Caregiving

Connect and learn with others who are new to multiple sclerosis and navigating their own journeys. This program offers info on MS and its symptoms, and advice on how to manage your case. Talk to other attendees, ask questions of a healthcare professional and a volunteer who is living with MS, and share your own experiences.

Also find the New to MS Resource Guide on the same page, with info from the program. Note: This program repeats on the second Thursday of every month.

Sign up at www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/Newly-Diagnosed/New-to-MS

#multiplesclerosis #MightyTogether #ChronicIllness #autoimmune #newlydiagnosed #Disability #Caregiving

Streaming on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Medications are vital for people with MS to live their best lives. Learn about the different types of MS meds from Dr. Carolyn Bevan (neurology, Northwestern Medicine & Chicago VA MS center), and how to access meds through the VA plus how to work with your doctor to find the best fit for you.

www.nationalmssociety.org/how-you-can-help/get-involved/cale...

#multiplesclerosis #Veterans #MightyTogether #ChronicIllness #autoimmune #newlydiagnosed #Disability #Caregiving

Smart article with images that bring it all home, by a veteran with MS. Do these strategies sound familiar? —

Energy Budgeting – Instead of using everything at once, spread it out. Small tasks, breaks in between, and never assume you're getting away with overdoing it.

Prioritization – Ask yourself: Does this actually need to be done today? If the answer is no, it can wait.

The Art of Saying No (The Hard Pass) – People without MS don't always get it, but you don't owe anyone an explanation. If your body says no, listen.

Rest Before You Crash – Waiting until you're already exhausted is like waiting until your car runs out of gas before stopping at a station. Rest before you're running on fumes.

MS: The Energy Loan Shark

#multiplesclerosis #MightyTogether #ChronicIllness #autoimmune #newlydiagnosed #Disability #Caregiving

One of my adult sons just sent me this and I burst out crying because I can relate so much to every line myself.

My son and I are a lot alike. We both need other people in our lives to help us feel loved, validated and to recharge our emotional batteries. It is clearly a big ask for the people in our lives. We are not difficult or overly demanding, but we definitely struggle to feel secure and have inner peace. We think we were born into the wrong family because they find our chronic illness needs burdensome.

Honestly, probably anyone with chronic health problems, mental or physical, feels like a burden to their loved ones sometimes. I am here today to remind you that it is not your fault that you have this neverending challenge that requires extra support from others. Hear me? IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT.

Sharing this beautiful paragraph brought my son and I closer, so I am giving it to all of you to use too.

Peace and Love.

#apathy #Anxiety #MentalHealth #AlcoholDependence #AmphetamineDependence #Addiction #AlcoholAbuse #ADHD #Caregiving #AnorexiaNervosa #AspergersSyndrome #Agoraphobia #Autism #Fibromyalgia #PTSD #PTSDSupportAndRecovery #BackPain #CeliacDisease #ChronicFatigue #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #IrritableBowelSyndromeIBS

Newly Diagnosed MS Resources from the MS Society. www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/Newly-Diagnosed

#multiplesclerosis #MightyTogether #ChronicIllness #autoimmune #newlydiagnosed #Disability #Caregiving

When my neuro prescribed CPAP, I thought, "ANOTHER THING!" But it was totally worthwhile: After my first full night with the CPAP, my daily 20-minute nap disappeared, and I haven’t taken one since.

Many of us don't realize we have treatable sleep apnea because we deal with so many other problems that we assume are the cause for our poor sleep, says Dr. Abdulghani Sankari, pulmonologist at Detroit's DMC DRH Sleep Disorders Center.

“They have pain issues, they have urinary issues, they have cardiovascular issues … They’re tired and not able to sleep well because of all these factors,” he says, “so they don’t recognize that there are other reasons … [why] they feel tired during the day.” CPAP/BiPAP often addresses manifested symptoms like daytime listlessness, waking up unrefreshed from sleep, and unexplained chronic pain. CPAP/BiPAP also helps improve aspects of sleep-affected cognition: memory, forgetfulness, attention span and intellectual abilities like troubleshooting problems effectively.

Letting these problems linger can even cause our condition to worsen. “The frequent interruption of breathing at night leads to what we call chronic intermittent hypoxia, so the body is exposed to low levels of oxygen, and that produces byproducts of inflammation and waste that [aggravate] symptoms on the central nervous system,” Sankari says. Unchecked sleep apnea is also a risk factor for high blood pressure, heart problems and type 2 diabetes. CPAP is an effective treatment for sleep apnea. Got questions? Pls contact me.

Better Nights, Better Days: CPAP, BiPAP and Disability

#fatigue #MultipleSclerosis #MightyTogether #ChronicIllness #autoimmune #newlydiagnosed #Disability #Caregiving

If you are living with #MultipleSclerosis or are an MS #caregiver, family member, friend or ally, it would be great to hear from you here with your age(ish) and location(ish).

#multiplesclerosis #MightyTogether #ChronicIllness #autoimmune #newlydiagnosed #Disability #Caregiving