Aug
19 2008
19 2008
My MS experience reminds me of that famous line from the movie “Forrest Gump”:
“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
To me, having MS is like being forced to eat chocolates from a box that had all the good chocolates removed.
Every chocolate I eat from the MS box is something I do not like, just like every MS symptom has the power to annoy me.
Having MS means that I never know how I am going to feel when I wake up each morning.
I have to plan around the whims of a body that no longer cooperates.
The covering around the nerves of my brain and spinal cord is being slowly eaten away by my own cells, resulting in legs that no longer guide me effortlessly throughout the day.
My legs are too weak for the long runs and walks that I once enjoyed.
Having MS means I always wake up to a numb hand, and sometimes to an aching back or legs saddled by weakness, stiffness or fatigue.
Mornings can start out with a big yawn because I was up four times the night before; my stomach and ribs might ache because it feels as if a boa constrictor has been squeezing them.
Most of these problems go away without treatment, but for 2 times already, I needed a few days of intravenous cortisone to help speed my recovery.
Having MS has taught me a lot about myself. I now know that I can be tough when the need arises, and that I should not worry about the future. Each day is a chance to feel stronger.
Through my daily struggles with this disease, I am trying to so that the obstacles I face are not stopping me from living life.
Being diagnosed with MS was a sad thing, but I am not a sad person. I can still enjoy many moments.
Hey, today is the 19th. A day to enjoy.
MS is powerful, but it cannot take these moments away from me.
426 words in this post. 69811 words in all posts.
2449 characters in this post. 431534 characters in all posts.
