MS STATUS
Compared to November, I had little to no symptoms. Just some tingling in my arms and “sand” in my right eye. Most of the weirdness this month was due to hormonal issues caused by the delay of the menstrual cycle. The reason of why that happened it’s still unclear to me, as it was the first time to do so in more than a year.
Now, I’ve been injecting Copaxone for almost a year, and on the prospect they mention that glatiramer may cause disturbances of this kind. But I don’t really know if that’s the case here. Will inquire with a specialist when I redo my blood work for this year. Did any of you guys happen to have that while on Copaxone? Let me know in the comments below.
BODY
On a physical level, since December is always a busy, almost hectic time of year, my sleep had to take one for the team and get a little chaotic. I usually sleep 7-8 hours a night, wake up at 7 am and do my morning routine. This month I went to sleep late, woke up at 8 - 9 am-ish, and the inner clock got confused.
How can you tell if that’s happening to you? Simple! You wake up not feeling rested, you’re groggy and tend to be moody, irritable and have a hard time concentrating on your tasks (and I don’t even say how worse your fatigue can be if you add this to it!). Last month I wrote here about fatigue. Hope it helps!
My advice is to try to stick to your routine and schedule, don’t compromise, don’t say that it’s just this time, because with all the things that can stop you from getting a good night’s rest, not sticking to schedule is the easy part. What if you get to bed at say… 11pm and your brain can’t stop rambling (even after you’ve meditated?)? Then what?
So, as I’ve been there, I encourage you to train into sticking to certain bed and wake hours. Set up alarms on your mobile, turn off any screens at least an hour before bed, go get a warm shower when your bedtime alarm goes off. Then try to get as comfy as you can, close your eyes and stand still (adjust as needed and according to your own MS issues).
MIND
Mental clarity is also important to have. Make time to unplugg and get some rest. This was the case for me this December, as I took 3 weeks off from work and just focused on recharging my energy supplies, preparing for the holidays and spending quality time with friends and family.
There’s no reason to force it, especially when you are living with MS. Of course, everyone is different, but try to relax after a hard day, or limit your actions only to the essential tasks that need to be done, get help, plan. Reflect on your year, wins and losses, blessings and missfortunes. Realign with your vision and your purpose. Quiet the mind. Journal. Meditate.
EMOTIONS
On an emotional level, try to find balance between positive and negative feelings. Every emotion is a wave that provokes a certain reaction throughout your body. Aknowledge it and let it go. Stop. Breathe. Be calm: it saves you from burnouts. Don’t blame or backlash at others for your bad mood (like I did! Sorry!). Analyze the reason why you feel the way you do, talk to someone about it or write it down, record your voice, whatever helps and it’s available to your condition.
Last but not least, we all are the result of our daily choices. We can always change things for the better. Just ACT! Moderation and self discipline are key to being successful. One day at a time, we can rebuild our life the way we dreamed it.
This was all for this week’s #HealthyThursday! Thanks for being here!
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Love,
Alexis