| On the Move.... |
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I write this maybe a month too late, but its my reflections on the past year, and my
life dealing with MS.....
Last year had it's ups and downs. I'm sure many of you reading this are shaking
your heads right now and saying.....AH yes I've been on that roller coaster ride.
Well as I boarded in January, I traveled up the tracks looking to get to the top
and maybe stay there...........but NO, first drop was a biggie, I had surgery in
January unrelated to my MS. I was warned by so many people that I was definitely
going to have an exacerbation after surgery. I listened to the advice I got from
fellow MS patients, but figured I am me and we are all different, and it turned
out no exacerbation. It took me a bit longer to recover. But I made a full
recovery and the ride proceeded. First drop was not as bad as it looked, and
I proceeded to coast through a few months.......
April I made my first trip out of the country. We went to Mexico for our 20th
Anniversary. We went to the beautiful Puerto Vallarta. Paradise is the only
way I can explain this place. BUT, in Mexico there is no ADA. I did some
research and decided it was pointless to bring my scooter. The curbs were
very high, cabs were very small, and none were accessible that I had seen.
But, I handled it very well. MS took a vacation with me, and really let me
have a good time. The heat was not bad at that time of year, and I took it
a little at a time, and it worked out well. Word to the wise, if you are
traveling to another country do your homework. Know what to expect before
you get there, and you wont be in for any surprises that may put a damper
on your vacation. The ride on this roller coaster was very smooth so far.
After a very smooth ride, the coaster began to climb up again, and this next drop
looked like it was going to be a whopper! The month of May brought double vision,
then total blindness in the left eye. Yep ! You guessed it Solumedrol drip, so
I did the steroid shuffle and recovered fully from the attack. Whew, that drop
was not as bad as it looked, and the ride continues........
After that last Steroid Run in May I am proud to say, things are really looking up.
I managed to make it through the entire summer and remain exacerbation free.
As the holidays approached, I wondered, was I due to crash and burn? Was the
ride going to continue to be this smooth. And I have to tell you I am proud to say yes!!
I had done things this year, I have not done in years. The roller coaster ride,
we so "fondly" refer to as MS usually has more ups and downs than I would like.
But when I boarded in January 2004, I did not know what to expect. I was pleased
to find this has been the smoothest ride since my diagnosis. So I got off that
coaster, said Happy New Year to my family and friends, and got myself ready to
board the next roller coaster 2005.
I made it through 2004, and learned a lot about myself, the disease, and just how
lucky I really am to finally be stable. 2005 is really looking well so far, I do
admit I don't over do things as I did in previous years. After being diagnosed
for nearly 8 years, I think for the first time, I am actually listening to my body.
I am taking things in bits rather than in huge chunks. I live one day at a time,
and not put too much pressure on myself.
We as people with MS really are the only ones that understand the true meaning of
the roller coaster, and how everybody with this disease can board the exact same
ride, and all have a totally different experience. Some have more drops on the
ride then they would like, while others, coast through smoothly without incident.
But the one thing all of the riders have in common, is we are riding this roller
coaster with a blindfold. We can not see the next drop, curve or loop.
We just get on the ride, hang on tight, and pray we can deal with every thing
that lies ahead on the tracks.
I wish all of you a wonderful 2005 and know that I'm in the ride with ya, and
I'm hanging on for dear life. God Bless you all and stay well and healthy.
I look forward to sharing my 2005 with you all.
Michelle
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| -Copyright 2005 Michelle Tapia . |
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