MS Has Got Me Going In Circles

MS Has Got Me Going In Circles

Another day, another symptom, oh...wait, an increase of a symptom.  There is a litany of symptoms that accompany MS.  There is crippling fatigue, vision problems, memory and concentration problems, balance problems, sleeping problems, incontinence problems, numbness and tingling, well you get my drift.  For as many symptoms that are present with MS, there is a drug to assist in either alleviating it, or at least living with it.  On any given day I deal with many or all of these symptoms. Today, it is vertigo.

Dizziness is a common symptom of MS. People with MS may feel off balance or lightheaded. Much less often, we have the sensation that our  surroundings are spinning, this is a condition known as vertigo. Today, I have spinning. I always fear the feeling of dizziness or vertigo.  It makes me nauseous most of the time and unfortunately, after years of dealing with this disease it normally is a precursor to a relapse.  A medication that I am prescribed for vertigo is Atarax.  Atarax can be prescribed in place of Antivert. These drugs reduce the histamine levels in the central nervous system. It is also used to reduce anxiety, but used for neurology patients to reduce the symptoms of vertigo and reduce nausea.  Well...today all the medication that I am taking is not diminishing the nausea or this vertigo.

I, like any other human being have things to do throughout the day. Just because I am no longer able to work, does not mean I sit and watch soap operas all day.  My children are with me throughout the day for school. And no, I do not homeschool them. They attend school online, and their classroom is wherever there is a computer. Vertigo does not care that I have a home to take care of, children to assist in school and a wife and mother to be.  It is, debilitating.  Besides being nauseated, I do not like the feeling of the room spinning.  I hear well intended advice of resting, lying down to combat the vertigo.  This unfortunately does little to alleviate the symptoms of vertigo where literally everything seems to be spinning including the bed you lie in.

As I "rest" I heard an oldie but goodie this morning. The beautiful ballad of "You Got Me Going In Circles", song by the group, Friends of Distinction.  When I heard the song as I was trying to get out of bed and stop my spinning world, I thought, "How appropriate!" MS does many things, robs us of many things, and today...it has me going in circles

 

MS Awareness

I love that in the month of March we have an awareness week for bringing attention to multiple sclerosis and our efforts to find a cure.  This past week was actually MS Awareness Week.  I appreciate and I am quite sure that all of us who live with, and on some days, suffer from multiple sclerosis appreciate the week, the month, the walking, the biking, the Walleye fishing  events, the banquets, the teleconferences, the meetings etc.  But many of us who have multiple sclerosis know that our awareness pertaining to this disease is not only March, but, January, February, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. 

Our journey with MS just does not stop and start in March.  Our journey is daily.  Daily we check our physical and our mental health.  Before I get out of bed, I give thanks for a new day and pray that this day will be a good day.  Daily I wake up taking a mental check to see how my body is feeling on any given day.   I have to make sure that my limbs are in working order, that my vision problems are at a minimum and track my body aches and pains to see if they are new or something from before. This is my life and I am pretty sure that many other people with MS feel the same way.

 One thing that I do like about MS Awareness is there is a flurry of activity and interest in the disease. This is the time people remember that, hey, Carla Has MS.  I get emails and Facebook messages regarding how I am feeling, what medications I am on and exactly what is MS and the big question...Is it contagious? I no longer get upset with this question because people just do not understand this illness, even family members.  They do not understand my limitations, the noncontagiousness of the disease etc. I come from a family full of Type A personalities who believe that if you don't move it you lose it. And yes, with MS you have to keep mobile to combat against spasticity.   I too understand this notion, but...there are limits to what I can now do.  I cannot go constantly with no breaks. Those days are long gone. And I am okay with that. This is my life now, there is nothing that I can do about it and its okay.  I know that my family and I deal with the ramifications of MS daily. There are good days and then there are series of bad days. This is my life. This is my awareness. My MS Awareness is not just in the month of March, or the week of awareness, but daily.  That is my awareness, and I am okay with that.  

Today I continue to be aware, as is my family and friends.  But, thanks for the MS Awareness week and month, but please don't forget about us when it is not March. We are still here. Our MS Awareness is today, tomorrow and forever more. 

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