Me and MS have a little game we like to play. I call it Catch Me If You Can, Sucka! The idea is simple: I go about my life as if nothing has changed. Mind over matter, I'm not my disease, and all. I go shopping. I run errands. I go to work. I work… Continue reading Me 3, MS 56
Category: Struggles
On the skids, or the post in which I talk about showering
One of my greatest (non-existential and non-irrational) fears — besides the everyman's dilemma of public speaking — is falling out of my shower into a wet, motionless heap. Not only would whoever rescued me find my naked ass splayed across the floor, but they'd see proof positive in my grimy tiles what a terrible domestic… Continue reading On the skids, or the post in which I talk about showering
A view from outside
Sometimes, I stand naked in front of a mirror Evaluating Not the paunch or the flab or the dimples (of which there are many) But to gaze in wonder at how everything looks unchanged. Like a cosmonaut suspended in space Observing Earth's serene stillness And thinking the world must always be this constant, from here.… Continue reading A view from outside
The Do-I-Tell Conundrum
It was really a no-brainer for me to tell my family and close friends about my MS diagnosis. Who else was going to take pity on poor me when I needed a shoulder to cry on or I had chocolate cravings? That didn't mean it wasn't hard. I have a might prideful streak to me,… Continue reading The Do-I-Tell Conundrum
Dealing with a person dealing with MS: A quick primer
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
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
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
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
How are you feeling?
I get asked this question, oh, about 250 times a day. Mostly by concerned friends and co-workers. Well, and my mother (who accounts for about 100 of those) and Nick (another 100). And my answer is usually along the lines of "meh" with a half-hearted shrug thrown in there. As if to say, "You know,… Continue reading How are you feeling?
One, Wild & Precious 