Tom and I had set this past Friday as a planned milestone date for us. It marked the date of my first neurologist appointment since my diagnosis and would also mark a point of closure for us. We had decided that as long as the appointment was positive (and it was) that Friday would mark the end of the overwhelming fear, the million “What-if’s” that had been plaguing us for almost two weeks, and would mark the start to the future.
So, Saturday, we took the day off from M.S. We spent the day playing normal — getting new tires for my car, wrapping up a hunk of the Christmas shopping, and picking up Chinese take-out (yes, I ate “healthy” Chinese take-out, Mom). We camped in for the night and finally watched Pirates 3. We had put that off for way too long. We began digging through the hours of taped television shows recorded on our DVR. We spoke only using words that didn’t begin with either “M” or “S”. Ok, there were a few pirate-patch jokes during the movie. And, at one point when I lost feeling in my right arm and began hitting it with the other and slamming myself around, Tom took great joy in mocking me with stupendous laughter. But, other than those small instances, the world was free from M.S. for a day. I highly recommend any newly diagnosed patient try it.
I started my morning today, with three of my other favorite Italian men — Frank, Dean and Tony — singing to me as I began some long overdue holiday baking. Normalcy has continued on.
So, what is the future for this blog now that a major milestone has been met and surpassed? Kimmy asked me that on Friday. Originally, I developed this blog as a means to keep family and friends updated on news and my progress (it’s certainly a lot easier than hours of phone calls and emails). But, going forward, I hope to couple my personal updates, challenges, and breakthroughs with educational opportunities and information. I consider myself to be a Patient-Educator. (I made up that title, and I kinda like it). Who better to help a newly diagnosed M.S. sufferer than someone who has walked, stumbled, or tumbled in their shoes?
So, family and friends — I’ll still post updates here regularly. But, frankly, are you really that interested in what my cousin Karen referred to as my “National Enquirer Life”? I don’t think you’ll thrive on knowing every minor sneeze, dizzy spell, trip or tumble. Instead, I hope to use those future experiences to build a blog that becomes of great use to the M.S. community — here in Erie, across the country, and throughout the world. Ok, I dream big. But, it will happen. I hope you still read, and learn about the disease. I hope you’ll still be involved.
For now there are more pressing matters on which to focus attention today — watching the ulmighty warriors, my Pittsburgh Steelers (hopefully) crush those overbearing, lying, sneaking Patriot people. Here we go Stillers!!!
Tom and I had set this past Friday as a planned milestone date for us. It marked the date of my first neurologist appointment since my diagnosis and would also mark a point of closure for us. We had decided that as long as the appointment was positive (and it was) that Friday would mark the end of the overwhelming fear, the million “What-if’s” that had been plaguing us for almost two weeks, and would mark the start to the future.
So, Saturday, we took the day off from M.S. We spent the day playing normal — getting new tires for my car, wrapping up a hunk of the Christmas shopping, and picking up Chinese take-out (yes, I ate “healthy” Chinese take-out, Mom). We camped in for the night and finally watched Pirates 3. We had put that off for way too long. We began digging through the hours of taped television shows recorded on our DVR. We spoke only using words that didn’t begin with either “M” or “S”. Ok, there were a few pirate-patch jokes during the movie. And, at one point when I lost feeling in my right arm and began hitting it with the other and slamming myself around, Tom took great joy in mocking me with stupendous laughter. But, other than those small instances, the world was free from M.S. for a day. I highly recommend any newly diagnosed patient try it.
I started my morning today, with three of my other favorite Italian men — Frank, Dean and Tony — singing to me as I began some long overdue holiday baking. Normalcy has continued on.
So, what is the future for this blog now that a major milestone has been met and surpassed? Kimmy asked me that on Friday. Originally, I developed this blog as a means to keep family and friends updated on news and my progress (it’s certainly a lot easier than hours of phone calls and emails). But, going forward, I hope to couple my personal updates, challenges, and breakthroughs with educational opportunities and information. I consider myself to be a Patient-Educator. (I made up that title, and I kinda like it). Who better to help a newly diagnosed M.S. sufferer than someone who has walked, stumbled, or tumbled in their shoes?
So, family and friends — I’ll still post updates here regularly. But, frankly, are you really that interested in what my cousin Karen referred to as my “National Enquirer Life”? I don’t think you’ll thrive on knowing every minor sneeze, dizzy spell, trip or tumble. Instead, I hope to use those future experiences to build a blog that becomes of great use to the M.S. community — here in Erie, across the country, and throughout the world. Ok, I dream big. But, it will happen. I hope you still read, and learn about the disease. I hope you’ll still be involved.
For now there are more pressing matters on which to focus attention today — watching the ulmighty warriors, my Pittsburgh Steelers (hopefully) crush those overbearing, lying, sneaking Patriot people. Here we go Stillers!!!