self-care

Embracing ambiguity while living in the gray

In recent months, while seeking to balance work, home life, family, and well-being, I’ve sought strategies to help me tackle perfectionism. On the health front, I’ve faced major struggles with my relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, secondary adrenal insufficiency, and avascular necrosis. However, to this day, my perfectionism is the most…

Seeing Double, and Iā€™m Not Even Drunk!

I only had my glasses for two years, yet reading anything on my phone was now nigh impossible. Still, it did cure my Facebook and Twitter addiction. Yer, yer, Iā€™m old. (Iā€™m 64, you know.) Sure, Iā€™ve written this before ā€” surely thatā€™s a free pass for us aged folk.

Ideals on Masculinity May Guide Health Behaviors in Men With MS

Men with multiple sclerosis (MS) show differences in health-related behaviors based on how much they value certain masculine ideals, according to a new study that suggests possible negative effects of masculinity in terms of seeking medical care. Results from the study ā€” which specifically focused on white males in…

A Big Step Forward: Using Public Transportation With MS

As anyone with chronic illness knows, leaving the house requires planning. Thereā€™s much more to think about than what’s visible, especially if you’re relying on public transport. In the days preceding last week’s appointment with my multiple sclerosis (MS) nurse, I was contemplating just how long it’d been since…

Grappling With the Sensory Overload That Can Come With MS

Imagine this scene: There’s a rowdy crowd of nearly 40,000 people in a rugby stadium with music blaring over the Tannoy speakers. Newfound numbness spreads throughout the majority of your body, and on top of that, you can hardly see. That was the perfect myriad of factors to elicit my…

Five Years of Writing This Column. What a Surprise

Compared with living with multiple sclerosis (MS), the anxiety of what on water (Earth has always struck me as a misnomer as water comprises 71% of our planetā€™s surface) I’m going to write about next week is but a slight fluttering. Yer, yer, I know; underneath itā€™s…

After Standing Still, Finding My Next Step

ā€œThe carousel never stops turning.ā€ ā€“ the TV drama “Greyā€™s Anatomy” At the 2019 European Patients’ Forum Congress in Brussels, which focused on patient involvement in healthcare, attendees were invited to write down a list of goals they wished to achieve in the next 12 months. After rolling my…

Do What You Can Do (And No More)

I donā€™t know about you, but last week passed in a blur. I typically enjoy Thanksgiving, but this year, things were a little wonky. My husbandā€™s grandfather passed away a month or so ago, so we werenā€™t about to ask his grandmother to prepare anything. My mother-in-law and I decided…

Putting Myself First

“Take the time you need,” “This too shall pass,” and “You canā€™t pour from an empty cup” are just a few idioms I have used to encourage others. Strong shoulders carry heavy loads. My shoulders bear the weight of myself and countless others. The DNA of an empath is…

We All Have Bad Days

Mama said there would be days like this. I just never thought there would be so many. After three days of insomnia, I am heavily fatigued and weary. I wait, bleary-eyed, for signs of pain to appear, watching the sunrise and praying for renewal. As if on cue, the birds…

Ho-Ho-No

Even when a major holiday isnā€™t scheduled in a calendar month, Iā€™m a pretty busy lady. I work a full-time job that requires me to be present and ā€œonā€ most of every day. I also have to deal with Atlanta traffic, which is physically and mentally exhausting. Iā€™m a…

Making Myself a Priority

Last week, I wrote about climbing through grief. This week, I will focus on what I learned in the throes of the cycle of grief. Several people share the opinion that I do too much. My cousin often says that he wants me to say no to…

Shining Through Boundaries

I spent the majority of my life as a people pleaser. From the time I was young, I equivocated “yes” with likability; please and be pleased. As the years passed, compromising my own needs became second to meeting those of others. While I genuinely enjoy…

Transitioning from MS Patient to Cancer Caregiver

I am making the transition from multiple sclerosis patient to cancer caregiver. On May 11 my family’s world turned upside down when my husband of 41 years was diagnosed with advanced Ā pancreatic cancer. My caring husband, who has always loved and protected me, is now the one in…

Forget About Resolutions and Remember to Focus

I’m already tired of hearing aboutĀ New Year’s resolutions. If you’re like me, youĀ find that for those who spend their social media time listing goals in earnest, there’s a smidgen of luxury to theirĀ actions.Ā After all, most of these goal-making champions are not chronically ill. They don’t have to think…