"A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses."
-Hippocrates
I've been at home sick for the last week.
I don't have a cold or a flu though...
I have MS.
As some of you may be aware, I was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis five years ago. In case you aren't sure what MS is exactly (I know I didn't!), here are the basics:
Multiple SclerosisMultiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system which is composed of the brain and spinal cord. The disease attacks the myelin which is a protective covering wrapped around the nerves of the central nervous system, resulting in a wide variety of MS symptoms, depending upon what part or parts of the central nervous system are affected.
Symptoms may include:
-Balance and Dizziness
-Bladder and bowel dysfunction
-Cognitive Impairment
-Depression
-Dysarthria, or difficulty speaking
-Fatigue and Fatigability
-Gait (difficulty in walking)
-Hormonal Influences for women with MS
-Incoordination
-L’hermitte's (Electric shock sensation radiating down spine with neck flexion)
-Mood Liability / Bipolar Affective Disorder
-Optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve)
-Pain
-Sensory Impairment, Numbness / Tingling
-Spasms
-Spasticity
-Tremor
-Uhthoff's Phenomena (Heat Intolerance)
-Useless Hand Syndrome (of Oppenheimer)
-Weakness
Not all people with MS will experience all symptoms and often the symptoms will improve during periods of remission.
Multiple sclerosis is a complex disease, most often diagnosed in young adults, aged 15 to 40. The impact is felt by family, friends and by the community. MS is unpredictable, affecting vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility. Its effects are physical, emotional, financial, and last a lifetime. There is no cure.
-Canadians have one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world.
-MS is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults in Canada.
-Every day, three more people in Canada are diagnosed with MS.
-Women are more than three times as likely to develop MS as men.
-MS can cause loss of balance, impaired speech, extreme fatigue, double vision and paralysis.
-We don't know what causes MS but researchers are closer to finding the answer.-Courtesy of the http://mssociety.ca/en/default.htm MS Society of CanadaI'm not going to lie, it was a pretty devastating diagnosis to receive at 22. I had just finished university and was newly engaged, just starting my life as an adult. I didn't know anything about MS, other than the only person I knew who had it could barely walk and was partially blind! It was an incredibly scary time for me and my family.
With the help of my amazing support system, I started to learn more about this disease. I started to ask questions, seek out information and empower myself with knowledge. It took a long time, but eventually I stopped feeling sorry for myself and stopped focusing on what could happen. Instead, I tried to take each day as it came and started to make small changes to create balance in my life.
The past five years have been a roller coaster ride of successes and failures. I've had to give up dream jobs, miss out on lots of social time with friends and almost completely retire my high heels (tear!), but I've also gained so many amazing things. I have seen true friendship, love and support from my family and friends when I needed them most, I have an unbelievable marriage which has only been strengthened by our journey through this together, and I have a new appreciation for what is truly important in my life.
I don't known what the future holds for me, but then, do any of us? All I can do it take the good with the bad, and enjoy every moment of life. I may get sick every few months, and I might not be able to update my blog as much as I'd like, but I am blessed in so many other parts of my life it almost seems like a fair trade off... Almost!
I hope this helps you understand why from time to time there may be breaks in my posts, and I hope these don't deter you from following. I really do love having this blog!
Stay tuned starting monday for Stampede Week... featuring all things Stampede including must haves, style, survival essentials and something cold to wash it all down.
Photo credit: GQ Magazine
