Can't I just blame it all on MS?

Right now, I’m wincing from a piercing headache. I can’t stop sneezing. One foot seems to have fallen asleep again. My neck hurts. My legs are tired. And my jaw joint feels like it’s taken a beating.

Waah – waah – waah. (OK, that might have helped, just a little.)

Can I blame all of these woes on MS?

Multiple sclerosis can cause all sorts of crazy and obnoxious symptoms. Of course! Anyone who battle MS gets that.

Do these count?

Headaches? Check.

Sneezing? Maybe.

Tingly foot? Sure.

Neck pain? You bet.

Tired legs? Possible.

Jaw cramps? Umm …

Perhaps those are MS symptoms. They could be heralding yet another exacerbation. Or they might be simple facts of life in this climate and season. They may even hearken back to my recent workload or activity level.

Headache? That could be traced to the new salsa I scooped onto some rice last night. It tasted great, but it may have included some monosodium glutamate (untagged on the ingredient listing, which I actually read). That would bring me a whopper headache for sure.

Sneezing? We’ve had a week of windy weather, with fall leaves, dried seed pods, and dust flying all over. That was followed by a sudden snowstorm, which shut us up in the house with three pets for a day or two.

Tingly foot? OK, I have been sitting at my desk for over an hour straight.

Neck pain? Did I mention I shoveled snow for close to 90 minutes yesterday?

Tired legs? Well, I did run a long trail race over the weekend, followed by a team training jog the next day, and two rigorous back-to-back cardio classes the day after that. I’m a little weary today.

Jaw cramps? My dentist had me strapped in under the drill for two filling replacements a few days ago. (Truth be told, I was not actually strapped, but I was definitely stuck there.)

Often, MS really is the culprit, when miserable symptoms attack. But not always. Sometimes circumstances are to blame … or even my own choices.

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When words fail: MS and speech difficulties

Do you ever trip up in your talk? Multiple sclerosis warriors know all about tripping. We can stumble in our steps. We can fall over our own feet or even trip going upstairs. But we can also stagger when we speak.

We’re not tongue-tied or at a loss for words. The cat has not got our tongues. It’s the MS MonSter, striking again. And this time, it’s messing with our mouths. Doctors call it dysphasia.

 

Dysphasia is different from dysphagia, but some MSers can have both.

Dysphasia is about speech issues. For those with MS, it often shows up when we inadvertently substitute one word for another or mix up word orders in our sentences. Personally, I sometimes say the wrong word, but it starts with the same letter (or phonetic sound) as the word I mean to say. For example, I might say:

garbage instead of garage

cluck instead of clock

willow instead of window

constant instead of consistent

design instead of device

When this happens, it isn’t that we aren’t thinking clearly. We know what we mean. The wrong word just comes out. It’s like a blip of static, or like our tongues aren’t listening clearly to our brains for a moment.

It’s not exactly stuttering. Most of us actually come out with recognizable words. They’re just the wrong words, when dysphasia does its thing. And we’re not plunging unintentionally into profanity (like in Tourette’s). We’re just confusing verbage. And we know it, when we hear it. 

Usually, we can sort of laugh it off, but it can also be rather frustrating. And it only happens when we speak out loud, not when we write. 

Some MSers experience expressive dysphasia, which means they cannot recall vocabulary that they actually know and have trouble forming speech (at least momentarily). Those who struggle to process and comprehend others’ speech may have receptive dysphasia. Any of this can crop up with MS, but these manifestations are usually temporary (or intermittent).

Others with MS may experience slurred or slowed speech, vocal weakness, or difficulties with pitch or volume. This points to a speech disorder called dysarthria.

Dysphagia refers to a difficulty in swallowing. This might include gagging, choking, or a feeling that food is stuck in one’s throat. That’s also common with MSers, and considerably more concerning than a few mixed-up words.

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MS means I might have the flu for DAYS without knowing it

A nasty midwinter flu is making the rounds around here, and I finally caught it. Only I didn’t realize it for a few days. Finally, once the flu was full-blown, I got the point. 

I know that sounds weird. It’s like I’m not even paying attention, right?

Only I am. But multiple sclerosis throws a wrench into the works, adding confusion to some of our most uncomfortable seasons.

It started with a headache that lasted for a few days straight. But headaches pretty much go with the MS territory for me.

A whirling vertigo spell came along next. But that’s a hallmark of MS for me.

I started feeling hot and cold and hot and cold. Again, that’s sort of standard practice for my life with MS.

Then the sneezing started, sending me honking two or three times in a row. But I get the sneezies sometimes with MS too. (Look it up. It happens.)

The all-over aches and fatigue crept in, right about then. And yes. You got it. I chalked that all up to MS too.

The idea that I might have the flu didn’t hit me for a while. I’d been overtired after not sleeping well for several weeks. My stress bucket was overflowing for a host of reasons. And the midwinter blues were blooming in full force, as the darkest months of the year brought sub-zero temperatures, beckoned blasting blizzards, held back the sun, and made staying home a whole lot easier than going out.

But, yes. Eventually I got the point. I had the flu. It just took me a while to realize what it was and stop blaming the MS MonSter.

Once I did that, I could even count back several days and figure out where I probably caught it. I’d been at a music convention, spending an entire weekend singing with hundreds of other attendees in a crowded hotel ballroom. Singing together meant breathing all over each other. Plenty of laughing, talking, and coughing were also featured. (Enter the flu.)

Two weeks later, I’m finally digging my way out of the sneezing, wheezing, hacking, sniffling, snuffling, sweating, chilling, aching mess. Soon, the flu will flown. Thank God.

Then I’ll be battling the MS MonSter better. You can bet on it.

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