The Routine of MS
(Yawn). Ho-hum. Zzz.
No this isn’t about what happens to you while reading My Odd Sock. (Well it is, but it isn’t.)
It’s about the routine of MS…
…The daily grind of Spasms, Quivers, Shakes, Stutters, Scuffs, Teeters and Dribbles….
…The seven dwarfs of MS!
The routine of MS is the ordinary, day-to-day, hourly, even minute-to-minute song & dance nuances that promise to buckle the knees of most humans…yet, those of us MSers take in stride with a shrug of our shoulders. (What dya gonna do, right?)
The routine of our treatment is almost “Rainman” comical!
We take our shots…take our pills…our vitamins…do our stretching & exercises…plan out our activities & chores based on time of day, energy levels, outside temperature, position of the moon, barometric pressure, interest rates, W-L of your fav team, tire psi, gold standards and what’s on TV tonight.
(OK some of these examples are far-fetched, but many are true indicators!)
And if we are off–even by a few moments–we can feel the difference!
It is a routine that seems a bit “anal” to an outsider, but is “life as we know it” to those with multiple sclerosis.
My Odd Sock takes his Baclofen at 8:30am, 3:30pm and 10:30pm. I plan my day so most activities happen before my fatigue collapse around 4pm.
I get a second-wind around 8pm. While the end of my day concludes with stretching and hanging upside-down like a bat on an inversion table before beddy-bye time.
I can tell the next morning if my clock is off—especially if I miss my evening stretching session!
It’s nit-picky stuff that affects our MS in ways few people understand. Yet the “routine” is something we MSers must determine on our own. (What works for me probably won’t work for you–and vice-versa!)
How do variations or distractions in your daily routine affect the management of your MS?
Have any tips or techniques you can share to help others?
The truth is, the dull, monotonous drudgery of MS is actually the only aspect of control we have on this wildly, unpredictable disease.
So you say you’ve had a day free of new tingles, numbness, new aches or forgetfulness? Heck, that’s a great day! That’s the routine of MS.
6 Replies to “The Routine of MS”
Your blog today points out why we should never tell other ms’ers “you should…..” What works for one of us doesn’t necessarily work for others. It is important though, for us to share as sometimes we do help one another. Thanks!!
I do my inversion table routine in the morning but a lot of what you describe here resembles my own ruled-by-MS routine.If MS had a whip, it would be no more a task master than it already is.
For me learning to laugh on the inside because my family and friends who don’t have m.s gets the jokes my m.s. plays on me, no need to reinforce them thinking I’m nut’s. If I feel someone isn’t listening I stop talking, if people don’t understand, they don’t hear either. Remember the only thing we have any control is our own reactions.
Don’t know if this is what you were looking for or not here it is anyway.
I like Judy’s “ruled-by-MS routine” comment. I’ve been diagnosed for three years, but this is the first I’ve heard of using an inversion table. Can you tell me how it helps you? Thanks.
Chuck,
Can’t speak for Judy, but my inversion table is a fantastic way to loosen my tight, weary body after the day.
Common sense tells us that gravity is working hard all day long to compress the discs along your spinal column. An inversion table reverses gravity to work the other way…elongating your spine, relieving pressure. I like to think reversing the flow of blood for the five minutes upside-down is a nice challenge to your circulatory system as well.
Now I am not a doctor, though I look like one when wearing a lab coat, this is just my personal experience. Because just as Bob points out in his comment, what works for Judy & I, might not work for you.
Give it a try and let us know what you think!!
Mary,
Thank you for your comments! Keep it up girl..you seem to have a great attitude!
Keep moving,
Odd Sock