Every other evening, just around 9 o’clock, Dan knows it’s time to stop putting off the inevitable.
He’s due to take the injection for his Multiple Sclerosis disease-modifying medication.
That’s not to say Dan’s afraid to take his shot. But after taking a subcutaneous shot every other day since he was diagnosed 18 years ago, it literally and figuratively can be a bit of a pain.
There was a period of time where he wasn’t as diligent about taking his shot and sounded more like a teenager coming up with excuses for why he didn’t do his homework. Dan would enable himself with thoughts like: It was getting too late. I’ll take my shot tomorrow. I’ve taken this for so long, my body needs a rest. I know people with MS who don’t take any kind of disease-modifying medication, so I don’t see why it’s such a big deal that I stay on track.
I totally understood where he was coming from. I had to inject myself daily with the MS medication I used to take. Even though I now get an infusion every six months to slow the progression of my disease, I can relate to his sense of feeling like a pin cushion.
It isn’t his favorite thing to do, but he has realized that it is a big deal to stay on track with his MS medication. This is one thing he has the power to do to control his disease.
This leads us to our self-care challenge for you this week: Challenge yourself to take all of your medications as prescribed as well as your daily health-related supplements.
Whether it requires you to mix and administer an injection or take a pill with water, just remember the reasons why these medications or vitamins are in your house. Chances are they’re there to help you take care of your health.
So help yourself and join us in this self-care challenge to take your medications and supplements as prescribed by your healthcare providers.
To track your progress, download the Health Storylines app or visit healthstorylines.com to set up your free account. With this resource, you have access to tools such as “Routine Builder” or “Medication Tracker,” which help monitor your adherence to taking your medicine.
Remember to share your progress with us by posting photos to our Facebook or Twitter and use #selfcareMVMT
And in case you missed it, you can catch up on our other self-care challenges on our most recent online MS & Me Radio Network show A Couple Takes on MS