Despite MS, sometimes we just have to take it to the limit

Multiple sclerosis is an energy drain, bringing crippling fatigue (often unpredictably) and heat intolerance. It also steals vision, tackles balance, renders limbs limp and leaves various body parts numb or painfully tingly. Ask anyone living with MS, and you’ll hear some of the same complaints and stories of spending time on the sidelines.

But don’t count us out just yet.

Those who shoulder MS or any other chronic illness that threatens disability understand the quandary of possessing unknown and ever-changing daily allotments of energy and wherewithal. On any given day, the MSer (or other chronic illness battler) has no idea what the current balance is in his or her energy bank.

That assumption leaves each of us with a couple of choices.

We can hunker down and conserve every last bit of vim and vigor, so as not to run out. Or we can go for broke and expend all we can, right up to the point at which we are fully depleted, even if we have to pay dearly for it afterwards.

I frequently exercise the second option. Often, this pays off.

For example, I am training to run my first full marathon. (That’s 26.2 miles, if you’re counting.)  I’ve completed several half marathons. (That’s 13.1, if you do the math.) 

Here’s my marathon story, if you are interested in reading it.

By the time I toe the marathon start line, I will have been a diagnosed MSer for 10 ½ years.

That’s no boast. I am grateful for every step of mobility that I still enjoy. I know life could absolutely have turned out very differently for me, as it has for so many others living with MS.

I am fairly certain that this marathon endeavor is likely to set me back a bit, by the time it’s over. Knowing this, I have cleared my calendar as much as possible for several days afterwards. I am sure I will be spent. But I’ve gotta do it anyway.

As the Eagles sang in their 1975 hit single, “Put me on a highway, and show me a sign. And take it to the limit one more time.” 

“One and done” will be my marathon motto.

I’ll likely never sign up for a second one. But this is one dragon I want to slay, even if I have to pay for it.

Image/s:

Adapted from public domain photo

Feel free to follow on GooglePlus and Twitter. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

You are invited to join the Kicking MS to the Curb page on Facebook and the Making the Most of MS board on Pinterest.

6 tips for losing weight after steroid use

Steroids are not merely the stuff of athletic star scandals. Physicians routinely prescribe steroids for multiple sclerosis exacerbations and many other conditions. Additional medical applications for steroids include Addison’s Disease, allergies, arthritis, asthma, autoimmune disorders, Bell’s Palsy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Crohn’s Disease, dermatitis, Epstein-Barr virus, lupus, Lyme disease, organ transplants, pancreatitis, sarcoidosis, certain skin conditions, ulcerative colitis, vasculitis and more.

Of course, anabolic steroids (which enhance the male hormone, testosterone) are a different sort of medication than the more commonly prescribed corticosteroids. Cortisone, prednisone and similar steroidal medications are of the corticosteroid variety.

Corticosteroids (like cortisone and prednisone) may be administered by inhalation (as an inhaler, mist or spray), by injection (as an intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous dose), orally (as capsules, pills, or liquid medicines) or topically (as creams, ear drops, eye drops, ointments, or lotions).

For many steroid medication recipients, corticosteroid usage (particularly long-term usage) can lead to considerable weight gain.

Photo by GaryRabbit - ABS Free Pic

NOTE: Written by this author, this copyrighted material originally appeared on another publisher’s site. That site no longer exists. This author (LAN/Kicking MS to the Curb) holds all rights to this content. No republication is allowed without permission.

Weight gain is a common side effect of corticosteroids.

Because corticosteroids can cause increased appetite, decreased metabolism and even a redistribution of body fat, many corticosteroid users become frustrated and disheartened by this long-term side effect.

Body weight gained during lengthy periods of corticosteroid use can be difficult to shed. How can steroid users lose those pesky pounds? Here are six practical pointers for slimming down after corticosteroid medication use.

1. Set down the salt shaker.

Water retention is a well-known side effect of corticosteroid medications (such as prednisone). By sharply decreasing salt consumption, individuals who are taking (or have taken) corticosteroids can lose considerable water weight fairly quickly, eliminating the bloat.

2. Guzzle gallons of water.

Let’s face it. Nearly no one drinks enough water each day, and corticosteroid users are no exception. Increased water intake can help to cleanse the body from toxins, spent medications (such as corticosteroids), and even sodium that has built up.

3. Be diligent about diet.

A healthy diet is important for anyone, but this is particularly crucial for a patient using prescribed corticosteroids (like prednisone). Corticosteroids often cause increased appetite, so users need to scale back on snacking, particularly carbohydrates and fats.

4. Pick up the pace.

Corticosteroids (such as prednisone) generally slow metabolism in users, so regular exercise is essential for restoring this balance. Rigorous physical activity (such as biking, hiking, jogging, skating, exercise walking, or playing sports) helps to prevent corticosteroid weight gain and take off those excess pounds that may have been added while undergoing steroidal treatments. The key is to pursue whatever workouts work for the individual, without overdoing it and setting off another medical incident.

5. Maintain muscle mass.

Many individuals taking corticosteroids for various medical reasons discover, to their dismay, that their hard-earned muscular physiques seem to lose form. Calisthenics, fitness training, and weight lifting can help to retain and restore muscle mass – both during and after use of such corticosteroids as prednisone and similar steroidal medications. In particular, many corticosteroid users focus heavily on abdominal muscles, as the midsection seems to be the main focus of fat redistribution for many individuals taking steroidal medications.

Exercising and weight training may be extra challenging for those living with multiple sclerosis or other potentially disabling medical conditions. Problems with balance, endurance, flexibility, and other issues may come into play. Professional physical therapy or individually adapted fitness training often prove helpful. In some cases, such regimens may be covered by health insurance plans, if initiated by medical prescriptions.

6. Give yourself a break while taking steroids.

Anxiety, irritability, mood swings and stress may accompany corticosteroid regimens – as well as the medical conditions warranting the use of these steroidal medications. Many medical experts recommend that their patients refrain from exercising personal perfectionism during treatment, focusing on healing and recuperation.

Once steroidal treatment has been completed, these individuals may hope to zoom in on weight loss and personal fitness again.

Feel free to follow on GooglePlus and Twitter. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

You are invited to join the Kicking MS to the Curb page on Facebook and the Making the Most of MS board on Pinterest.

Horsing around with MS: Slaying dragons or simply draggin'?

Multiple sclerosis is often likened to a wild beast, familiarly tagged as the MS MonSter. This title seems somehow fitting for a chronic medical condition that sporadically challenges those it has afflicted.

Sometimes we succumb to the MonSter’s onslaught, at least for a spell. Often, it smacks us to the ground, singeing us with its fiery breath before raging off to gloat for a while.

What are some of the dragon’s favorite ploys?

Any experienced MSer can recognize the fiery flashes of symptom flare-ups. We know when our energy fails, vision blurs, limbs turn numb, balance vanishes, muscles spasm, pain increases, or basic bodily functions go awry. That much is obvious to us.

Some of his ambushes are more intangible. How often does the MS MonSter stomp into our daily lives to load us up with anxiety, confusion, disappointment, discouragement, dread, fear, frustration, or other weapons that leave us shaken, frozen, or unsteady?

Look for the victories!

Occasionally we win those battles. Once in a while, we find the strength to stand our ground, collect our wits, hold up our shields, and attack the dragon head-on with our proverbial swords.

Celebrating such wins is not aimed at diminishing the valiant efforts of those who fight the MS MonSter bravely, but find themselves charred and beaten and crumpled by his senseless violence. All too often, no matter how hard we slug it out against the MS dragon, we collapse in the dust and wonder how that happened. It sure wasn’t a lack of determination. We’ve got that in spades.

We’ve all been there.

At the same time, when any of us are able to score a few points against this dreaded beast, it can raise our spirits to trumpet the good news. Maybe it even offers hope to the rest of us, when we hear of such triumphs.

When one MSer kicks the dragon to the curb, even for a while, we can all take heart. The war isn’t over yet.

Right now, I’m facing off against the dragon in a multi-year battle that has largely sidelined me from horseback riding, which has been a long-time favorite pursuit. He’s lobbed vertigo, limb numbness, muscle spasms, foot tingles, crippling exhaustion, distractibility, exaggerated startle reflex, and loss of balance in my path. He’s added a whopping portion of dread of possibly repeating a devastating (and nearly life-threatening) accident that occurred a few years ago. 

More than a few MSers have benefited from horseback riding therapy. Not me.

It’s been a genuine struggle. Mostly, it’s been heartbreaking to lose the desire to saddle up and ride. I cannot count the number of times I gathered up my gumption, drove to the stables, fetched my horse from the pasture, and saddled up to ride – only to step down within moments after finding MS symptoms accentuated while mounted. (It’s one thing to stay upright on one’s own feet during a flare-up. Keeping centered atop a moving creature with a mind of his or her own is another matter altogether.) 

Sometimes I haven’t climbed aboard at all.

Honestly, I’m not sure which has been worse: riding poorly, not riding at all, or fielding all sorts of comments and criticisms from those who thought I was merely wimping out. I don’t have those crazy, young, wanna-kill-me horses anymore. I have a sensible and willing mount. It’s not about all that.

Non-MSers don’t have a clue what the dragon can do.

It’s not like the MS warrior can wave a feather (like Dumbo) and instantly take flight again. This stuff is much more real than that.

For a while, I seriously pondered stepping away from equestrian pursuits altogether. I sought other ways to regain activity and build fitness. During my too-long period of watching the horse world from the sidelines, I took up walking … then jogging … then running. I’ve joyfully (and exhaustedly) crossed the finish lines of a few half marathons and more 5K races and trail runs than I can count. I'm slow, but I go. And I refuse to stop.

Take that, dragon.

In the meantime, I have reunited with a patient and understanding equestrian trainer, who also enjoys running. She gets it. And she has worked painstakingly to comprehend the ever-changing and unpredictable ins and outs of my MS journey, which is a tall order. Without warning, our lessons may be cut sharply short, or they may stretch considerably longer, depending on my ability to hold off the MS MonSter on a given day.

Together we’ve refused to accept defeat.

Finally, things are changing! After several months of MS battles, I seem to be on an upswing. I’m feeling better. My strength is returning. And I am saddling up, every chance I get.

I know the MS MonSter is likely to launch another attack at some point. He’ll lash out with his tail and try to land me on my butt.

But not today. For now, we’re bouncing along boldly and blissfully – at last! 

At this very moment (although I know it can change), I feel like a dragon-slayer. Remind me next week, will you?

Image/s:

 Adapted from public domain artwork and photo

Feel free to follow on GooglePlus and Twitter. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

You are invited to join the Kicking MS to the Curb page on Facebook and the Making the Most of MS board on Pinterest.