Despite my best effort, I have been unmotivated to write or post. Just keeping up with my work and life has seemed a lot. Bedtime hits at 7 p.m. I have been thinking a lot about perspective. Let me explain:
From my students’ perspective: Michele is full of energy commanding her classroom and pushing the students to be curious learners, work hard, and apply for work and scholarship. From this perspective, everything looks normal.
From my friends’ perspective: Michele is slowing down a bit, a bit irritated at the time wasters, politics, and general mediocrity. She does not talk about her MS or complain about her experiences. She tries to be there for others and encourage their awesomeness.
From my neurologists’ perspective: Michele is stable in her condition, steady on her self-injections of DMTs three times a week, and scheduled for a brain and spinal MRI in May.
From Michele’s perspective: I know the nerve damage is real, and it rears its ugly head in the least suspecting times: in my inability to grip the white board pens, getting my feet to move up the stairs at work, and dealing with extremity numbness that stops me in my tracks.
And yet, I am hopeful for some of the new research that is in clinical trial right now for regrowing myelin sheaths; I am too old to be in the Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of PIPE-307 in Subjects with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (VISTA), but I wanted to, so I fund raise for the cure. Research is the key to helping those with this disabling disease.
I am beginning to accept what I can still do and not worry about what I am not longer proficient at. This is an opportunity for others. In general, I am learning to be more patient with myself. This takes time and reflection. I have the time and the ability to reflect, and I do.
I am so thankful for my life, my family, and my friends.
MS Fortunate 