May is MS awareness month

photo credit

I have MS. I think life is pretty good, usually. Occasionally I have some wild and wooly symptoms, but for the most part my life is normal. I have been lucky enough that most symptoms resolve and mostly go away. Ive also had long enough now to get used to the idea of MS. I think I could continue to roll with things even if they get a bit more serious. Maybe. Who knows? It might never come to that.

I also have great family members, friends and a super hero spouse. It makes a big difference.

So, May is MS Awareness Month. I thought I’d post a link to it just for some general info. And I found this a while ago – it’s another blogger’s descriptions of symptoms that I’ve also enjoyed and how they feel.

Can You Imagine?

Have you ever had your leg fall asleep? Then you are familiar with that “pins and needles” feeling. It usually passes once circulation is restored to the leg. Now imagine having that “pins and needles” feeling in both legs constantly.

Have you ever had your picture taken and accidentally looked at the flashbulb as the flash went off? Then you are familiar with that “burned out” spot in your eyes. It usually clears up in a fairly short period of time. Now imagine having that burned out spot grow larger and larger until it covers your entire visual field. Then imagine that spot staying with you for months.

Have you ever stood up too quickly and felt dizzy, disoriented? Maybe the room spins? Then you are familiar with vertigo or lightheadedness. It usually passes within a few minutes. Now imagine having that vertigo all day and all night.

Have you ever over-exercised, maybe too much hard work in the garden or too many weekend-sports games, and felt shin splints or sore muscles the next day or two? Then you are familiar with the discomfort of really tight and sore muscles, or “spasticity.” It usually passes in a few days and is relieved with aspirin and BenGay. Now imagine having spasticity in your legs constantly regardless of your physical activity.

Have you ever pulled an “all-nighter,” maybe driving all night or staying up to watch a game that runs into triple overtime or to study for finals? Have you felt really tired the next day, a little weak and unable to think clearly and no amount of coffee with help you? Then you are familiar with fatigue. It usually passes after a day or two of catching up on sleep. Now imagine having that type of fatigue constantly.

Have you ever had a little too much to drink? Maybe had some parts of your body go numb? Maybe been a little dizzy? Maybe a little uncoordinated, tripping over things and not being able to hold you glass very well? Maybe your speech got slurred? Maybe you couldn’t see or think straight? It usually passes when you sober up. Now imagine being like that all the time, without the pleasure of a glass of wine.

If you can imagine all of these things, then you can imagine what it feels like to have just a few of the symptoms of MS. What I described are only some of the symptoms that I have experienced, and I have not experienced the worst that MS has to offer a victim. Can you imagine even worse symptoms.

Now, can you imagine a day when we won’t need to have this conversation? Can you imagine a day when there is cure for MS? Can you imagine a day when there is treatment to reverse the damage that MS has already done? I can. That’s what gives me hope.

And I can’t imagine a life without hope.

That pretty much sums it up.

homemade sore muscle soak

We helped my mom move into a new home today. I love my mom, but she is a few boxes short of an episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive. I’m not sure that she has fully realized yet that she moved into a smaller house with what amounts to almost 3 households worth of stuff. I was overwhelmed looking at all of it, but thanks to a house full of friends, neighbours and relatives, we were able to make some sense of a few rooms. At least we were able to set up the kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom for them. There are still 3 bedrooms, a storage room, a laundry room, a full basement and a garage full of stuff to deal with. Plus there are still several truckloads in storage.

Today was another reminder of the benefit of being a good neighbour – you have people willing to help you when you need it.

Because of my MS, I get sore easily, and though I know I should stop before that happens, it sometimes takes my body longer than it should to tell me when enough is enough. So tonight I am sore. But I did have all the ingredients on hand to mix up some sore muscle soak, so there is ibuprophen and a hot bath in my future.

The soak is a combination of a few recipes out there (like most of my recipes are) and contains epsom salts (helps to reduce inflammation, relieve aches and pains from muscle cramps, works as a muscle relaxer, helps remove toxins from your body and is apparently a natural emollient for your skin), sea salt (helps remove lactic acid build up that occurs in sore muscles) and baking soda (softens water and apparently helps you absorb the epsom salt).

I also add 3 drops each of eucalyptus and rosemary to the bath. Eucalyptus for purifying, oxygenating and energizing and rosemary for detoxifying, energizing and uplifting. Or so they claim. I like the way they smell.

I might repeat this again tomorrow night, after being dressing room mom to a group of 20 6-10 year olds for the ice skating Carnival tomorrow. That’s 4 changes of costume, each requiring removal and retying of skates. Did I mention there are 20 of them? And 3 moms.

Homemade Sore Muscle Bath Soak

• 1 Cup Epsom Salts
• 1/4 Cup Sea Salts
• 1/4 Cup Baking Soda
• 3 drops each of eucalyptus essential oil and rosemary essential oil

Mix together in a small bowl, fill bathtub with hot water and put the salt mixture in under the faucet as it is filling. Soak for at least 20 minutes, preferably with some music, a good book and the door locked so that small kids can’t enter. If you are anything like me, you will be ready to pour yourself into bed immediately afterward.

Linking to Frugally Sustainable, Six Sister’s Stuff, Natasha in Oz, Our Simple Farm, I {heart} Naptime, A Pinch of Joy, Sorta Crunchy