About eighteen months ago I started a blog.
I was writing…a lot, short stories, novels
and the occasional essay. The blog presented as a challenge, something new and
different. It appealed to me because I could do it from home, in my own time, and
at my own pace.
I called it Midweek Musing. I figured I could manage a once a week blog post
without too much trouble. I have a problem committing my time and energy to
anything that requires a sustained effort.
Let’s face it; I have trouble committing
myself to anything with a deadline that also takes time and energy. It’s not
that I’m lazy, it’s because I have a chronic illness and though I have plenty
of time, I don’t have enough energy to make the best use of it.
I have Multiple Sclerosis. It’s a chronic condition
that affects the Central Nervous System (CNS), which is made up of the brain
and the spinal cord.
I’m not going to go into all the details of
what MS is, how it’s diagnosed, what the symptoms and treatments are. If you
have found your way to this blog, then you can find that information on any
number of internet sites. They can explain it better than me.
Having a chronic illness changes your life,
and I can be honest enough to say I have not handled, or managed, my disease
well. I went from being diagnosed in 1996 to disability in 2001, and yet to the
average person, I looked healthy and well.
There are any numbers of diseases, like
Lupus, Fibromyalgia and Multiple Sclerosis that can be termed “invisible”,
because the person is dealing with a variety of symptoms that cannot be readily
seen or understood. Things like pain, visual disturbances, cognitive issues,
weakness and fatigue.
Not all disabled people are in a
wheelchair, not all disabilities are that obvious.
The title of this blog is a good
description of the course of my disease. Cognitive issues with memory and
concentration, and increasing problems with mobility.
In Midweek
Musing I have made mention of my illness. I didn’t want it to be the focus
of that blog, yet there were things I wanted to say that might have been of
help to others facing the same challenges. I didn’t feel that was the right
forum.
So, I’ve created a new blog, the topic of
which will be living and coping with a chronic illness. I made mistakes along
the way, made life more difficult for me and my family, and I hope that by the
writing of this blog, and the sharing of some of my experiences, others might
learn from my erring ways and not fall into the same pitfalls.
No one can understand what you’re experiencing
better than a person facing the same challenges.
I’m going back to the beginning, to give
you a glimpse into my MS journey thus far. I hope it proves to be interesting
and of some benefit.
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