OMG - What a wimp!: I remember 25+ years... - My MSAA Community

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OMG - What a wimp!

MarkUpnorth profile image
41 Replies

I remember 25+ years of never missing a day of work due to illness, and that's true. As the head of my companies, I surely could have taken off, but the only day I did take off was the Friday I checked into the hospital, to be pumped full of steroids, and to receive my diagnosis as a reward. But thinking back, there were times, few and very far between, less than a handful in all, and only on a weekend I could afford to be sick, did I get sick. I used to consider myself bulletproof to sickness. Well it all comes back now. The other day I got a fever with shakes. No big deal, right? I had years of fevers and shakes on DMT's. But, actually being sick wipes us out! Zero energy. Arms and legs of Jello. I laid in bed for 2 days, except to continually empty my lime sized bladder. And as much as I tried to force myself to drink or eat, too much to do. So I've lost a little weight!?!

Bottom line. Many of us may develop stronger immune systems with M.S., but when we go down, we go down hard! Better now after 2 days, though still wiped out. Was it a cold, flue, infection? No other symptoms. Does it matter? It's over!

Yeah, I'm a wimp sick!

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MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth
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41 Replies
falalalala profile image
falalalala

I'm glad you're feeling better.

You're hardly a wimp.

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply tofalalalala

Thanks

carolek572 profile image
carolek572CommunityAmbassador

No more wimpy, wimpy, wimpy! You need to be hefty, hefty, hefty!

I understand with the when we get sick, we go down hard, but you must get back up again! :-D

youtu.be/IFuFm0m2wj0

Keep Smiling,

Carole :-D

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply tocarolek572

No hefty??? Healthy!

carolek572 profile image
carolek572CommunityAmbassador in reply toMarkUpnorth

My bad! I was mistakenly thinking of a garbage bag commercial when I wrote my reply. Healthy, Healthy, Healthy! it should be! :-D

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply tocarolek572

LOL

Timeflies5 profile image
Timeflies5 in reply tocarolek572

😂😂😂...

youtu.be/TJdQfjaRAG0

Jesmcd2 profile image
Jesmcd2CommunityAmbassador in reply toTimeflies5

🤣😂🤣😂

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply toJesmcd2

Okay, that's funny!!! Thanks

Jesmcd2 profile image
Jesmcd2CommunityAmbassador

Really glad your doing better!! And yeah it sucks when we get sick!😭 😷 So um stay away from me! 😞😂🤗💕

🦈

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply toJesmcd2

Will be back tomorrow! Bulletproof. Went into Chicago without my Kevlar, all those bullets flying everywhere, must have caught one?

Jesmcd2 profile image
Jesmcd2CommunityAmbassador in reply toMarkUpnorth

You also forgot your gas mask my friend! 😷Back to the country for you! 🤣 🤗💕🦈

Glad you're better Mark. Sometimes we have those wimpy days. But I remember a bumper sticker I saw once that stuck with me. It said: Old age isn't for sissies! I think that could be applied to MS. So occasional wimpy days - yes. Wimp - no way!😃

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply to

The M.S. I can handle, all 1001 symptoms, but this was worse than struggling to keep from walking into the sides of buildings....or......

Kenu profile image
Kenu

Glad to hear you are doing better 👍. You’re not a wimp! My old boss always said the Golden Years was when you were a teenager, no bills, not much responsibility, and just having fun 🙏😉😊 Ken 🐾🐾

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply toKenu

How do we go back?

SueAB profile image
SueAB

No! You are not a wimp! You realize you need to stop and take care of yourself and that is a pretty smart guy in the Book of MS.

rjoneslaw profile image
rjoneslaw

glad ur better but u got to admit men are wimps no matter what the situation is

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply torjoneslaw

Sorry, missed this earlier. No, I normally can just push thru whatever, which is what I just did....a 3 mile walk around the "big block". Okay, I did take my retired cane, good thing as jellow legs need some work. But, the 3 day fever & shakes bug going round seems to halt everyone it hits. I couldn't power thru this one! Careful, It's going around the north side of Chicagoland! I downwind from anyone I passed on the walk. Wish it on no-one.

RoyceNewton profile image
RoyceNewton

Mate as I am told on the very few times I am sick I am the worst patient\sick person in the world. I think it might be a bloke type of thing, thankfully it is very rare.

goatgal profile image
goatgal

Far as I can tell, no one with MS is a wimp, including you, my friend. I was so rarely sick in my 24 years with one employer that when I retired I received an extra year of retirement credit (which made a difference in my pension). But, now, it is easy to exhaust my resources and leave me inert. As for you, take care of yourself and feel better quickly. And if you must label yourself, call yourself Mighty Mark (just don't wear a pillowcase cape and jump off the front porch and break an arm!)

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply togoatgal

No, I'd at least use my jet pack! Thanks

Ali_B62 profile image
Ali_B62

So good that you are better! Keep calm and get yourself back up there! ☺

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply toAli_B62

Going for a long walk now! Thanks

Iona60 profile image
Iona60

You are Superman if it only had you down for two days. It's hard to fight off anything while on these DMTs. I'm on ocrevus and it took me a month to fight off my Christmas cold.

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply toIona60

Nope, one last nite of fever, but woke up fine.

Beckylp54 profile image
Beckylp54

Hi MarkUpnorth

I don't think you're wimpy at ALL. MS is diffinently in the works with our immune systems being compromised throw in DMTs and we don't have a chance. We have to just fight through it (getting sick).

I know I need to be in society and live especially since I watch my grandbaby a lot. She goes to daycare also 4 days a week. Daycare always has sickness of all kinds going around with each of those daycare kids. Anyways I get sick every month with one thing or another.

But I just keep going. I still physically active ,exercise and try to eat nutritionally. And pray a LOT. But I do have my down days so I need to rest.

Take care Mark you're a good guy!

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply toBeckylp54

Thanks, still left with headache & dizziness from days of fever. Thought I was done yesterday, but, no, had one last round last nite. Sure It's over now, just left with mild headache and major fatigue. Think a walk might help. Have heard from several, a 3 day fever with shakes is going around Chicagoland, several friends kids now adults spread out around Chicagoland have had the same, 3 day ordeal, which kept them from work, and they are all healthy young. And my wife's daycare is no exception. Probably where I got it! They get everything! Those cute rug rats can be dangerous! LOL!

IFwczs profile image
IFwczs

Mark, happy you are doing better! But rjoneslaw and Royce are right - it is a guy thing. My husband is just like that when he gets a cold with no MS, so don't feel bad.

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth

No. I Don't get colds! At least I don't acknowledge them. This was a 3 day fever only thing, I since heard about, so I had to go do the 3rd day thing. Good now, just weak. Time for a walk!

lbenmaor profile image
lbenmaor

I'm glad you're feeling better.

Best Wishes,

Leslie

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply tolbenmaor

Thanks, just did a 3 mile walk! Much better now. Need to keep moving!!!

lbenmaor profile image
lbenmaor in reply toMarkUpnorth

That's fantastic!!

Timeflies5 profile image
Timeflies5

MarkUpnorth...like you, my husband has been an entrepreneur for decades and has never missed a day of work until recently...he has the same position as you when it comes to his idea of recovery...being productive is the fuel to his engine...he gets right back in there...glad to see you’re feeling better...it’s good to listen to our bodies tho...a little rest may be needed for healing...I encourage my husband to let the doc know of any serious changes...early intervention is always key...then back to enjoying the game of life to the best of our abilities...those who do are quite the inspiration! 🙂

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply toTimeflies5

Thanks....maybe a bit overboard, after my 3 mile walk, I rescued the neighbor from a cute garter snake in her garden, then mowed the lawn before the 80's and thunderstorms tomorrow.

Timeflies5 profile image
Timeflies5 in reply toMarkUpnorth

It’s great you feel up to all this activity...if you didn’t...that snake would likely be having tea at your neighbor’s house by now! 😁☕️🐍

eharoot profile image
eharoot

its such a humbling little devil

HensTooth profile image
HensTooth

I know, isn’t that weird? When got diagnosed I tried to look for a silver lining - and I realized I NEVER took sick time off work (or let the kids down or missed a party) because MY IMMUNE SYSTEM KICKED A-WORD!

So I was a bit proud of that.

Then I come to find out, my body recently changed the rules. YES I CAN get sick, and NOW when I do, whatever it is wipes the floor with me, wrings me out, and throws me in the corner. I’m in bed for 3 days, sweating, trembling, dazed, and hopeless.

Before, I never would have “let that happen” - because “lying in bed is for the weak and lazy”... Well, little did I know, it’s also for people who actually CAN GET SICK, and now I’m one of those people!

It’s rather humbling.

MarkUpnorth profile image
MarkUpnorth in reply toHensTooth

Well maybe mine did too? As I finally got a nothing cold for 3-4 days, and I was so happy!?!?, happy because it had been 25 years?, and this WAS A Good Thing! (I'll explain later.)

Running your own small businesses, (the Large Corporate Setting,... doing my single job..., as Manager/Engineer in charge of a Manufacturing Plant in Mexico, foreign to me!)

But running your own mini-Corporations......

where because of our size I probably took on too much, I did the accounting, oversaw accounts payable and receivable, though all that grunt work was by my office manager, also did payroll, the various taxes that had to be made, handled all the inspections by our insurances to the IRS..., but most consuming, not that doing the above wasn't a full time job, I did all the estimating and sales, then followed many of those sales, to the start of work. No,, I never had to close any of those jobs, just go back estimate and sell the next on. That's a lot! So, yeah, there's NO WAY I COULD EVEN THINK ABOUT BEING SICK, not even the this M.S. thing, I just pushed through whatever it threw at me, along with non-stop flue-like symptoms from the DMT's.

It stinks, but it's not significant compared to everything I had to do to keep work going! Not just mine, but all the employee's and their families, counted on this as their livli-hood.

But it changed.....I get sick! (I thought after the first one,.... This is a GOOD Thing!?!? My immune system is weakening..., so my M.S. will be weakening too??? Which it did! The start some 6ish years ago with my last relapse!)

mrsmike9 profile image
mrsmike9

It certainly does not seem like you're a wimp! You've bucked up through it all and only have to lay low when your body is saying "Enough!". There is no embarrassment in that!

Peruzzot profile image
Peruzzot

Glad you're feeling better.

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