This edition of "Summer Living with MS" is brought to you by proprioception (where are my feet?) and fatigue (yes, I'm awake - I just can't keep my eyes open right now).
Definitions help. Glitchy functioning: like a light bulb that keeps flickering. Circuit breakers thrown. A scratched record that skips until someone lifts the needle. The bumpy ride of a flat tire. Misfired rocket. I wouldn't try chopping veggies right now.
How are you? The standard casual question. The litany of symptoms is almost comical and it really doesn't do much for your credibility as a functioning human being to list them all. Better to just smile and nod and say, "I'm fine thanks" than to suck all the air out of the room ranting about the tingling, numbness, cognitive slip ups (really can't tell anyone about those), fatigue and mysterious weakness that is gone as rapidly as it appears. None of these are life threatening. Might be worth talking about if they were. And truth is, in spite of it all, you are .... just fine.
Summer really exacerbates things for some people with MS. Those mildly annoying issues that pop up periodically during the cooler months of the year can be daily occurrences once the temperatures are consistently warm.
I confess to feeling really bummed out once it becomes clear that the sweet cool days of spring are over. Determined to acclimate, I try to spend time outside when it's hot as long as I can retreat quickly and cool down. Never leave the house without the insulated water bottle. The upgraded cooling vest has been languishing in the freezer for months waiting for its literal moment in the sun.
So, let the good times roll! Fire up the TV and settle in for a baseball game. Pro tennis match anyone? There's a good 2-3 hours of your day enjoying this esteemed racquet sport. If you're lucky enough to have access to a swimming pool, the water can be your best friend these days. And early mornings can be an oasis of cooler temps and soft summer breezes. There's light at the end of the proverbial tunnel!
No comments:
Post a Comment