Stumblr: Life with MS

As I discussed in my World MS Day Video , I'm a big fan of throwing things at the wall until something sticks when it comes to improving my physical condition. If a treatment is safe, reasonably priced, and promises not to be too painful, chances are I'll give it a try. I love it when friends send me articles about new MS-related drugs or procedures. I cannot be bothered to keep up with every MS-related development. I have recipes to make and tv shows to watch, dammit! Information is good, and it's nice to be thought of. A friend got me to try acupuncture, which wasn't my jam but was definitely worth pursuing. A friend, who also has an auto-immune disease, recommended cryotherapy  after trying it herself. It sounds a little bonkers, but I may give it a shot (especially since I have a coupon).  Advice from friends is easy to take because I know it comes from a loving place. And because my friends are not preachy know-it-alls. Yesterday at work, I told a colleague tha

I have not gone gentle into disability. Each assistive concession, from buying my first cane to installing grab bars in the shower, was agreed to only after heated discussion, gnashing of teeth, and tears. Neal has cajoled me into the acceptance of things that make my life better at home, and we’ll talk more about them later. Today I’ll tell you about my journey from silent sufferer to squeaky wheel at work. When I first walked up the white marble steps of the Folger Shakespeare Library, a beautiful, old, totally not handicapped-friendly building, I was an able-bodied 28-year-old. As the years went on, those stairs became more treacherous, especially when slick with rain. There was nothing to be done about them, though, so I either walked verrrrry slowly or entered through the rear of the building on wet or weak days. Bathrooms were a different story. I worked in the basement where a men’s room with a single stall was between my office and the two stall women’s ro