Multiple sclerosis brings a host of strange and
soul-stretching experiences, from the initial diagnosis through every
symptomatic episode. Sometimes we struggle to accept and cope and manage
whatever the MS MonSter throws at us. Occasionally we even learn from such
circumstances.
MS is eXperience.
Note: I understand that “experience” doesn’t exactly start with an “X.” But we’re getting to the end of the April A to Z Challenge, and my brain is a little exhausted. Hey, I have a doctor’s excuse for that – just like any MSer.
Every MS first can feel like a whopper, especially when we
don’t recognize or understand what is happening to us. A crippling fatigue, dizziness,
inability to walk, sudden blindness, and other MS manifestations can throw us
for a loop. If these symptoms subside, we might chalk them up to experience.
Next time, we can sort of guess what’s going on. Power over the MS MonSter can
take practice.
Each MS exacerbation becomes an exhausting experience in and
of itself. That’s no exaggeration. No exam can tell us how long the relapse or
flare-up will last. It’s exceedingly exasperating. And when it ends, we can be exceptionally
excited or even exuberant. It’s uncanny, but it’s real.
When the cloud lifts, we might think, “Gee, is this how the
rest of the world feels all the time?”
Not the rest of the world. Just people who don’t live with
chronic illnesses. Not the exceptions like us, who are all gaining experience.
“People grow through experience, if they meet life honestly
and courageously,” said American First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962). “This is how character is
built.”
Brick by brick, flare-up by flare-up, and symptom by
symptom. And yes, we are most certainly characters. And, as Forrest Gump said, “That’s all I have to say about that.”
Image/s:
April A to Z Challenge 2016 logo – fair
use
Adapted from public domain artwork
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