Quite possibly, the most over-used phrase of this MSer is “Or maybe.”

(”Quite possibly” ranks a close second!)

“Or maybe” comes in handy as I try to assess how I am feeling (good or bad) during a particular MS filled day or period of time.

Here is an example….

My gams have splinters.

“Why am I so stiff today” I’ll say to myself.

It could be the heat

Or maybe it’s the humidity.

Or maybe I over did it today.

Or maybe I didn’t do my stretching.

Or maybe I didn’t sleep well last night…or haven’t been drinking enough water.

Or maybe I’ve been sitting too long.

Or maybe…Get on with it, will ya–you’ve made your point!

Another MSer in my circle likes to point his finger at a change in barometric pressure when he’s having a tough go of it.  I’m no Al Roker so I won’t even attempt to explain his rationale.  (Nor do I understand it!)

I find myself doing the same “Or maybe” song & dance during doctors appointments.  My doc will ask how the Botox worked over the last three months.  (He doesn’t understand recall is not one of my attributes!)

So as my peanut of a brain bounces around in my tin head, I say…”"Um, OK..it’s been really hot this summer.”

Or maybe it was the humidity.

Or maybe I’ve been busy, so I haven’t exercised as much as I should.

Or maybe I haven’t wore my Dyna Splint as often.

Or maybe the phase of the moon.

Or maybe the Republicans & Democrats act like two-year-olds!

My point is there are so many factors that seem to influence your MS (good or bad)–it can be difficult to keep track.

Some may ask why even attempt to figure it out?  Well, when I have a good day, I want to try to duplicate it the next day.  And when I have a bad day, I want to right my wrongs & avoid the pitfall once again.

Sounds simple, right?

How about you?

Do you find yourself playing the game of “Or maybe?”

Do you try to keep track of how your MS responds to your actions?

And do you have any idea how barometric pressure affects MS in “your neck of the woods?”

Maybe I’m just crazy (don’t answer that).

Or maybe there is some truth to all this.

Or maybe yada yada yada.

Or maybe…

The Swiss Army Knife.

First introduced in 1859, this baby was the cat’s meow of knives!

The Swiss Army Knife was decked out like a pimp’s Cadillac Coupe DeVille.  It’s the McGyver of cutlery!

Boasting not only a main blade and a smaller blade too…..plus, tweezers, a toothpick, corkscrew, can-opener, flat-head screwdriver, Phillips-head screwdriver, nail file, scissors, shoelace hook and a key ring.  (With all this stuff, it’s no wonder since the early 1800s,  the Swiss have remained neutral in world affairs.  If their knives are this devastating, imagine what their other weapons must be like!)

In other words, the Swiss Army Knife gives you a bunch of tool options to get the job done.

While digesting that thought (along with a ham sandwich), I began comparing it with your typical MS treatment plan.

With a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, there are so many doggone symptoms & side effects, you almost need a Swiss Army Knife of treatment options to cover all your bases!

As an example, here is what’s included in My Odd Sock’s Swiss Army Knife of MS treatment:

Baclofen-  Helps control my spasticity, the arch-enemy of my MS.

Me getting Botox

Botox injections-  NOT for my face, but for my legs!  Every three months for spasticity. 

Apitherapy-  Bee stings.  Bee venom therapy.  I have been doing this once or twice a week since 2002.  Pro or con–I don’t know.  I do it for peace of mind.

Supplements-  I’ve taken as many as a dozen different things at one time or another.  Now, it’s just the basic vitamin C & D.

Grrr, stretch those legs!

Stretching-  I stretch more than a WalMart shopper’s tube top.  Like a ten-year-old housecat, I move & reach to reclaim any lost range of motion.

Diet & Exercise-  I try to eat a healthy diet, lower in fat.  Nothing fried.  Exercise helps me beat the MS beast better than anything!  I feel better, more relaxed, less stiffness & muscle spasms.  I try to exercise 30 – 45 minutes four to five times a week.

Depression med-  Yeah, I like many of you with MS, I have experienced the dark side.  My pink pill is why I am so damn perky!

Mobility aids-  Canes, walkers, wheelchair–I’ve got a whole mini-van full of crap!

My Odd Sock's Dynasplint System

AFO & Dynasplint-  Used to correct MS-related foot drop.  Wearing them makes me feel more like Peter Weller in “RoboCop!”

Some of the other MS tools I have tried over the years include Ampyra, the walking drug…massage (NOT the truck-stop kind!)…physical therapy….IV/oral steroids (Unlike Barry Bonds, I knew what I was taking!  And of course the usual disease-modifying injectibles.

We are all different, and what works for one, might not work for another.  But it is interesting to see how YOUR knife compares to others!

Good luck in your fight, soldiers!  Godspeed.

 Multiple Sclerosis does it.

MS picks on you like the burly guy (the MS) at the beach kicking sand in the face of the wimpy guy (you).

Annoying as a persistent cough, with the tenacity of a telemarketer calling at dinnertime, MS can be relentless in letting you know it is never far away.

MS doesn’t play favorites.  It has no regard for the situation.  You can be visiting with friends, watching a movie, eating dinner or enjoying your child’s band concert when MS will be sure to give you a leg spasm–JUST to remind you it is there.

MS has a wicked sense of humor too.

Take a stumble?  MS probably tripped you.

In a knot AGAIN!

And it likes to poke fun at us as we begin to dribble while struggling to hurry into the powder room.

(Why is it when I wear sweatpants/shorts with a drawstring waist–they always knot when my bladder is fullest!)

MS is playful as a puppy.  When trying to get to sleep, pesky MS is there knocking on your eyelids.  Then, it is the first one to greet you in the morning!

MS comes at you with a vengeance–so you must circle the wagons and fight back with all you got.

Don’t give up—because MS never does.

Forget to take your vitamins?  Don’t worry, MS never forgets.

Don’t feel like exercising today?  Multiple Sclerosis isn’t taking the day off.

MS putting the squeeze on

Didn’t do your stretching?

No problem, MS will just tighten its grip.

Over do it?  MS will be sure to remind you when to say “when.”

Skip your shot?  That’s OK, your MS doesn’t mind!

Sit too long in one place?  MS will be sure to remind you when you try to stand.

All because that is what he does…MS is one heck of a nice guy!

Mr. MS

Wait, how do I know MS is a guy?

That’s easy.  Simply put, MS afflicts more females…making MS a real ladies man!

(Sure, MS strikes a guy here or there–but it is only the annoying dudes who get it!)

My point is, MS is a constant bully.  So we must be strict in following our personal game plan to keep him at arm-length.

Keep fighting, pushing and most of all keep moving!

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What are you saying?

The above My Odd Sock has been awarded the title of “Most Mixed Up” in concept and readability.

There is a lesson somewhere in these words, but for damm sure we can’t find it!

So yes, if you guessed this was about exercise—you were correct.

I have enjoyed working out since I was a young teen.  Exercise has always played a big role in my life.  And now since my MS diagnosis many years ago, I realize exercise plays an even bigger role.

Phew! Me, taking a break between sets.

You see, through the years I’ve taken so many injectable meds I feel like a pin cushion at a Quilting Bee.  I’ve done IV steroids.  Swallowed a mountain of pills.  Endured a couple thousand bee stings.  But nothing…absolutely nothing… makes me feel better…than exercise!

Exercise eases my spasticity.  It improves my strength, balance & flexibility.  It helps me sleep.  And exercise lifts my spirit.

And it can do the same for you.  Guaranteed.

Odd Sock uses the Thighsizer. Yes, I have one!

Nope nope nope, I don’t want to hear your excuses.

          “I don’t have the time.”

Do you watch TV?  You can exercise during the commercials.  That adds up to a 16 minute workout per hour.

          “I don’t have the equipment.”

You don’t need fancy gear.  Plastic laundry jugs, even canned goods used as weights will give you the resistance you need.

          “I tire easily.”

Hey I know MS can KO your energy like a heavyweight boxer.  But you don’t have to work out like you’re on “The Biggest Loser.”  Just a little will do you wonders.  And exercise, even movement will bring you MORE energy!

Hitting the speed-bag for hand-eye coordination

Speaking of movement, the National MS Society has some inspiring words on their pamphlets.  It reads “MS stops people from moving.  We exist to make sure it doesn’t.”

You’ve heard the adage “Use it or lose it.”  Man, that line plays right into the sweet spot of multiple sclerosis. 

If you stay in that chair–MS will keep you there.

You gotta get up!  If you stand twice an hour….Try three times.  Then four.

Walk till the end of your driveway.  The next day go to your neighbor’s driveway….and the neighbor after that.

Reach one way, and the other.

Stretch. 

Move.

(Hey, sorry I’m not as cute as Denise Austin–but I mean the same!)

I struggle to lift the flippin bar!

No matter your condition, no matter your age–all of us can benefit from simple exercise.  Simple movement.  Pushing your body to just a little more than usual.

That’s all.

MS takes enough from us.  Don’t let it take everything.

Let me know how exercise fits into your MS regimen & your everyday life.

It’s time to get started…..You ready?  Let’s go.

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Editorial Bored rates this feature ”NF” or “Not funny.”

Helen Eleanor Saggybags, My Odd Sock Editor-In-Chef

My Odd Sock’s Editor-In-Chef (not chief–chef, as she also works as part-time lunchlady at Watson Elementary) Helen Eleanor Saggybags has ruled this piece not worthy of “humor” classification.  Thus, My Odd Sock has been placed on “punchline probation.”

Further disiplinary actions could be enforced if My Odd Sock’s humor content does not improve.

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