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...

Inexpensive Cooling Products and a Tip for Saving Money on Utility Bills Walking like Frankenstein?   Check.   Blurred vision?   Check.   Fatigued to the bone?   Double-check.   Hello summer heat.   For many, summer means gathering friends for alfresco dinners of grilled ribs from the grill.   For those of us suffering from multiple sclerosis , we feel as if we are under attack, so we just want to nap.   The one positive is that this is temporary and will disappear once we cool down.   Consequently, it's best to nip this heat assault in the summer blooming bud.   What follows are my top four tips for surviving the summer heat, three of which are my favorite cooling products. Cooling Neck Wraps Amazingly, when wet, these simple bandanas expand into cooling wraps .   Just tie one around your hot sweaty neck and experience instant cooling relief.     Filled with nifty little crystals, these tubed bandanas b...

  My doctors informed me that my waning sex drive and painful intercourse is normal for a postmenopausal woman.  Eager to change my fate, I turned to my computer for help.  Most sources agree that due to lowering hormone levels sex drive decreases, the vagina thins, and it loses its natural lubrication causing painful intercourse.  Conversely, many also state that postmenopausal women tend to have a great sex life.  Armed with this confusing information, I decided to revisit my doctor. What Are My Options? I tend to be open, assertive, and direct with my doctor.   She knows me well, well enough to know I will not take unnecessary drugs.    Still, her job includes mentioning pain-reducing alternatives, which boiled down to hormone replacement therapy or water-soluble lubricants.   Hormone replacement therapy is a short-term option due to possible side effects.   With my personal history of breast cancer, we both felt that the consid...

  Surprisingly, those with multiple sclerosis and women over the age of 50 share a similar problem.   It's common knowledge that metabolism slows significantly for women over 50, leaving us feeling tired.   Similarly, those with MS suffer from severe fatigue.     As an MS sufferer and having passed the half-century mark, I know fatigue with a slowing metabolism firsthand.   Fried after five, I know well.   Since fatigue and loss of energy are common for both groups, it seems logical that foods recommended for those with MS would also benefit women over 50.   Through trial and error during my many years with MS, constant research, and with advice from my doctors, I have come up with a diet that works well for me.   I believe it can help others as well.      What foods speed up metabolism and relieve fatigue? Eating the typical three full meals each day slows our metabolism to a crawl.   During the time it takes ...

  Changing Season Affect Those With Multiple Sclerosis Ah, the lazy days of summer often involve outdoor activities, except for those living with MS.  The heat can exacerbate our symptoms.  Truly, each season brings challenges we must face.  However, for every challenge, I have found solutions or at least methods for making the most of a bad situation.    Stay Warm and Limber During the Winter with These Tips The winter chill can be difficult for many people, not just those with MS.  Older people tend to have arthritis and may often feel stiff and sore.   Since I'm older and have MS, that handily describes me: stiff and sore.  Fold in weakness in my arms and legs and the description is complete.  Therefore, in winter, I keep the house a constant 75 degrees to keep warm.  Warmer temperatures or heavy clothing can cause my symptoms to flare up.  Additionally, after a hal...

Toxic Mix of Urine, Feces, Germs, and Parasites Await Swimmers Often profiled as funny, like in the movie " Grown Ups " with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, urinating in the pool appears to be quite common in real life according to recent data .   Urine is bad enough, but just the tiniest bit of fecal material in a pool could cause illness and infections for pregnant women, the elderly, and young children.   Even worse, it could cause deadly results for those with compromised immune systems, like multiple sclerosis.   With the summer swim season arriving any day, it may be best to take an awfully close look at what is in that pool water.   This is especially for those of us who can be affected the most, which includes me.   Considering that I have multiple sclerosis, those germs could offer me a stay in the nearby hospital.   What is in the public pool water? Public pools offer a temporary reprieve from the summer heat.   However, a HuffPost ...

Steps to Take to Become Caretaker for a Family Member Strokes can steal away a person's speech, mobility, and can chip away at his or her personality.   This, I now know because I became the primary caregiver for my mother-in-law.    In the beginning, it wasn't an easy decision. However, for me, it was a necessary one.   Pam, my mother- in-law , was a remarkable person deserving of the best care possible.   Consequently, my husband and I decided to do what was best for all of us.   My experiences may help those of you considering if caring for a family member may be the best decision for you as well.   Making the decision, will it be home or a facility. Pam nearly died from the severe stroke that left her in a coma.   The hospital didn't keep her long and suggested placing her in a nearby convalescent home.   Good advice since she was connected to IVs and tube-fed.   After a few months, Pam woke and her feeding tube was removed....

Living With a Mystery Disease In honor of National MS Education & Awareness Month. Here is a short personal story of my perspective about living with multiple sclerosis. Over two decades have passed and this disease is still a mystery.   Even doctors offer little insight, since the progression of multiple sclerosis is uncertain, illustrating how difficult MS is to understand.   Although there are standard symptoms, such as muscle weakness and stiffness, each person has his or her distinct experience. Increasing confusion for observers, many with MS appear healthy, as do I.   Thus, making it more difficult for others to understand how fatigued the MS inflicted often are.   Family, friends, and coworkers could help immensely if they could understand this one very thing: MS doesn't just disappear because we appear healthy.   Walking may not be an issue one day, while we require a wheelchair the next.   So, if we state that we are too tired, p...