One Year Down, How Many to Go?

With the month of May coming to a close I'm reminded of how quickly this last year has went by.

Many things have changed, some good and some that I find hard to wrap my mind around, those of which aren't mentioned below :)

I realized very quickly at how stress can make an MS relapse happen in the blink of an eye with back to back flare ups last summer. After a family vacation to Destin I switched over to a new position with a marketing firm that's much closer to home.

We began settling into our new hometown and found a church with great couples that welcomed us with open arms. Having that church family in our lives this past year has been such a blessing and exciting as our family begins to build new relationships.

Thanksgiving, Christmas and the new year all came quickly and was over before we could say Merry Christmas.

I lasted the whole year with only suffering two relapses, a job change, a new church, several quick trips to see family and the continuous ebb and flow of life. What I mean by life is laundry and cooking, all while putting my superwoman outfit on and tackling the marketing world on a daily basis.

In the back of my mind, I wondered throughout the first year if my treatment was working and if my body was progressing for the worst.

The only way to know is to sit through the spaceship simulator the doctors call an MRI.

At my one year check up and MRI results, there was only progression of one new lesion in my brain and zero on my spine.

While there is progression and new white matter found, it is overall a positive result that I'm extremely happy with.

I'm grateful to all of my family and friends who have continued giving their support and prayers throughout the year. I'm looking forward to the time where I can say I used to have MS. But until then, I'll ramble along through life and try my best not to fall on my face.

Attitude is Everything

I'm new to the MS community, with being diagnosed just last year, but I know one of the main tools we all have is our attitude. I find myself 'unfollowing' MSers on Twitter, because nearly everything out of their mouths, or rather 'Tweets' is negative. It drives me up the flippin' wall!

Newsflash: MS doesn't kill you.

I've watched friends and family struggle to say good bye to those they are close to. Most of the time it's from a struggle with cancer or a sudden accident that takes someone too soon from this world.

MS doesn't do that. We aren't counting the days from our diagnosis to fill as many items on our bucket list. Yes, we might be limping, falling, or mumbling while going through life, but thank God we have the opportunity to finish life.

Maybe I'm on a soap box, maybe I'm offending you, and to tell you the truth, I really don't care. If I'm offending you by my rant, please take a look at yourself and understand that attitude is everything in this uphill battle we fight every day.

Here's how I stay positive:

I'm thankful for the things and people I do have. I'm thankful for the support system that constantly surrounds me day to day.

Turn lemons into lemonade. I've heard the saying "when life give you lemons, stuff them in your bra to make your boobs bigger" - I love it! It make me laugh and really puts things into perspective. I only stuttered 3 times during the meeting at work today, better than falling 3 times! (BAM, that's how you do it).

Reward yourself with a nap. I work a full time, corporate job and then come home and cook nearly every night. I consider myself an overachiever if I'm able to do a load of laundry during the week. On Saturdays and Sundays, I snooze during the day. I rest, that keeps me happy and motivated me for the next week.

Lastly, and the most important thing, I exercise. I know what you are thinking, this is usually a depressing activity. But for me, it works. It usually relieves any headache I've been fighting the whole day and gives me a ton of energy. I walk or run until my body yells at me! Believe me, this is the best way to strengthen your outlook on life. I also pray during my runs, usually that I don't die (seriously) but also thanking God for the strength and ability I have to run. It drives me to finish and helps with my attitude for days to come.

Sorry, but I'm not sorry for my rant on attitude. We are surrounded by bad news every day, we need to support one another instead of constantly posting and tweeting negativity.

5 Sources of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is something that most Multiple Sclerosis fighters have to take in supplement. I take 5,000 unites of Vitamin D a day. I couldn't tell you if it works or it doesn't, but I always try to soak up the nutrients in what God gave us.

Here are a few ways to increase your Vitamin D intake everyday.

Soak up the Sun
I know, we aren't supposed to get too hot or else things start feeling funny, but soaking up the sun is the best way to get these vitamins. Here are the best ways to do it while staying cool:

• Take a Swim
• Sit in the Shade
• Sit inside but a window
• Use a portable fan
• Purchase a FroggTogg - These are amazing!
• Include short increments of inside/outside to stay cool

Mushrooms

I LOVE mushrooms! I can't get enough of them. I prefer them cooked over being raw in a salad, but I usually always have them on hand. Some of them are a source for what MSers need, Vitamin D. Below outlines each type of mushroom and the units of Vitamin D in each. 

Source: Mushroominfo.com

Fatty Fish

I don't eat much fish, I eat shrimp and shell fish, I just don't cook much fish. I love fried fish (freshwater bass), but I just can't fill up on a tilapia filet, not to mention, my husband usually isn't too thrilled when I do cook fish for dinner. He's more of a meat 'n potatoes type of guy. 

However, there are some ways to get Vitamin D by eating fish. These include canned tuna, salmon, sardines, and mackerel. 

Sign me up for the canned tuna, who doesn't love a tunafish sandwich? 

Fortified Foods

These include foods or drinks that have Vitamin D added to them. Think about Milk, Cheese, Cereal, and orange juice. When including these in your diet you definitely need to check the label and make sure that there is Vitamin D added to these products.

Supplements

This is what I take every night, and probably what many of you take, but also consider fish oil and cod fish oil under this. All of these can be taken as a supplement and will serve as a way to get the Vitamin D that your body really needs.

We All Have a Story - My Mother's Story

This is a guest post from my mother.

My daughter has been desperately attempting to have me write for her blog, so I finally put everything together. We all have an MS story and I wanted to share mine with you.

I was around 42 years old when I had come down with the worse case of pneumonia I had ever had. I was sick for days and unable to even care for my family. I had never been this sick, but I pushed myself to drive to Houston (nearly a 2 hour drive) to watch my daughter perform in the marching contest.

I never missed a performance and figured that I would be able to endure it. I was terribly wrong.

Soon after my bout with pneumonia, I had began tripping, falling, and breaking numerous dishes in the kitchen. I blew this off as being clumsy and needing to pay more attention to picking up my feet. I actually never put 2 & 2 together until after the MS diagnosis, my clumsiness wasn’t my fault at all, thank the good Lord!

A few short weeks pass by and the tingling began, you know the kind that you pray to go away? The kind that you try to move your arm in every position just to get some relief? Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. However, I didn’t let it phase me, I am an active parent with two children, a sophomore in high school & one in college. I really didn’t have the time to worry.

Self Diagnosis: Pulled Muscle

I just told myself, this is age and I can’t let it get me down. Until, my hand began to get worse and worse, so bad that it drew up into a fetal position.

Of course, my family started to notice and encouraged me to see my doctor. (In the back of my mind, I knew something wasn’t right, but I was never prepared for what they told me)

Starting the dreadful process of visiting your PCP, being referred to a neurologist to be quickly sent to get an MRI because of the reality check he had given me.

A stroke? Wait, I’m 42, that’s impossible. I had made myself believe it was a pulled muscle.

What a blessing that the MRI results came back with no indication of a stroke, however, there were some other issues, and that’s when it became even more real.

Something was wrong, something that they didn't know yet. The feeling of the unknown in itself can scare you half to death. 

After going ‘round & ‘round with my insurance company, I had to have 3 MRIs of only a certain amount of inches at a time, as that is what the insurance would approve.

The day finally came for me to go back to the neurologist and visit about the results. We all know that if the results are good, they tell you over the phone, but if they aren’t they make you come in. So I knew I wasn’t getting any good news. That’s when he said it, “It looks like MS.”

I looked at him thoroughly confused and asked quietly “What is MS?”

After giving me the scientific run-down of this beast of a disease, I began the next step in the process where they test you for everything under the sun to rule out things like Lupus, Celiac, and third-world diseases that no one has ever heard about…

Because he was still uncertain, I ended up having a spinal tap, which was no picnic. Can you imagine the fear of not moving while they stick a huge needle into your spine, it’s probably one of the worse pains I have ever felt. 

This came back positive for MS and I was referred to my current MS specialist in Houston. It’s been nearly 9 years since my diagnosis and I fight this disease every day. Some days are good, and some days I just need to sleep.

I keep my mind focused on what is important in life and thank God everyday that MS isn’t something that will kill you, just a hurdle (or two) you must jump every day. 

Introducing...My Sweet Mother!

I just can't contain myself, I'm so excited to share with everyone that I have finally convinced my dear mother to write some blogs on topics that I just can't cover. She has some experiences that I haven't yet had and I want her to begin sharing her journey on the blog!

Everyone clap for her, it takes alot of courage to write something and throw it up on the interwebs! 

You can begin to look for her guest posts soon. They will cover a large spectrum of topics including the below points.

Her MS Story - Everyone's Got One, So Let's Hear It! 

The Switch - Taking a Chance with Gilenya 

Ways that She copes in a Super-Stressful Job

MS & Horses - This is so interesting to me, don't miss this post! 

Older Kids & MS

Copaxone - The Scary Side Effect

I can't stress to you how cool this is going to be, we are something pretty rare within the MS community. We are going to do her perspective/my perspective of some stories, so stay tuned! 

#JustBeatIt

Is it me or does a good Michael Jackson song put you in the kind of mood when you just want to get off your butt and clean the whole house? Maybe not, but you like his music right?

I just love MJ, he makes me want to roll my windows down in the car and sing at the top of my lungs, and I can't get enough of his Beat It song! 

Man, I love it! 

The more I think about it though, I want that to be my motto, what I live by everyday. 

Just.Beat.It

There are definitely worse things that I want to say, but this is light and helps keeps your perspective while fighting MS. 

Just Beat It MS! Get out of my way, I have a life to live! 

But, it could also be for those times when fatigue is eating away at your body like the plague, you know the days when the dishes have been sitting in your sink for 4 days and you just pray nothing is growing. Take a stand and #JustBeatIt! 

What a great attitude to have in life, we can get through tingling, fatigue, those blasted headaches, and just life in general. 

I can beat it, I can thrive with this! 

So, add this hashtag to your Tweets, Facebook posts, and G+ status - It's happening! 

We will BEAT this one day at a time! 

Life's Not Fair

I sat in my Sunday School class listening to our teacher go on about how life's not fair. I wanted to stand up and scream at the top of my lungs kicking and screaming about my life. I have so many personal examples that I could give of how things aren't fair. From sudden deaths to selfish affairs, sometimes life just sucks! 

My MS is not fair. I'm 25, why do I always feel like I'm 84? I can't wrap my mind around the truth some days. I sometimes have bursts of energy where all I can do is finish a task I've been trying to complete for weeks, and that is now something that's exciting for me! 

It's so frustrating to watch others destroy their perfectly healthy bodies with drugs and alcohol. Why can't they see what they have and embrace it? Their health is something I wish I had and something that I took for granted the 24 years before being diagnosed. 

It's simply not fair and it literally makes me want to scream. Sometimes, I want to smack them across the face for their irresponsibility, surely I'm not alone in this. 

But what if we take what's 'not fair' in our lives and use it as an opportunity.

My MS sucks the life out of me some days, it literally hurts. But what if I can help others with MS or another chronic illness by being able to relate to this invisible disease? 

Perhaps, there's a reason for this diagnosis. Perhaps there's a purpose in this for my life.

I won't look back in 5 years and think hmmm what a waste of an opportunity that God gave me to serve as a witness in a struggling community. I won't waste the opportunity to build awareness of MS and what we suffer with. 

When you think about it like this, it doesn't seem so unfair right? 

When opportunity knocks, bust down the door and wrap your arms around it. There's a reason that we suffer, even if we can't see it at this moment. 

Let's take 2014 on with a smiling face not looking back and think of what we should have done or could have done with our opportunity. 

MS and Toilet Paper, More Alike Than You Think

Two weeks ago, I was upstairs playing with my 3 year old nephew in his toy room when we had the below conversation:

Me: I'm going to run downstairs to go to the bathroom
Nephew: Just go upstairs Aunt BB
Me: Well, there isn't any toilet paper upstairs, I'll be right back
Nephew: As his eyes rolled to the side of his head, he looked at me and said "Poop?"
Me: Laughing, I had to explain how girls needed toilet paper for Tee-Tee as well
Nephew: We have some upstairs, come see
Me: (I had already looked, but just to amuse the little rascal I played along)
Nephew: See Aunt BB - (He pulled off the last square inch on the roll and started laughing)

MS is like a roll of toilet paper, some days your toilet paper runs out and sometimes it falls on the floor. The times that this happens on the throne, we have to finagle a way to grasp that trusty roll without falling off the potty.

You know when you are just starting a roll off and you have to go around 4 or 5 times because only part of it is coming off, while ripping the middle? MS is like that, we get up with a fresh start to the day only to be ripped down the middle from the time we start brushing our teeth.

I'm the world's worst about replacing the toilet paper roll. When I start a new one, my typical method is to balance it on the holder and prop it up against the wall. The only time the toilet paper is properly placed on the roll is when my in-laws are coming over, not my family because they lived with me and know my habits.

But the toilet paper almost always falls on the floor, it never fails, just when I'm finishing up I drop it and it unrolls all the way across the bathroom. Don't laugh - I know it's happened to you! MS is like that, we fall, and we fall often. We always have to scramble to pick up ourselves while smiling at the onlookers to let them know that you planned to do that!

Lastly, and most importantly, toilet paper 'feels' like crap. It is used to get up close and personal with our tushies and in turn, feels crap.

MS feels like crap, everyday, all day. If my legs aren't hurting my head is hurting. If my arms aren't twitching, my eyebrow is twitching. If I'm not falling asleep at my desk, it's only by the grace of God!

The next time you go to your favorite potty for some alone time, look at that toilet paper roll (without dropping it) and realize that you can't live without it!

MS is something you can't live without. Whether you want to or not, it's the beast we live with.

Which Activity to Use for Exercise

"Go for a swim," they said. "It will help your MS," they said.

The week after my diagnosis, I knew I wanted to go to the Olympic sized pool and begin swimming, I mean, I have always heard that swimming was great for MS.

So I did what any other newly diagnosed patient would do, I went to Academy, got a fancy swimsuit that I will probably never wear again, and some earplugs and a funny cap. (Bonus: I have never worn the cap)

I built up the courage to finally go to the pool one afternoon, I begged my husband to come with me the first time, so he obliged. I might have pulled the MS card, but don't judge me!

Let me preface with a snip-it from my childhood:

I was about 6 years old when my parents put in the pool in our backyard. It was an above ground pool that was 4 feet deep - and it held so many memories from my childhood. From birthday parties, late night swims, and jumping from the roof of our house, swimming was in my blood.

I was never on the swim team, remember this post? But I was a fairly good swimmer, I even taught my friend Ashley how to swim.

So going to the Olympic sized pool in my community would be a breeze, right? W-R-O-N-G!

We arrived at the pool and there were several swimming lanes open, I looked at the life-guard and asked permission to use a lane...who does that?! He looked at me funny and said yes. My husband and I proceeded to slowly get acclimated with the cold water while watching 17 six year olds swimming laps and doing the butterfly right next to us.

So I took a deep breath, pushed off from the edge of the pool and began doing the freestyle - or rather, something that I thought was the freestyle. Before I was to the middle of my lane, I had drank about 6 gallons of water and stopped to breathe. ummm this was going to be a lot harder than I thought...

As I'm treading water, trying to get my head back to normal from so much water rushing through my nostrils, my sweet husband speeds past me. How the heck did he learn to swim? And why do I suck so bad?

I swam approximately 3.75 laps and proudly hopped out of the pool and went to put my clothes back on. I was dead, my arms were killing me and I had a headache because my nose thought it wanted a drink of water.

BUT, I went back, this time with my brother who is a pro swimmer. By pro swimmer, I mean that he wore a speedo on his High School swim team and was actually a pretty good swimmer. He made me swim with a board like the old ladies next to my lane. I actually did well and didn't take in so much water.

After a couple of months with the board I quickly realized that I'm not a swimmer. I didn't like it, plus it made my hair pretty dry from all of the chlorine. That's when I began walking and eventually running and have ever since enjoyed that activity for my exercise routine.

Whatever you do, swim, walk, under-water basket weaving, or yoga do it with everything you have and enjoy the results of feeling good and living a healthy life!  

Christmas Time is Here!

It's here! Ready or not, the time of giving, family, and relentless eating has creeped up! What a joyful time it is for families to sit around laughing and visiting about their goals and aspirations in 2014.

This will be my first Christmas season with MS and I'm putting my big girl pants on and looking forward to sleeping in January. There's no time to be down and sad during the most wonderful time of the year, right?

I've always loved Christmas and even as a 25 year old woman I continue to decorate cookies, with my nephew of course *wink wink* and sing Christmas music before Thanksgiving even makes it's entrance. Why should this year be any different?

It's not, and I won't let it!

Sure, I have the dreaded stress that comes along with every Christmas but, for my health, I'm not letting it bother me. I don't have time for that and neither does my body. I'm pushing forward to keep my focus on what's truly important this season, the birth of our Creator.

This is not the time to mope around feeling sorry for myself, it's a time to praise God for sending his Son to a world undeserving of Him. What love, what hope we have in Jesus.

I am looking at this time of the year as a blessing, with or without MS, and I encourage you to do the same! Look around and count your blessings instead of focusing on what you don't have.

I would love to be able to think straight or feel completely normal, but that's just not an option. I'm not going to take the focus of Christmas off of the Gift of Life we have been given through Christ's birth, death and resurrection and feel sorry for myself.

Whether you struggle with MS or anything else during this time of the year, take a step back and see what gifts you HAVE been given.

That's the best advice I have for a stress-free holiday, don't make it about yourself but rather what it is truly about, Jesus' Birth!

Exercising with MS

Yup, you read that right. Exercising with MS is possible! Let me paint you a picture of my childhood, but promise not to laugh.

I was a band-nerd, a twirler, and very un-athletic...so exercising to me is horrible. I hate it!

I knew I had to make a change in my life to continue living it to my fullest ability. Where to start though? I had just enrolled in a fabulous online boot camp that friends of mine had started, it was pretty hard-core for the band nerd I was. I was following the Paleo diet and enjoyed watching the pounds drop in a healthy manner. I couldn't continue on with the bootcamp style training, it was intense workouts that my body wasn't able to handle. (if your body can handle it, you seriously need to check it out here)

So I began walking with my sweet husky, slowly and for short distances each afternoon. Walking to the stop sign at the end of my road would be the point at which I had to turn around and head back due to the tingling in my feet.

Discouraging? Yes, but I had researched and read about many MS patients who run marathons, I know this is good for my body. I mentally kept saying slow & steady and was so thankful that I had the ability to walk.

I skipped every other day and continued to walk until my body told me to stop. Eventually, I was walking 2 miles, then running parts of those miles.

Only about 6 weeks after I started I was running the full mile and walking the second. Wow! I was impressing myself to say the least. Then I just kept running and am now able to run the full 2 miles without walking.


How do I do it? How do I find the will to push myself? This is my mentality:

Exercise to be Healthy

I am not focused on losing weight or fitting into a cute summer outfit, I have the mentality that if I don't use my muscles, I will lose them. I want to have the agility needed when I am blessed with children. This mentality is great for MS fighters because you don't get discouraged. Each time your feet hit the road and your butt is off the couch, it's meeting a goal that you set for yourself.

Pray

I pray when I run, I thank God for giving me the ability to run and not having to be contained in a wheelchair. What an easy way to get my mind off of nearly dying to focus on my Creator.

Congratulate Yourself

I'm super proud every afternoon that I motivate myself to exercise. I sleep better at night due to the exhaustion from my afternoon run. I feel like I'm winning, I'm beating this disease one step at a time, and to me, that's all I need to keep myself motivated.


Take a look at this video that motivated me to get my rear in gear and I hope it does the same for you. Watch this inspiring story of an MS fighter who exercises with P90X to improve her MS!

5 Misconceptions about Multiple Sclerosis

From the first time I heard of Multiple Sclerosis 10 years ago, I believe that the awareness has grown tremendously, but with that comes some misconceptions or myths about the disease that want to focus on.


Misconception 1: Multiple Sclerosis is a Death Sentence

While we are all going to die someday, MS is not something like Cancer where death is an option. MS will make your life harder, make you stronger, but will not automatically be the cause of death. It's not like West Nile Virus or Mad Cow Disease, it's more like being hit by a freight train every morning but blessed to survive.


Misconception 2: Women are Unable to Have Children

I'm a young, married woman with no children. When I was diagnosed, this was by far one of my biggest fears. Questions went through my mind, Will my husband and I have to adopt? Will we be the coolest aunt & uncle to our nieces and nephews and just live with dogs forever? So many questions surrounded this issue, yet there isn't anything to worry about. MS is interesting when you are pregnant...I'll explain:

Basically, your immune system kicks into high gear when you conceive to be sure to help out the baby, therefore it isn't focused on eating away the Mylein on your spine. (go here to read more about Myelin).

I will actually be able to get off of my injections for the time leading up to conceiving and all throughout the pregnancy (that's definitely a blessing!). There is one drawback though, typically MS patients relapse right after delivery, which means a round of IV steroids is almost always given. I think this is going to be amazing, I mean I get drugs that keep you up and give you tons of energy during the first week home with a new baby?! Sign me up!

Now, I know how the current trends are with breast feeding...but for my situation, it's not an option. What a blessing it was to hear from my doctor that I WOULD be able to have children. I think I can handle the not breastfeeding part.


Misconception 3: You Will Never Walk Again

According to the National MS Society, "Two-thirds of people who have MS remain able to walk, though many will need an aid, such as a cane or crutches" - The odds are definitely in my favor (I couldn't resist a Hunger Games mention), especially looking at my mother who has had this disease for 10 years, she still walks, works, and does way too much than she actually should! 'Hopefully' I follow in those footsteps.

Even in the event I do become confined to a wheelchair, you should know that it will be pretty amazing, and orange! I definitely will stick out in the crowd!


Misconception 4: You are Unable to Hold a Steady Job

This is something that I am very passionate about. I absolutely love my job, I don't want anything to come between my ability to enjoy my profession and go to work every day. There are many professions that I don't think I would be able to do, even at this point of my diagnosis. Anything that is out in the heat would be a killer for any MS patient, I'm thankful to work indoors sitting comfortably at my desk.


Misconception 5: All you will do is sleep

This one is the most important. You will do more than sleep, you will eat, cook, clean, work etc. But trust me, all you WANT to do is sleep! I've never had a problem keeping my eyes open during college classes or at work, but now I seriously have to put in an effort to not doze off.

Putting in that effort just makes you want to sleep more...it's bad.

Does anyone else think about sleeping and think that it's similar to a long awaited vacation? Yet you only woke up 2 hours ago...every day right?


I hope this helps answer some questions you might have about MS or 'myths' you may have heard.

MS Explained in Layman's Terms

So what the heck is MS? We hear about it often in the news and with celebrities like Jack Osbourne, Montel Williams, Nascar driver Trevor Bayne, and even country music star Clay Walker. But what is it, and is it deadly? 

I'm going to give you the 'layman's term' for it, not a bunch of crazy, confusing crap about Myelin. (I've always hated science, I barely passed my Geology class in college, why do rocks have Cleavage?) 

It's an auto-immune disease which means your body is attacking itself. Your immune system is literally eating away the stuff (myelin) around your spinal chord. This create lesions on the spin, neck, and in the brain. Once you get hot, stressed, or over-exert yourself, BAM you get to really feel MS. 

It's messes with your nerves in the weirdest ways, you have crazy things that twitch, usually during the most important times, job interviews, client meetings, sleeping. You literally just watch your eyelid, arm, toe, finger, whatever it might be go to town. 

MS is not a cookie cutter disease, it treats each person completely different. The most common symptom is optic neuritis - which is when your optic nerve is affected and makes your vision blurry or even worse, you could lose vision. 

Most things go back to normal after a period of time...this could last a week or several months. 

So here's a list of the most common symptoms MS patients have.

• Numbness & Tingling 
• Vision Problems 
• Bladder/Bowel Inconsistencies 
• Depression/Anxiety 
• Muscle Weakness 
• Balance Issues - We are stumblers, I run into things constantly and wobble back and forth with no apparent reason. AND I cannot close my eyes during a standing prayer, I will begin to fall over - Can I get an Amen?
• Fatigue 
• Cognitive Issues

There are many different things associated with it and if something starts happening to me, I always blame it on my MS. I mean who the heck knows, I could grow a duck's beak tomorrow and I would certainly blame it on my MS.