What are your biggest challenges with MS?

March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness month. Most of having MS is new to me. I know what it is and does but existing with it is relatively new to me. So I thought I would just write about some of the main challenges I experience with MS to date.

Drop Foot/ Foot Drop

Drop Foot causing the majority of my mobility issues. That and vestibular issues and leg weakness. But mainly when that drop foot kicks in, it is incredibly hard to walk and then extremely hard to walk. It just gets worse and worse. Leading to some significant walking issues even with a cane. So I can walk 15 minutes and rest and 15 minutes back. And I am good. More than that and I am not great. More than than? Quite problematic. Getting nowhere slow- very slow.

I can’t drive with it so I have no licence. Nor can I really walk about with it Either. Bit annoying, that. Just working on that whole teleportation thing, and I will be set.

Fatigue

I have had fatigue for most of my chronic illness life when it comes to fibromyalgia and chronic migraine. But something with MS added to it or the nature of MS fatigue that just slammed into my like a wall. A big massive wall that basically falls right on top of me in the morning and I trying to lift off of me all day. I need to pace, rest and nap just to get through the day. Then pace, rest and nap again. And repeat.

Both physical and cognitive fatigue of course. Because that cognitive fatigue is just as bad, Any mental activity takes three times as long and you can only do it for short durations. Like reading for example.

I don’t know, I think, that isn’t that bad really. I have 10 lesions and I think they are behaving quite well, all things considered. Now that I am on medication, that should stay the course. I was afraid of MS progressing. In denial I had it for a bit. But now I am just glad I am on medication and I know that will work well. I am not so worried about future lesions as I was.

It is just the bad layered on top of fibromyalgia, chronic migraines and my vestibular condition. And the impairment to mobility and functionality usable hours is a blow for sure. It is in fact the entire symptom load that is the problem. Of all my conditions together. Some things have improved with various treatments. Like RLS for example is better than it was. But you combine it all? It’s a problem.

MS diagnosis