Living Well Etc.

  Stay Healthy During Season Changes Every autumn my immune system goes into hyperdrive as if it is trying to fight off some fierce monster virus.  After two decades of multiple sclerosis – or what I like to call it: what will it do to me today? – I've come to expect the flu symptoms, severe fatigue, and achy muscles my immune response to the change of weather brings.  It is an all-out assault against my body and mind.  Why is Season Change an Immune-System Trigger? With temperatures dropping from warm to cold, the change of season affects everyone at some level.  After all, this change adds stress to the body, thus triggering an immune system response.  Fold in the increased chances of contracting a cold or virus and this is a challenging time for all of us—autoimmune disease or no.  Through the years, though, I have found ways to combat this assault.  Plus, the pandemic taught us many general health lessons.  I’ve found wearing ...

  Diet and Exercise is my Fountain of Youth Menopause is a major life change for women.   Some welcome it, as it means the end of the dreaded monthly visitor.   Nevertheless, some mourn , viewing it as the end of their youth.   No doubt, menopausal women are not as youthful as we once were, but this can be the best time of our lives.   So true, except for that one enormous elephant in the room.   That elephant can be us due to the typical weight gain associated with menopause.   My experience is slightly different than most because I am also saddled with a chronic disease that limits my activities .   Combine the natural weight gain many menopausal women face with the neurological damage of multiple sclerosis and I could become that elephant quite easily.   Yet, I am not.   Why?   Follow me and I will share all my secrets.   Move that body! Even though my form of MS is a chronic progressive type, which chips away at my...

A lovely workshop with extremely pleasant Alpha Phi sorority sisters Numbness and tingling in my hands caused many a doctor visit, but dizzy spells and violent nystagmus prompted the MRI.  The results came in the form of a phone call and my doctor's voice.  "MS? No. Really?  Will I be in a wheelchair soon?" Was all I could say at first.  Then I thanked the doctor for the call and reminded him to eat.  It was nearly 7pm.   Soon, I found, that for my type of MS , a chronic progressive type, there are no drugs available to slow the disease as for the more common relapsing-remittent.     My life as I knew it was over, or so I thought.   The Progression Well, no wheelchair for the first few years.   Yet, my legs were painfully stiff, and my left foot dropped, causing tripping; more than usual, I'm terribly clumsy .   Fatigue plagued me.   I just couldn't get used to this new dynamic: slowness, pain, and isolation.  ...

I'm the one in front with the braids! Losing Weight and Exercising Released Me from My Wheelchair Living with any type of chronic disease can be frightening and life-altering.   However, with multiple sclerosis, it is also confusing.    One day the afflicted can appear quite healthy and the next whirling around in a wheelchair.   In my two decades of living with a progressive form of MS, the biggest lesson I have learned is to keep the pounds off.   This entails watching my diet and exercising every day.     Does this chair make my derrière' look big? MS hit me hard and fast.   Within my first year, I was in a wheelchair.   My legs were stiff, I hurt all over, and I was too dizzy to walk more than a few feet without falling.   These were not my best days.   Sitting all day and allowing depression to set in, I gained over 30 pounds within a year.   This was the first time in my life that I could not balance my calori...

How to be Healthy, Lean, and Sexy Well into Your Sixties Mountain Climber As a dedicated fan of the '80s spandex-required aerobics television programs, I jogged, jumped, and lunged in front of the screen every morning to maintain my weight.  The programs taught me how to exercise for heart health and flexibility.  I continued with these same exercises for many years because it's enjoyable and it generally works.  However, the older I get, the more difficult it is to exercise without causing injury while also keeping the bulges at bay.  What follows are the exercises I've found to be best for women over 60.    No spandex, but aerobics is still in fashion. Heart disease is a killer of the women in my family, so I include at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercises— Zumba  and  tabata —and at least 40 minutes walking each day.  I often supplement my routine with weight training. Strength training does m...

Pills May Not be the Answer for Some MS Sufferers Multiple   Sclerosis hit me like a teen hitting the fridge after school: fast and furious.  I was sore, dizzy, tingly, and very stiff from day one.  Diagnosed with a progressive form of  MS , my options were limited to treating my symptoms.  Still, due to possible side effects, I am very leery of drug therapy.  After all, growing a second head would not be helpful.  My doctors assuaged my worries and convinced me to treat my stiff muscles—better known as muscle spasticity.  Better to be stiff than toothless. Muscle relaxants are one of the best methods for treating spasticity.  I have taken them before for a neck injury, so I felt relatively safe trying them again.  Following all directions on the container, I began my treatment fully expecting that it may take some time for my body to adjust to any short-term side effects.  I was expe...

How to Look & Feel Younger in Our 60's It’s everywhere I look, especially during the warm months.  Beautiful, young, flawless women adorn billboards, magazine covers, and every single webpage I peruse.  I never felt intimidated before, as I’m a life-long fitness and health nut.  However, now that I’m 60+, I’m feeling a tad insecure about my appearance.  Those years are beginning to show up in my mirror.  Besides going under the knife, I’ve found a few less-risky options for all of us who are over a certain age.  Follow along as I share my favorites. Duck and Cover! As a California girl, I coveted the sun in my earlier years.  Laying out with oils slathered on my pale skin was as normal as sunscreen is today.  Luckily, I began seeing a reputable dermatologist in my early 30s.  Through the years, I’ve learned how to take better care of my skin.  One of the best pieces of advice I was gi...