Last week I wrote about how MS has made me resilient and how I am grateful for that. Since then I’ve heard from a couple of people who had their own examples of surprising blessings. They were different from my experience but it totally resonated. So.
I need your help.
I want to write part two of this story but I need to hear from you. Has this ridiculous experience facilitated anything that you are grateful for? Please send me a private message and I will share our stories, anonymously of course.
My initial reaction to your query is to give an astounding no. However, upon careful reflection, that is a very negative reaction. And negativity, according to me, is not only very detrimental to my living with MS but it also kills my spirit. Therefore, for me, it is important to cultivate gratitude, and so I will say perspective. MS has caused me to see everything in a new light. Everything. I am grateful for the new perspective MS has caused in me because I kinda like this new view. It keeps things interesting. Thanks for posting Tripping.
Thanks for sharing JE, it is nice to hear from you. I think the consensus is that there is nothing redeeming in what happens to us physically but there are some emotional and psychological insights that we might glean from this disease. I am really moved by what people have shared with me so far. Be well, A.
MS gave me clinical depression so I could sympathize with my bipolar brother. The steroids gave me temporary diabetes so I could sympathize when my aunt couldn't control her diabetes and ultimately died. For years it gave me awesome hypomanic hearing, which gave me an edge on the gossip at work. My old friends say that I lost my inhibitions and developed a more enjoyable "F%@k it" attitude. I still have a stress-o-meter right hand that tingles when I get stressed, because for years I have been so oblivious to my emotions I never knew when I was stressed.
I spent a long time thinking there was no upside to this nightmare. Then, it slowly dawned on me. Slow down – or fall down. Embarassment, or humility. It took time to realise that the frustrations and unfocused anger were making me worse . I've learned to take pleasure in the simplest things. All that meditation stuff that I never warmed to. Que sera, sera. Acceptance, without feeling defeated. It's tricky – negotiating the moodswings is a skill in itself. Then there's the meds. And the failing attention span. And the tremors. And spasms. And. And… It's good to be able to switch off. I'm lucky. I can do that. I'm lucky.
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My initial reaction to your query is to give an astounding no. However, upon careful reflection, that is a very negative reaction. And negativity, according to me, is not only very detrimental to my living with MS but it also kills my spirit. Therefore, for me, it is important to cultivate gratitude, and so I will say perspective. MS has caused me to see everything in a new light. Everything. I am grateful for the new perspective MS has caused in me because I kinda like this new view. It keeps things interesting. Thanks for posting Tripping.
JE
Thanks for sharing JE, it is nice to hear from you.
I think the consensus is that there is nothing redeeming in what happens to us physically but there are some emotional and psychological insights that we might glean from this disease. I am really moved by what people have shared with me so far.
Be well,
A.
MS gave me clinical depression so I could sympathize with my bipolar brother. The steroids gave me temporary diabetes so I could sympathize when my aunt couldn't control her diabetes and ultimately died. For years it gave me awesome hypomanic hearing, which gave me an edge on the gossip at work. My old friends say that I lost my inhibitions and developed a more enjoyable "F%@k it" attitude. I still have a stress-o-meter right hand that tingles when I get stressed, because for years I have been so oblivious to my emotions I never knew when I was stressed.
Thank you for sharing this.
I spent a long time thinking there was no upside to this nightmare. Then, it slowly dawned on me. Slow down – or fall down. Embarassment, or humility. It took time to realise that the frustrations and unfocused anger were making me worse . I've learned to take pleasure in the simplest things. All that meditation stuff that I never warmed to. Que sera, sera. Acceptance, without feeling defeated. It's tricky – negotiating the moodswings is a skill in itself. Then there's the meds. And the failing attention span. And the tremors. And spasms. And. And… It's good to be able to switch off. I'm lucky. I can do that. I'm lucky.
I love these stories. Thanks for sharing.