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When Tim moved from England to the United States and married the woman of his dreams, he knew there would be challenges. He wasn't expecting relapsing MS to be one of them. Follow Tim on his journey as he balances many roles in life: husband, father, ambassador, and writer.
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This journal reflects the personal experience of one person and others can be different. It is best to contact your physician to discus what’s best for you. Tim is an MS LifeLines Ambassador and has chosen to share his story with others living with MS. MS LifeLines and MS LifeLines Ambassadors are sponsored by EMD Serono and Pfizer.
Friday, October 30, 2009
My Take on Listening to Your Body
One of the most common pieces of advice I've heard since I've had relapsing Multiple Sclerosis is to listen to your body. And it's good advice. If you're feeling fatigued, you should rest. If your eyes aren't working right, you should see an ophthalmologist. If you're just feeling a little off kilter, you should see your primary care physician. And of course, if you suspect you're having a relapse, you should contact your neurologist.
Clearly, it is really important to listen to your body and take the appropriate action. It's good advice and you'll hear it often if you attend patient programs or support groups. However, something occurred to me a couple of months ago on a particularly beautiful day. Like any good, proactive MS patient I was listening to my body and guess what it was saying? It was saying "Tim, I'm feeling great today. Really just as well as I can possibly be."
No, on that day my body wasn't even carping or griping about a tight muscle. And hey, if we're supposed to be listening to our bodies, why shouldn't we react to good news. Now when my body is quiet or singing happily to me, I embrace it. Why shouldn't we accept good news? After all, we have to deal with so much bad.
Clearly, it is really important to listen to your body and take the appropriate action. It's good advice and you'll hear it often if you attend patient programs or support groups. However, something occurred to me a couple of months ago on a particularly beautiful day. Like any good, proactive MS patient I was listening to my body and guess what it was saying? It was saying "Tim, I'm feeling great today. Really just as well as I can possibly be."
No, on that day my body wasn't even carping or griping about a tight muscle. And hey, if we're supposed to be listening to our bodies, why shouldn't we react to good news. Now when my body is quiet or singing happily to me, I embrace it. Why shouldn't we accept good news? After all, we have to deal with so much bad.
Posted by: Tim, Friday, October 30, 2009
