This is why Multiple Sclerosis stinks

It has been a week since I begin the poor eating that gave me so many problems walking (or maybe it was the stress surrounding my recent trip to Chicago -- my favorite city on the planet). I have had two days of relatively good eating yet I have had no reprieve on the poor walking. This is why MS stinks.

I know that when you have a Multiple Sclerosis flare up, if you do not get rid of the symptoms, it is likely to become permanent damage. I can't seem to kick this flare up and it is pretty bad, minimizing my ability to walk well even more. I could get on steroids but I think I have had them too often when I have an Multiple Sclerosis flare ups and I am concerned they are going to cease being effective. So what do I do?

This disease stinks.

Food and Multiple Sclerosis

Did you know that the food you eat may very well affect your quality of life with Multiple Sclerosis?

When you eat a heavy pasta meal, don't you feel so full that you want to take a nap? Since everything seems to impact those more with MS, I notice that not only am I full, but my symptoms are heightened. In my case, it is a greater struggle for me to walk after I eat certain foods. Here is my most recent experience:

I was spending the weekend in Chicago with my husband. Chicago is a walking city with lots of amazing food (which I ate because it was so delicious). I could barely walk by the time I left. I could not enjoy the city because I indulged in these foods which seem to heighten the effects of Multiple Sclerosis and therefore I was not functioning at my best:

- wheat (which means almost any bread product)
- dairy
- chocolate and sugar
- beef

Try eliminating these foods from your diet. You may be very surprised at your functionality with your Multiple Sclerosis!!

Everything is heightened with MS

Did you know that everything is a little worse if you have Multiple Sclerosis?

- The heat stops me from walking easily.
- The cold makes me stiffer.
- A cold or sickness makes it harder for me to walk - even just a fever puts enough stress on me to impact my balance and gait.
- Poor quality food choices do the same thing.
- A headache now wipes me out.
- Missed sleep leaves me utterly fatigued.

I have noticed that two things make it easier for me to palette any one of the above things. Occasional sublingual B12 dots and surprisingly enough...coconut oil taken at every meal.
Coconut oil seems to give me energy and help my walking more than anything else. Check out www.coconutoilhealthbenefits.com

Multiple Sclerosis- I hate shots!!

Do you go through the trauma of injecting yourself with one of the disease-modifying medications every time you take a shot? I do. It has become so awful and stressful that I have contemplated not taking the shots for my Multiple Sclerosis. This is a bad place to be.

The only weapon I have against this terrible disease is the ABC drugs. I know that this is my best fight right now against MS but I hate it with a passion. I believe my stress centers around the injector tool. The one that accompanies Rebif is not nearly as good as the self-injector that I used when I was on Copaxone. Therefore, it takes me so much longer to inject and therein lies my stress.

My husband gave me my shot for the first time yesterday (I am certain he can not bear the agony of watching me go through this every other day) and it was not nearly as much trauma. It was fast, too. Who would have thought that I (a control freak) could relinquish this duty to someone else. Hmmm.

Multiple Sclerosis and weight loss

Okay, so I am doing my best to eat healthy, workout and manage my stress. Today I have the stiffest legs ever. When I am really trying hard to do all of the right things for my disease (keeping mobile and staying away from junk food and stress), it stinks that it can still kick my butt. Therein lies my frustration that we MSers deal with everyday.

But I digress...

I am really focused on healthy eating and exercise because I notice I am not as mobile as I used to be and I am really looking flabby. It is an even greater uphill battle -- that is one to have MS and try to lose weight at the same time.

Any suggestions? I am getting older so I am fighting that battle, too. When I do slim down, it will be for good as I can't risk being fat and not being able to walk. May as well look good as I am teetering around!!

Are you exercising? Don't let your Multiple Sclerosis be your excuse not to!!!
Have you noticed with Multiple Sclerosis that the more you don’t feel “normal” the more you don’t feel normal? I constantly tell myself that I feel great, I will walk “normal” again and that not every day is a bad day. [Side note: Have you noticed also that a lot of people with Multiple Sclerosis seem to have an amazing attitude? I have challenges walking, but I am still walking. I am amazed when I talk to people much worse off than me and find that they are far more optimistic than I am with a much better attitude. Hmmm. I see this a lot with people that suffer from MS. Obviously I need to learn something here.]

But I digress...back to the topic. For example, I may be really stiff which would give me a reason not to workout. However, I know that if I just go workout I won’t be so stiff and movement will be easier. The more I lay around, the stiffer I become.

Lack of mobility breeds immobility.
With MS, your body stiffens up and it is difficult to move. You have to exercise to minimize the stiffness. I notice a similar phenomena with my 74 year-old father who has a dropped foot and walks with a cane. The more he sits in his cozy recliner, the less he wants to get out and walk. Yet moving today often impacts our future mobility.

Push yourself to the limits to which you are comfortable.
I can no longer do the treadmill but I can go for 40 minutes on the elliptical trainer. Lifting weights is harder for me than it used to be but I keep lifting as I can feel the battle going on in my body where the disease is trying to minimize my strength. I can't lift what I used to but if I don't keep taxing these muscles, their power will dwindle away. This is a battle that I am going to fight!

Get up and get out – your future depends on it!