my fatigue episodes so they pass. A luxury I certainly didn’t have a year ago. I didn’t have it two years ago when I was working either. That’s where the biggest difference for me managing the fatigue has been.

Sure there are unexpected days where I just am having a bad day and I fatigue doing very little. There are days that when I’m sitting down I fall asleep. There are days where moving my feet just to get up to go to the bathroom are truly exhausting. I’m certainly not saying the symptoms are gone. I have just learned how to manage it a little better. I have learned to prepare for it better. Like when I’m swimming, even tonight with my fitness coach, I know that after I am done, and showered (exhausting workout and then exhausting shower), I’m done. I can sit down on the couch and not move easily for an hour. I also know I have no plans for the evening so I can truly sit here after I maybe eat and feed my dogs for the rest the night. Thereby, regaining strength. That’s how I manage my fatigue symptoms.

I think it holds true with most MS symptoms. I find that I have to plan most of my days. I’ve also become a creature of habit and I don’t like to deviate from those plans. Spontaneous doesn’t work for me anymore. It’s how I’ve learned to manage my symptoms from fatigue to spasticity. It is also how I manage my medicine and when I am taking it. Some things make me tired or loopy so I need to be home when I take them. This is partly why I’m home so much, it is the plan that works best for me at this current stage. Every person has a different path with MS and has to figure out what works best for them. What works for you?