Don't come here expecting to feel sorry for me - I don't.

I hope that sharing my progress and thoughts can offer some nugget of information or a point of view that can help anyone else struggling to come to terms with having MS, living with any form of MS or who lives with, supports or knows someone with it.

I’ve said before that I want to be really open about the stuff I’m dealing with, without it being the topic of discussion all the time. But, like I said when I posted on The Chronicles of Nani after my diagnosis, it’s not “why me?” it’s “why not me?” If there’s something I can do to make it easier for someone living with MS, or living with someone they love having MS, well, that’s why me!

If you or someone you know is affected by MS in any way or if you just seek to understand it, you are welcome here!

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Streeeeetch

Last night I tried a new sleep position, or maybe sleep prep. I got in bed and straightened my body and my legs started to feel like thy were going into full spasm mode. I pulled them up into almost a fetal position, difficult for me because I need to use my hands to encourage my right leg, especially when I’m lying down. Then I arched my back backwards and slowly moved my legs straight. No spasms. In fact, it felt good!

I know from when I use the walker that every now and then I have to stop and straighten up, arch my back a little to stretch it. It actually gives me a few more steps that I have the power in my right leg to fight the foot drop. The messed up disks in my back actually do like stretching. My favorite of my therapy exercises are the ones that stretch my back backwards. It makes sense that stretching that way would feel good for sleeping. In fact, back arched and legs straight is how I fell asleep, faster and with less position changing than usual for me. I woke up this morning with a lot less pain than most mornings and it seemed like a touch more stability.

I’m not ready to run a marathon or even go down the stairs on my feet, but it was nice to wake up feeling a little stronger. I know MS is different for everyone; custom diseases make us feel so special, don’t they? But I do want to encourage everyone who is living with symptoms to never give up trying new things to make the symptoms a little more manageable. MS isn’t going away anytime soon, so embrace the disease, it’s yours, and make it easier to live with, one little coping idea at a time.

No comments: