There's no What to Expect when You Have Multiple Sclerosis guidebook. If there was, it would be about a page long. All it would need to say is something to the effect of, "Hold back the edges of your gowns, ladies....we're going through hell." Or, just as succinctly put, it would advise patients to "expect… Continue reading Dealing with a person dealing with MS: A quick primer
Author: Jenn Godwin
Down for the count
It's the beginning of the 2011 Sickoff at the Godwin-Walker household. Who will make it to the top of the snotty tissue podium? Who will be the also-ran left hugging the porcelain bowl? I fired the opening salvo Saturday night with a 14-hour (!!!) comatose state, prefaced by an irritating cough, stobbed up nose and… Continue reading Down for the count
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day
And I'm feeling good. I've made it through Day 1 of 2011. Victory, while in serious doubt during the hazy morning hangover hours, is mine! I deserve laurels and a hefty cash prize for such an accomplishment. Of course, I woke up and MS was still here, rearing its ugly head. It's become increasingly tough… Continue reading It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day
Ring it in
I don't put much stock into New Year's traditions, other than to find the closest cute drunk guy to plant one on as the clock counts down. And eat black-eyed peas. And, for a while, watch those crazies waterski the Mississippi from my warm perch at Landry's in downtown Memphis. That tradition ended the year… Continue reading Ring it in
Wordless (yeah, right) Wednesday: Day by day
If there's one thing I love about the new year, it's new calendars! I have quite an unhealthy obsession with office supplies, so paper products are right up my alley. Nick let me indulge by getting not one but TWO calendars for this coming year. It helps when they are already half off. The biggest… Continue reading Wordless (yeah, right) Wednesday: Day by day
Pill popper
I have become the Cookie Monster of pills. If it is smallish, oval-shaped and in feel-good colors, I'm taking it. Probably with milk. There is a pill I take to stay awake. There is also one I take to fall asleep. (Yes, I am aware of the contradiction there.) There is one I take to… Continue reading Pill popper
Christmas spirit fail
I was feeling a little down this morning, so I did what any sane and good person would do and used my pets to lift me out of the Christmas doldrums. I guess they aren't in the mood, either. You can just feel the rage simmering under their soft, cuddly faces. Miraculously, no one lost… Continue reading Christmas spirit fail
The inevitable end-of-the-year list
Yes, me too. I'm not much for New Year's resolutions (more on that later), but I am a sucker for retrospectives. A psychologist might say that means I unhealthily reflect on the past instead of looking ahead to the future. To which I would retort, "I know you are but what am I?" Yes, I… Continue reading The inevitable end-of-the-year list
Handi-capable
One of the first things I did once I got out of the hospital (besides eat real - read: fast - food) was get a temporary handicapped parking tag. At that point, I still was having trouble walking and we thought that it would come in handy. Considering I was only able to go about… Continue reading Handi-capable
Laughing through the tears
One of the more random and strange MS symptoms is uncontrollable, often sudden, laughing and weeping not tied to any particular emotion. A new drug about to hit the market at the beginning of 2011 deals with this condition, known as the pseudobulbar affect. It's a very real thing, despite the "pseudo" in its name. Maybe… Continue reading Laughing through the tears
One, Wild & Precious 