Flying with MS

I have been battling with fatigue and heat seems to be affecting me a little more than before. Of course, since I am getting older the heat sensitivity could also be “HOT FLASHES”. Fatigue is very hard to explain to your family. When people ask me what is wrong I will say, “I am tired”. This is not the type of tired that sleeping more or resting can get rid of. Yes, resting and sleeping will take the edge off but I am tired first thing in the morning when I wake up.


The great news is that I have found a few new stretches and pressure points to add to my repertoire of physical therapy exercises and I hope to see a change soon. I have also revisited the articles and books about diet and Multiple Sclerosis. I don’t like the information about the foods I need to limit and drop altogether. How can any human survive without dairy products? I think I even like milk better than my beloved Dr. Pepper, which may also be on the list of foods to avoid. I will let everyone know how the will-power holds during this next process of looking at a better approach to eating and surviving MS.


I have now checked off one item on my Bucket List. SKYDIVING!!!! Yes you read that right. I jumped, or was pushed out of a perfectly good airplane and loved every minute of it. Here on the ground I walk with a limp and sometimes walk a little from side to side. I have stopped playing basketball and I am sure not jogging or running a race any more. But for a few brief seconds I was flying in the air and rolling and swinging from side to side like everyone else who jumped out of the plane. No one saw the lady limping or the one using a cane they just saw a person with a huge grin on her face falling to earth and flying weightless for a few brief seconds. It was heaven!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would do it again tomorrow. The things that were scaring me the most were the issues and limitations due to my legs while I was on the ground. Once I got past all of those issues and I was sitting on the side of the plane looking down I felt like a normal person. Too bad I can’t just fly around every day. I would even get a cape and maybe put “Super Mom” on it. I am sure that would completely embarrass my kids.

Keep on smiling and think about me when you get that falling feeling in your stomach.


Joy

My own stupidity amazes me......

The only term for what I did is, “Dumbass.”

I have been trying Yoga for several weeks. The yoga has been kicking my backside but I think in the long run it will really help my MS. I have fallen a few times and pulled a few muscles and defenently made my hip sore. I have spent the last week lying on a heating pad at night to help the stiffness. Progress and recovery seemed to be happening slowly but I saw improvement.

Last night, I did the same thing I always have done while getting ready for bed but, evidently I did something very wrong. I woke up at about 3:32 am and felt like I had be lying on a cord or something and had a raised whelp on my hip. I rubbed it and rolled the other way to go back to sleep. I rubbed it again and it was wet. The thought that maybe I really was getting old, wetting the bed entered my mind. Only my hand was wet.

I stumbled into the rest room and looked in the mirror and could not believe what I saw. A burn as big as my palm and fingers was on my skin along with several large blisters. Here is when that whole dizzy state started again. Lying down on the bathroom floor, I asked my husband to come help me. He thought that maybe I had an allergic reaction but it was only my own stupidity that had given me a burn.

A doctor’s visit, three prescriptions, a visit to the pharmacy and a ten year tetanus shot later and now lots of people know that I am STUPID. The nurse kept trying to tell me that people do things like this all the time but it did not help as she is wrapping my burn, pulling skin and telling me how to make sure this does not get infected.

I have definitely learned that I have lost some feeling in that leg and need to be more careful. I am blessed that I did not do more damage. How major burn victims endure their injuries is not in my realm of understanding. This one small hand-size mild burn hurts and is uncomfortable so lots of prayers are sent out for all those in the world who are dealing with this type of pain. My burn will be gone in a short amount of time with no lasting scars except for my ego.

Just remember when you think you have done something silly or stupid, there is ALWAYS someone else out there who is out scoring you on the “dumb-o-meter.”

Joy