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ALL IN A DAY’S WORK WHILE LIVING WITH MS

© S. W. Hussey

Thanksgiving has come and gone, as has your seasonal holiday and New Year. Here we are, all cooked out, entertaining has taken a merciful rest and all you have left to do is pack the holiday items up to make way for yet, another exciting year.

If you are a football fan, the Super bowl offers entertaining and gathering, but if you aren't, the New Year has begun and hopefully, for you, your MS challenges are now fewer and you can concentrate on yourself.

Don't apologize for fatigue, take short fatigue rests. My neurologist recommends a minimum of fifteen minutes (if you are away from the house, such as a mall). Sometimes we need more rest time, so we need to be better organized and prepared to perform our daily tasks.

If you have the responsibility for grocery shopping, try to find a 'buddy' to go to the grocery store with. This person (*or family member) can sometimes be vital in 'fetching' the items on your list.

Take advantage of the electronic shopping carts with any embarrassment. I remember the first time I allowed myself to try these carts, I was embarrassed. My daughter brought so much humor into my erratic steering habits that our trip actually was not only productive but fun. Rely on those who love you and ask for help. Most times your friends and family take their cue from you about how you are coping.

I like to operate at home under a reward system. If laundry seems insurmountable, take your tasks and break them up into little tasks. For example: sort your laundry, if you feel up to it, fill the washer with laundry and then reward yourself with fifteen minutes of tea and sitting in a chair and look at a magazine.

After this, you might feel strong enough to put the washed laundry into the dryer and then take another rest reward. I get much more done with this method than I ever thought I could when previously looking at the entire job of laundry as one BIG, daunting task.

Try this for a while and if it works for your most challenging work in the home, extend it to organizing your day to accomplish home tasks WHILE you are allowing yourself rest breaks. Don't forget that while you live with MS, you can still learn new, interesting and fun things. Just pick something you can do while resting and you'll be surprised how the word 'productive' becomes a wonderful realization.

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