It pains me to admit since my MS diagnosis in ’96—-I am different. REALLY? How did you come to that conclusion, Einstein? Was it the wheelchair? Rollator? Hand controls on your car? Or was it the half dozen canes scattered throughout the house & garage? No no no, of course I am different physically…heavier, flabbier, …
It doesn’t take much to make a difference. One small act of kindness. But on this particular day who was helping whom? It was a typical hot & humid, dog-day of summer…and I was panting. I eased the car into a spot at the grocery store and began unfolding my limp body from the …
The fortune cookie is the most anticipated part of a Chinese meal. The cookie-part sucks, honestly. It’s the paper fortune inside that we seek most. The message usually leaves us scratching our head for meaning, but often is worth sharing with our table mates. Some folks even keep their fortune, tucking them away in …
I may get somewhat preachy here–so beware. Every single one of us looks for the magic pill…the infusion-palooza…the divine answer to slaying the MS monster. We know a cure doesn’t exist yet we search anyway. (No harm in looking, right?) Because MS has a mind all its own, best you can do is …
As you know there are many many faces of multiple sclerosis. With the help of a novelty item called “Face Coasters” I will try my best to recreate a small sample of our MS challenges & emotions. Shall we….. Doctor: “I’m sorry but you have multiple sclerosis.” …
You didn’t ask for it, but I promised it was coming. The following sad saga captures the raw emotion, the ups & downs, the unpredictability of chronic disease. It is the long awaited second installment of the only soap opera written specifically for multiple sclerosis. My Odd Sock presents….. “As The Myelin …
A look-back at an old My Odd Sock. Enjoy….. It was his passing comment that stopped me in my tracks. “Wait, what did you say about your MS?” I asked. He repeated…”Sometimes I think I got MS as punishment for some bad things I did many years ago.” “You really think so? …
If you didn’t know, I’m a fairly avid reader. Books, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, pamphlets, cereal boxes, even phone books. Honestly if it has something of interest, I’ll read it. Reading is knowledge, right? So just last week I found myself immersed in the Winter edition of MS Focus Magazine. MS Focus is the …
The f-word. It’s offensive. Obscene. Vulgar. Who knew when you were knighted with the dubious distinction of having multiple sclerosis, the f-word would become a prominent part of your vocabulary. Everything seemingly revolves around the f-word. Er, wait. Before I go any further, let’s be sure we are on the same page. The …
Looking ahead at the calendar reminds me I am three months away from my next appointment with the MS doctor. She sees me every six months with each visit lasting between 45 minutes to an hour in length. The twice-a-year visits seem to be the standard among those of us with multiple …
