Friday February 21, 2020

Happy 25th Birthday Dylan!

  The Brain

Today is a beautiful cool but sunny day after many days of rain. It's my nephew Dylan's 25th birthday and it's FRIDAY! Monday was President's Day so school was out and it made for a short work week but with nasty weather, it's seemed like forever getting to today...

   Today, I would like to talk to about BRAIN DAYS... What are Brain days? Just ask anyone with MS, they'll tell you but the thing about MS is, there's no two stories alike. MS affects everyone differently. I know medically, they say the brain doesn't feel but swear, mine does. Sometimes it's like it hurts deep down inside my brain and sometimes it feel like it gets hot, especially when I get stressed. My brain days consist of a day of confusion, blankness, doubt, forgetfulness, zero attention span and I have the feeling that I just don't care. Usually, these days are obvious shortly after waking up. I'm learning these are the days that I coast... I don't do any more than necessary. Sometimes, this feeling last for hours but then again, it can last for days at a time. I guess I could say, it's kind of like a mini vacation because I don't do much and the good thing is I don't even stress about it; I forget the things I need to do anyway! 

   MS affects cognitive functions as well as physical mobility. For some, it's one or the other. For some. it's both. I suffer from both at time. The cause of MS is unknown so, it always leaves me asking the question, WHY? Growing up, I played different sports, was always very active and even as an adult; I like doing things outdoors and always staying busy. Even mentally, I'm always thinking... My mind seldom rests, so it's hard to sleep at times and that's tiresome when your body lays but the mind races for hours when it also should be resting! 

   Sleep... It's the most essential thing I can do. When I'm tired, my brain is the first to show the effects as I can't think straight and I know I must rest. When I get run down I sleep 10-12 hours at a time for days in a row. It's kind of like recharging a battery. After a few days of recharge, I'm good to go again! The lesson here is... Listen to your body when it's telling you something.   

   "A Mind is A Terrible Thing To Waste"