Living Well with MS
One of the unexpected consequences of living with MS is that you may discover how to live a more balanced life than someone who does not have your diagnosis. And while that may not seem like much of a bonus prize, it has some important implications.
You've probably had to take a step back from work, carpooling, entertaining, and the other demands of your busy schedule on more than one occasion to focus on yourself and some aspect of MS, whether it was a doctor's appointment, medical testing, or simply getting some rest. Searching for ways to comfort yourself after the impact of your diagnosis or learning how to calm your own fears regarding the future are examples of ways that you've been using your condition as a catalyst for growth. Emotional well-being may require that you find some greater meaning in your journey with MS, whether it's learning more about yourself, creating a spiritual foundation, or striving to take better care of your health. Whether you realize it or not, you are already on that road; you can't endeavor to do anything in life without somehow unveiling a little bit more of who you are.
Essential
“Chronic illness doesn't come with an instruction manual,” says author Susan Milstrey Wells in her book A Delicate Balance: Living Successfully with Chronic Illness. Wells gives advice on finding a doctor, accepting illness, working with a chronic disease, maintaining relationships, and searching for both conventional and unconventional treatments.
Being well or overcoming an illness doesn't necessarily mean being cured. It means caring for your MS while gradually trying to make your life happier and more fulfilling. It means achieving a level of well-being despite MS. Even though you may be adding new MS symptoms to your life along the way, you can also add new abilities and strengths.
Achieving a state of well-being is not an easy task. So many well-meaning books and people advise you to “take control of your life,” while glossing over the difficulties involved in doing so. Learning to balance MS with the rest of your life is a tall order and it's not going to happen overnight; after all, life wasn't easy before you had MS. It helps to remember, though, that there is a zone — a state of mind — that is accessible to you, even during your worst days. It's a place where illness cannot enter, where happiness is a state of mind and not a stroke of luck. It's also a place where your life has a sense of purpose and meaning.
