Energy: How Much Is In Your Tank?

 

 

Those of us with multiple sclerosis are always concerned with our energy.

 

Do I have enough?

How can I get more?

Should I rest now?

Will I need it later?

 

 

Despite the dozen or so symptoms/side effects of MS, lack of energy & fatigue are probably the most common (and most complained about!)

 

To help those without MS better understand what those of us with MS face each day, I thought I would put energy in terms everyone can relate to…..the gas gauge.

 

 

 

Start the day

After a good night’s rest & the nutritious breakfast every cartoon cereal spokesperson recommends, our energy levels look like this…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmm, notice any diff?

The healthy person kicks off the day at pert-near a full tank.

Meanwhile, an MSer generally begins a day with little more than a half tank of energy.

 

 

 

 

Phew, time for a break!

 

 

 

After a while (and much sooner for the MSer), energy has dropped for both folks to about the same level.

 

So it’s time to take a breather!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Go Again

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a short rest under our belts, we should be good to go, right?

Wrong.

A healthy person has restored their energy level greatly when compared to the small returns rest brings to the MSer.

 

 

 

 

End Of The Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The end of the day shows another drastic difference.

A healthy person has lasted all day to finish with just under a half-tank.

While the MSer, gassed & spent all evening long, finishes way below “E”.

 

 

 

 

The energy difference can be explained simple as this:

An MSer is driving a big, lunky 4WD Hummer, while someone without MS is tooling around in a frisky, hybrid Prius.

It’s true, MSer’s have piss-poor fuel efficiency, while non-MSer’s have numbers that make the EPA grin like a proud papa.

So MSer’s, how much is in your tank?