Today is World MS Day! With the focus being on invisible symptoms. And for the day we have decided to share a little bit of information on the condition, and a couple of ideas on ways of helping to make living with MS a little easier. 🙂 

And if you are wondering why Dizzy’s friends have brought her spoons in her image, you can read all about the spoon theory here. 🙂

What is MS? 

MS is a neurological, autoimmune condition of the central nervous system.

MS is an autoimmune condition because the immune system gets abit confused and no longer recognised part of the central nervous system (CNS), the myelin, as self. Myelin is a substance that protects the nerve fibres so that messages are able to travel from the CNS to other parts of the body, telling them what to do. As the immune system no longer recognises the myelin as self it see’s it as a threat and attacks it. The damage caused by this then affects the messages travelling smoothly to the part of the body they need to get too. This can mean the messages either not getting through as quickly, becoming distorted or not managing to get through at all!

What (invisible) symptoms can it cause?

The symptoms can affect nearly every part of the body as the CNS is involved in most things that our bodies do. Everyone experiences MS differently but symptoms can include:

  • Fatigue
  • Vision problems
  • Loss of co-ordination and balance
  • Numbness and tingling
  • Brain fog
  • Spasms and stiffness

Is there a cure for MS?

Not yet. There are many disease modifying drugs for relapsing remitting MS available to help reduce the rate of relapses though. And there is now also one available for Primary Progressive MS. Constant research is always being carried out too.

Are there ways of making living with the condition a little easier? 

Definitely! Although, there is absolutely no doubt that living with any chronic illnesses can be a bit of a struggle and can cause many problems, there are many little ways of making it a bit more manageable. 🙂

  • Prescriptions

One of the realities of living with a chronic illness is medication. This can be a struggle to remember, especially when dealing with symptoms such as fatigue and brain fogginess. There is help available though! As well as there now being many apps to help you remember, you can also get your repeat prescriptions online, which can then be delivered, to help make sure that you never run out. 🙂

  • Research your Condition

The more that you know about your own condition, the better equipped you are to be able to handle it effectively. Please be careful with this one though, as Doctor Google can sometimes led to misinformation. There are many sources of amazing information out there though, such as medical professionals, books and charities. You might also want to go and find further information elsewhere, such as through blogs and online support groups. It can be amazing talking to others who are going through the same experiences as you, and also means you might pick up some clever tricks along the way to help manage the condition. 🙂

  • Friends & Family

Having friends and family (including the furry kind) around you can make all the difference. Nothing makes more of a difference than having someone to talk to, sit with in silence or just to go to for when a cuddle is needed. Animals are also great for this too. And although living with a chronic illness can make seeing others trickier, there is always an amazing online community out there too. 🙂 Including Dizzy. She can be a bit of a hand full at times, but is always here if anyone needs a little chat. 🙂 

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23 Replies to “World MS Day”

    1. Thank you Cathy. That really means alot to us. xx And I really like that phrase too! I’ve never heard it before. Did you create it yourself? 🙂 xx

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  4. I am glad it is just a day to make people think about MS, not the a day the entire world suffers from MS. Most people could not handle it, like we have to!

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  5. This is a wonderful post for MS Day – you do a great deal to raise awareness & provide support, Heather. You’re an absolute star (and so is Dizzy of course 😉) xx

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  7. I always learn something with your blog posts Heather – I hope with the awareness of MS comes a solution, a cure and a way to make life better for those who have it. I hate that people figured “you can’t see this ailment, therefore it does not exist” … if people could walk in your shoes, perhaps they could understand and have compassion.

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    1. It;s true, and because people can’t see the symptoms, it is so hard for them to understand. Hopefully these days just help to make people that little bit more aware. 🙂 xxx

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      1. I hope so Heather because people can be heartless and uncaring if they don’t understand … from years of my mom’s medical ailments, I could understand and see and even feel her pain, though her face did not mirror the pain in every step she would take.

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    1. Thank you so much Terri. What an amazing award; we appreciate you thinking of us for it so much. Dizzy’s busy working on her answers as I type. 🙂 xxx

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      1. You are so deserving Heather! Every time I visit I learn something, and of course I just want to give Dizzy and friends a good squeeze every time I see them. BTW, my Dizzy and Friends bags are holding up wonderfully. I use them for grocery shopping so I’ve had to wash them several times and they still look great!

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        1. I’m so glad the Dizzy bags are doing well. We use a couple of them too! Dizzy keeps sitting on them though, so there are a few extra creases on ours. 🙂 xx

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Let us know your thoughts, they always make for a very happy Dizzy :)