What lessons has having MS taught you?

[falalalala]

More patience for me.

It's like an extreme sport at times but I do work on it.

I can't wait for your answers.😅

[CalfeeChick CommunityAmbassador]

I think I have learned to be more patient, or at least I am trying. I have become a pack rat and now have to find a place to hide it all. I have yarn of every color and pieces of yardage to get busy foiling and cataloging . BTW in less than 18 months I have lost 60 pounds without dieting. At first I just lost interest in foods, then my doctors started talking to husband about putting me into “Assisted Living “ facility. Then Hubby too over and makes sure I eat a good breakfast, snack lunch and good dinner with lots of carbs & protein. Sometimes store bought chocolate cake & ice cream for dessert. Between my neurologist and GP, I have had every part of my body x-rayed & even 2 MRI’s of my brain. There are no new white spots since the first MRI 7 years ago. I have been hospitalized 3 times in full ms episodes cause by kidney infections. I have been home two days now & feel pretty good. Take care all, I miss you and will try to talk to you all soon. Oh they are going to add some oral steroids to my pill list. I will post soon about hubby’s Heart problems. More concerned for him than me!😊💗🙏🙏

[falalalala in reply to CalfeeChick]

🙏🙏🤗

[lbenmaor]

Dress Warmly it's February!

Leslie

[falalalala in reply to lbenmaor]

Dress in layers inside too. 😅 Our furnace broke last night.

Fixed this AM 👍👍

[Tazmanian in reply to falalalala]

sorry to hear about your furnace

[Peruzzot]

Because I now walk much slower than I did before MS, I notice little things on hikes that most people miss. Let's just say that I've taken lots of photos of funny looking mushrooms and lichen on the side of the trail. I even took a couple of photos of a black racer (non venomous snake) that was people watching on a tree root right next to the trail. A few other hikers were passing by and asked what I was taking a photo of, my response "the snake right there." Most took their phones out to take photos as well. One guy jumped back to the middle of the trail saying he didn't want to get bit by a "murder noodle". I told him it wasn't venomous. But he didn't care.🤣😂🤣😂

Black Racer people watching

[falalalala in reply to Peruzzot]

😂😂😂

Nice shot!

It is a gift when one notices/discovers things like that.

That is exactly why I loved my morning walks👍👍👍😀

[goatgal in reply to Peruzzot]

That's a suspicious lump about halfway down. He was people watching after a leisurely lunch. Snakes don't like to move just after a meal -- probably good advice for us as well.

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador]

ms is teaching me to not waste a moment of life, falalalala ! 🤗

[falalalala in reply to carolek572]

😀😀😀I like that!

[NorasMom]

"Don't sweat the small stuff." I can't say that it's made me more patient, but it's made me less tolerant of BS and more accepting of life in general. It may be partially due to my age -- I'll be 60 in 372 days! -- but I stopped worrying about what other people think. This is me; take it or leave it. I'm usually pretty happy, because I've been through some tough stuff and came out on the other side. Life is for living, with or without MS!

[falalalala in reply to NorasMom]

Pretty close to my own attitude..." I'm usually pretty happy, because I've been through some tough stuff and came out on the other side. Life is for living, with or without MS!"

I LOVE THAT!

As for BS, I generally think that when someone is an @$$h@!e in any way, they are living with a lot of pain.

I feel for 'em but not enough to want to waste my time any more than I have to with them😅

As my own 60th approaches at an astounding speed, it just reinforces my thoughts on that.

[NorasMom in reply to falalalala]

We need to plan a party! But since I started over, I'll only be celebrating my 5th birthday then. 😁

[falalalala in reply to NorasMom]

I'll start at 6 months as I need a good excuse for pee pants.🤣

[Xvettech]

it’s taught me that i should be more patient. It’s a work in progress

[falalalala in reply to Xvettech]

If you've got any good tips, please share immediately. if not sooner.😂

[Xvettech in reply to falalalala]

No not yet. I try to be a duck and let it roll off my back I am not very successful !

[Jer29-11]

It has taught me to slow down and rest! I’m a mover and shaker, lol! I’m not one to do nothing, but there are some days I just can’t move (literally!). I’m learning to listen to my body and try to rest when needed 😊

[falalalala in reply to Jer29-11]

Nothing wrong with taking a rester and breaker.😀

[goatgal]

Even though I've been at this for 83 years now, I'm still a work in progress. Like with most of us, MS has helped me become more patient, more compassionate with others, more tolerant of my mistakes (large and small), and a lot more careful as I move through my day.

[falalalala in reply to goatgal]

You seem to get a lot done annndd still have time to pursue your writing.

[goatgal in reply to falalalala]

Thank you, but if you could see the leaf piles I'm still dealing with, you might want to reconsider this. My house is overhung with two giant hickories and an oak, and mixed hardwoods border all the cleared area. These lovely, shade producing trees also produce (literally) tons of leaves that have to be removed from grassy areas and planting beds. I began in October, was waylaid by a pulled something or other for two months, and only now am I dealing with it, prodded by a neighbor who called to tell me something I already knew, that a thick carpet of leaves will kill the grasses in the open places. Because I am practicing patience and tolerance (for myself as well as OCD neighbors), I didn't retort that if he is so bothered by my leaves, he is welcome to come over and carry them off.😁

[falalalala in reply to goatgal]

Tell him that they're soft sculptures and he should develop an appreciation for the arts.😆

[Jesmcd2 CommunityAmbassador in reply to goatgal]

Tell him to come over and mow them up for you 🤔 wth🤣😂🤣🤗💕🌠

[mrsmike9 in reply to Jesmcd2]

That's what I was thinking. Fertilizer for the lawn!

[Robsmom]

I've always had a lot of patience, my family always said that I had the patience of Job. I was always independent and never liked to ask for help, I've had to learn to ask for help.

[falalalala in reply to Robsmom]

That had to be an adjustment.

[Greentime]

Well, I learned something very quickly after my diagnosis. That I needed to end my 15 year streak of relationships with men addicted to substances. My doctor said stress and MS don't go together. And...You can leave him now or you can leave him later.... It changed my life around and I am forever grateful. I am not sure how much patience I have acquired, but I have definitely learned to accept getting less done.

[falalalala in reply to Greentime]

Me too and it still frustrates.

[Neworleanslady]

my son told me that he thought MS must mean i have impaired cognition. Well i do not have impaired cognition (i did have some brain fog many years ago before i got on MS meds but my son wouldve been too young to remember that). I let him know that fortunately my cognitive ablities are intact (physical abilities are a different story). Anyhow, I learned that people do not understand MS and I have to explain EVERYTHING about it to people because they can assume things and treat you differently

[falalalala in reply to Neworleanslady]

Yep, and then they assume it's the same everyday for you.

[Neworleanslady in reply to falalalala]

Ur right!

[melack01]

I learned that my marriage is definitely living up to "in sickness and in health, for better or for worse". My husband has been amazing! I've become more organized because it's the only way I can get things done. Making a grocery list is a four step process and takes multiple days, so basically I have to start the next week the day after going grocery shopping. I have to start cooking earlier and earlier because all the steps in a recipe need to be tackled one at a time and reread multiple times. I can forget I'm cooking in the middle of all that, but so far only a really well done blueberry cobbler has resulted from that.

[falalalala in reply to melack01]

I burn everything and that is why the dog runs upstairs every time he hears the stove turn on- 8 years so far.😂

[whwiechm]

My saying is, "Where there's a William, there's a way". The way may be slower or seem a bit odd, but I still can get most things done. O(ne needs to work around capabilities, not disabilities

[falalalala in reply to whwiechm]

Exactly!😀

[Cwright170994]

I've learnt how to go with the flow in regards to my energy/symptoms/whatever. Sure, I've had to be hospitalised after having a status epilepticus event, back in 2021 when my husband couldn't be with me because of lockdown, but I've managed to regain my walking ability, because of the steroids they had me on, and get started on ocrevus, because my neurologist had enough evidence to say my RRMS is aggressive and not responding to copaxone as expected.

Every time a difficult situation happens, and I'm back in A&E for another status epilepticus event, my husband us now able to be with me, talk with me, and laugh at what happened! Like, the last time I was in A&E, I actually remember me needing to throw up one night, husband coming with me to the toilet, me wanting a drink of water after I threw up. The morning after, I was in A&E, my husband sleeping next to me with his head on my bed. He managed to pack a bag of my clothes and come in the ambulance with me. The nurse that was doing my observations before discharging me was a woman who was on the same course year as me! We were both studying to be nurses, but MS changed my ability in the end of year 2, and so I had to drop out 😢 but oh well! My then-boyfriend (now-husband) stayed with me, supported me, and celebrated little victories I've had since then 🎊🎉 every cloud has a silver lining ❤️

[falalalala in reply to Cwright170994]

I agree! Your husband sounds like a good one

[CatsandCars]

I've learned not to overdo it, and I've learned you need to be skeptical of doctors and make sure you get a really good neurologist. I've learned that having MS is really hard on your family, especially your spouse. I've learned that who you are and your relationships with people are more important than what you can get done.

[falalalala in reply to CatsandCars]

You are exactly right!

[Cutefreckles72]

MS has taught me to have more patience And It has taught me to say, "Thank you, I got it."

[falalalala in reply to Cutefreckles72]

I'm tempted to say, "Hurry up! I don't have all day!" but stop as I'm working on patience!😂😂

[Cutefreckles72 in reply to falalalala]

I want to say that too a lot of times, but I try my best to be nice. It can be so hard. 😄

[falalalala in reply to Cutefreckles72]

😆😆

[SnowWhite1]

it has taught me to be more gracious to others, struggling with a physical form of battle. Of course, those are only people with visible forms of challenge. we can’t forget to demonstrate love and patience with those whose battles are of the mind.

[falalalala in reply to SnowWhite1]

Well said.😀

[Jesmcd2 CommunityAmbassador]

Taught me, you never know how strong you are til you get MS. Taught me who my friends are... Taught me to be grateful and thankful. And Taught me to have an IDC tude! 🤣🤗💕🌠

[falalalala in reply to Jesmcd2]

Ain't that the truth!😀

[Jesmcd2 CommunityAmbassador in reply to falalalala]

The sun! Will come out!!! Tomorrow! 🤣😂🤣🤗💕🌠

[falalalala in reply to Jesmcd2]

Use it sparingly or from a distance as it tends to bring out feelings of rage in bystanders.😅😅😅

[Jesmcd2 CommunityAmbassador in reply to falalalala]

🤣😂🤣 they can sing along! Tooomorro... toooomorrrow.. 🤣🤣🤗💕🌠

[falalalala in reply to Jesmcd2]

😅😅

[SnowWhite1 in reply to Jesmcd2]

This needs to be a tshirt!

[mrsmike9]

I am only a touch more patient. I learned/taught myself, my art, which gave me a feeling of value (that MS had taken away).

[falalalala in reply to mrsmike9]

😀😀😀

[Kit10]

$@*& happens - I thought I knew that before, but now I know it in spades.

How to swallow pills, which I could never do before (I never needed to).

How much **** there is on daytime TV - in hospital you see too much, and lots of it is other peoples' choice of daytime TV which is even worse.

How to operate an iPad.

What to do with a slow cooker - well, some basics, anyway.

How to count to 10 in Fijian. One of the carers taught me that. Mind you, I often have to, she can be quite irritating! (There are quite a few people in my area from Fiji - there's an army base nearby and the British army takes soldiers from Fiji.)

[falalalala in reply to Kit10]

Good show are hard to find.

Binge watching shows we pick is a relief from all the aggravating stuff.

Counting in the language of the one who's bothering you😅..does this technique work well?

[Kit10]

It helped stop a couple of arguments.

[falalalala in reply to Kit10]

Prevention is the best medicine. (couldn't resist)

[SnowWhite1 in reply to falalalala]

Actually, the best medicine is a life with Christ…and a strawberry daiquiri! *and yes, Jesus still loves me!🍷🍓😇

[falalalala in reply to SnowWhite1]

😀😀

[Mollyabigail]

The old me was an overachiever. I have learned to slow down & depend on God more, instead of myself. M. S. has taught me to have more faith in Him.

[falalalala in reply to Mollyabigail]

Yep,yep,yep!😀

[SnowWhite1 in reply to Mollyabigail]

Oh honey, could I ever write a book 📚!