The Best Medicine

Fun … that’s it. Really! Having fun makes my MS more tolerable, and when I’m having lots and lots of fun, I sometimes even forget that I’m living with this disease. Yes, my daily injectable (which has more than doubled in price in the 10 years since I started taking it!) works to slow the progression and lessen the severity of my multiple sclerosis, but it’s the fun and the people that I’m having fun with that motivate me to wake up every morning and keep fighting and thus is the best medicine!

There is one bad thing about all this fun:  having too much of it really wipes me out. While I’d rather blame the MS for slowing me down, I’m realizing that I don’t recover like I used to. Certainly not like when I was in my 20s and didn’t have this chronic illness. And now as I recover, I end up putting some important things–like this blog–on the back burner, and I apologize for that.

So without further ado, here is a glimpse at what has kept me (and Dan) busy:

Hey Boo-Boo 

flint-ms-party-girls2We went to a great picnic, and there is nothing better than being surrounded by friends who just get you. Friends from my old MS support group in Flint were getting together. A picnic was planned, but our attendance was spontaneous. Talking with two of the group’s members earlier that afternoon, they mentioned their plans and invited us to join them at that evening’s picnic. There was no way were would miss it! And even though I have not been to that group in the four years since I got married, I wanted to enjoy a nice summer evening with them and my husband. This picnic was so awesome because while it was the disease that brought us together, it was barely mentioned. This picnic was about good food, good friends and good, oops I mean, GREAT times.

Play Ball!

jen-and-lou-e2No, not me silly. Watch ball is more accurate. Dan, my dad and Jim (my caregiver) and his family went for a fun time at Dow Diamond in Midland. We saw a Great Lakes Loons baseball game. The Loons won! We ate too much–hot dogs, nachos, cotton candy, and of course, for me the required dill pickle–you know, the usual baseball essentials. Bonus, the weather provided us with a beautiful night! The recently built stadium is completely handicap accessible, right down to a family restroom. This essential accommodation makes my comfort and enjoyment an almost certainty. And the cherry on top of this all-American sundae? After trying at the last few games we attended,I finally got to meet the team mascot,Lou E. Loon. What a perfect fun evening!

 

 

 

A man on a mission

ramp-at-jake-and-heatherAfter joining our team at this year’s Walk MS a few months ago, Jake (the wonderful husband of my close college friend Heather) decided that I was going to be able to get into their house. See, we had been to their house last summer for a party following the Crim race in Flint, but I couldn’t get into their house because it had a series of steps. 

Jake wanted to ensure that I could see the inside of their house when he and Heather hosted the engagement party for our dear friends, Jen and Adam, on June 27. So he did some research to see what was available. And, after asking me the width of my power wheelchair, he was fairly confident that he had found a solution: His friend, Andy, had access to a ramp from a standard moving truck. That, along with a custom ramp Jake built, made it possible for me to get into their house, which was very lovely, by the way 🙂 And once in their home I was able to use its bathroom, making it the first residential bathroom, other than ours and my parents that I’ve been able to use in the seven years since I lost the ability to walk. And because of this, we could stay at the party for as long as we (and for a change, not my bladder) wanted. And much fun was had!! Thanks again Jake & Andy.

Dan & I deal with MS every second of our lives, so isn’t it great when we can find fun escapes? We’re excited about the St. Louis Blues Festival over the Fourth of July,  going to another Loons game, the annual Mt. Pleasant MS group pizza party, another Crim race and post-race soiree, and whatever fun opportunities come our way. 

Is it possible to have too much fun? Maybe, but we’ll keep having as much as we can handle. 

** Finally it’s getting close. Our Acorda national contest winning podcast should be up very soon! In the meantime, check out the first of the three winners: Mark’s story is online now.

And go have a little fun of your own!!

Jennifer

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