Change Begins With A Vision...
Written 11/19/22
The months of November and December bring back SO many memories of the final steps to officially being diagnosed with MS. I find it to be very difficult to get into the spirit of the Holidays. Even though these few months are filled with love, joy and family time there always seems to be a glimpse of the past that squeezes through the jolly spirits.
Since my last blog post in October, I have made several little lifestyle changes that have helped me gather my strength and prioritize the things that are most important to me. I have a vision of what I want to be and what I want to accomplish. It will take some discipline and accountability, but I believe that I can follow through with these 3 lifestyle changes. I want to share with you...
★ MS GYM: NEUROPLASTICITY
My MS symptoms lately have put a stop to my ability to workout at a gym or even take tap class. It took a few weeks for me to mourn the loss. I had watched my husband run with my son at a Healthy Running Series and I was envious of my husband. I wanted to run and be active with my son instead of stand at the finish line. My anger led me to researching more about the symptoms I had which led me down a rabbit hole where I found the MS gym that focuses on strengthening and building neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity: the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections. I started the program a month ago and even though some simple movements from the program cause more pain, I have also experienced some relief from my MS symptoms. Learning to take things from the foundation of a motion can be boring but I am learning to be in tune with my body. I honestly miss being able to jump and do workouts. I still get frustrated with not being able to, but this is the way of my body saying let's start from the beginning. I know that it will take time to see more results no matter how much I want to have a solution to the problem. As I continue with the program, I will keep you up to date and maybe share a few exercises that I find to be most useful.
★ PUT AWAY THE DISTRACTIONS
After having my son in 2020, I stopped making as many posts as possible on social media because I knew that I needed to focus on taking care of myself and my son. I found it to be relaxing but when I had down time, I would find myself scrolling through Facebook and Instagram to a point that I felt like I was losing the precious moments of watching my son grow up. 2023 I will be leaving all of those distractions at the door. Less scrolling and more living. I am simplifying life by being old school using phone calls, emails, snail mail and text messages. I look forward to more in person gatherings and enjoying the company of others. I am working on MAKING MEANINGFUL MEMORIES.
★ SET BOUNDARIES
I love to take part in as many events as possible but living with MS I have learned that it is OK to say no on some occasions. Fatigue has become a struggle for me these past few months. It took 2 different sports to attend per a week for my son to figure out that my energy levels are limited. In order to be present and not too exhausted I have to learn to strategically plan a break for myself into the weeks/days. It is more of a challenge with my son not wanting to nap but when there is a quiet moment, I make sure to stop and ensure I rest.
I continue to be as active as possible. I have stepped away from physically dancing but I can be found in a dance studio teaching. My teaching has changed because I cannot physically demonstrate a step, but the best next thing is using my hands as if they were my legs. With verbal cues, hand gestures and examples from other students we are working together as a team to improve our technique. I am thankful for the flexibility and understanding from students, parents and staff as I navigate through these changes. I now carry a backpack with me that has many of the items that I find to be useful for moments where I may need a little more assistance. Some items include foldable cane, compression socks, spasm relief spray etc.
This is just a start... These lifestyle changes have already shown some positive results and I cannot wait to see what this next year brings as I follow through with them.
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