Week Ten living with MS

Today started week ten of symptoms. I had thought by this time there would be improvement but I have had some setbacks. The left side of my body is starting to lose control more often. My arm is daily my leg comes and goes. I couldn’t run this week which was rough, I have enjoyed being able to that. But I did other things I enjoy instead. The Kenpo and YogaX from the P90X series has been a godsend to me for my balance. If you have never done either of these, I highly recommend them, they are part of my weekly routine anyway but doubling up on them made me feel pretty good. Plus I dropped another pant which is a pretty nice benefit. I may have MS but I am going to have a really great butt for 44 years old. After the neurologist debacle last week I called out for help to find someone who knows about MS. I was so happy with all the good information I got from friends and family. I am working on getting referred to a local MS specialist. She doesn’t have an opening until November however. I thought about it for a while and my gut says to wait to see her. If I feel that I am getting worse I will seek help elsewhere but I don’t want to go to someone else and have the same results as last week. And I am not sold on being medicated. I don’t like the symptoms but reading over the side effects and the what ifs from all this medication I think the symptoms are a cakewalk! I kind of like my liver the way it is and I don’t need any more anxiety! In my reading and research I learned that the mono I had when I was fourteen may be a key factor in my MS now. I was already predisposed to autoimmune conditions add the Epstein Bar Virus and it sounds like I was a MS incubator. Who knew right? But that means my liver and constant medication may not be a good thing. A great many folks have shared articles on lifestyle changed that could help me. I like the idea of taking a natural approach and if I have four months until I can see a neurologist with a specialty in MS it is as good as time as any to put this in play and see what happens. I had already started the vitamin therapy which has help with some memory issues I was having. Drink your milk when you are young kids, that is all I will say! Eating less bread and pasta could kill me emotionally but if it helps slow down some of my symptoms I can learn to love zoodles instead of noodles. Again I don’t know if this will work but it is worth a try. And I know that medication may be my only option to prevent things from progressing. MS is a tricky thing. For many of us it is different every day. Last week I couldn’t see this week I can’t hold a spoon. Next week I could run a marathon. I won’t know what will happen until it does. But what I do know is that I am not going to let it run my life. No matter how hard it tries to knock me down I have to keep going because I have a lot of life left to live and I want to live it to its fullest. So week ten bring it, I am ready.