Four Ways To Find The Inner Peace You Need When MS (And Life) Are Wearing You Down

Welcome back! It's been a while since I published a blog post so I'm thrilled to have you here! Thanks for stopping by.

inner peace

I took the summer off from writing when it became apparent that I needed a break. It was time to focus on my inner peace.

I tell others with MS to listen to their nudges, those internal grumblings trying to push you in the right direction. Nudges are (very) smart guides vying to grab our attention away from the noise and nonsense going on in our heads.

(We all have racing thoughts that play over and over again ad nauseam. They aren't real! Here's a meditation from the wonderful Tara Brach to help us quiet the mind.)

This summer I took my own advice and listened to my nudges.

inner peace

The course of my MS and comorbidities were knocking the wind out of my sails.

The revolving door of doctor appointments and tests, not to mention (but I will) calling and calling and calling medical offices for a response, was driving me crazy.

It became a full-time job.

"When you're caught in a familiar reaction, stop, take a deep breath, feel what you're feeling and ask, "How would a wiser version of me respond at this moment?" ~Cory Muscara

There were a few personal hurdles that were also troubling me. They weighed heavily on my heart. It was time to find emotional balance and mental wellness.

inner peace I returned to therapy.

I love my therapist. She's an excellent listener and an expert psychologist who is worth her weight in gold.

If you feel the need for therapy I highly recommend finding a good psychologist.

Another unsurprising component of my need for time off is the state of our chaotic world. It becomes more unnerving every day and sets me on edge. I know I'm not alone in this!

Now I watch the news in the morning, read The New York Times, and that's it for the day. Otherwise, I have nightmares about the violence and hatred penetrating our society. I stay informed, but self-care is the priority. Stress is an enemy of MS and is unhealthy for everyone.

So summer was a good time for introspection and wellness.

"These mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb." ~Najwa Zebianinner peace

Ignoring our nudges leads to deeper wounds that become more difficult to repair later on.

So I took my own cues seriously. I carved out time to be still, to recognize my wounds, be patient with them, and be willing to process difficult feelings from the past.  (Here's a good article on 8 tips to heal emotional wounds from PsychCentral.)

It's not easy as you slowly go through the process of trying to heal your wounds. Many unresolved emotions can be tough to deal with. But it's necessary if you want to move forward.

When the mind and body are in disharmony nothing in life makes sense.

inner peaceI decided to journal about my healing plan. This held me accountable to my goals and writing felt cathartic. Here's what I did this summer:

Do you take time to tend to your emotional needs or do you let things slide, thinking they'll magically disappear?

Do yourself a favor. Commit to a plan to slow down, do breathing exercises, and de-stress whenever you need to! 

I can remember stressful events from every decade of my life, and I bet you can too. So, remember these four ways to find the inner peace you deserve:

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." - Abraham Lincoln

(I know I'm stretching the point from this quote but I  don't think Honest Abe wouldn't mind.)

inner peaceI hope you found this blog post helpful. I'd love to hear your thoughts so please leave a comment.

Until next time I wish you peace and good health

Breaking News: A Promising New Injector That's Needle-Free

The first twenty-one years of my life were carefree and filled with all the quintessential growing pains of youth. But the year I turned twenty-one I was in a serious head-on collision that changed everything. After sixteen stitches in my forehead and a mild concussion, I noticed my feet were numb and my balance was off.  

Five years later, in 1986, my symptoms became worse and I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Those were dark times for the MS community because there were no medications for us. A course of steroids was the only drug prescribed to reduce inflammation.

In 1993 the first MS medication was FDA approved. I was elated. This was what I was praying for. A drug formulated specifically for my disease. I read the literature carefully and noticed one word that made my heart skip a few heavy beats.

Injectable.

needles

If I wanted to use this medication I’d have to learn how to safely inject a needle subcutaneously into my skin. I was petrified but knew I had no choice. Summoning all my inner strength I took the plunge.

For twenty-five years I never fully embraced sticking needles into my body, but I did what I had to do. I hoped for a better way, feeling guilty about dreading something I knew was a blessing. Every time I sat down to inject I thought, “This medicine will help me feel better.”  

When Portal Instruments reached out about the development of their needle-free injector for patients with chronic disease to self-administer medication in the comfort of their homes I was intrigued. My first reaction was I was diagnosed too soon! Imagine if this technology was around years ago.  All of the stress and anxiety I experienced would never have happened.

needles

Portal Instruments needle-free injector

But I was also thrilled that today’s patients will have an opportunity to experience a worry-free way of injecting. No needles, no anxiety, a win-win.

Portal Instrument’s technology (licensed from MIT) is not only needle-free but also injects a narrow stream of medicine through the skin in half a second. That’s super fast!

needles

What’s also impressive is they’ve created a method for customizable interactive disease management tools between patients and their medical care teams in real time. This is an ideal way to keep patients accountable to take their medicine on time.

For those of you who have needle anxiety, go easy on yourself. That's perfectly normal. We weren’t born to self-inject. It can be tough to get started - it's certainly something I never welcomed. Here are a few challenges I found with injecting:

Time of Day: Remembering to inject can be difficult when you’re not used to it. When I started I injected at different times of the day. That was confusing. Then I decided bedtime would be the ideal time. After getting ready for bed I’d sit on the edge of my bed and inject.

For people with cognitive deficits injecting at the same time of day can be a big help.  

Learning how to inject: Yikes! I had such a hard time learning how to stick a needle into my body. I’d watch and re-watch the video provided by the pharmaceutical company on how to inject, step-by-step. It admittedly took me awhile.

Travel: This requires a little bit of planning. I pack my medication package - needles, medication and alcohol wipes - in a clearly marked bag that’s scanned by security. I attach a doctor’s note to the bag stating I’m a patient and the medicine I carry is necessary to manage my disease. After passing security I transfer the clear bag to the medical box (provided by some pharmaceutical companies) and then slip the box into my carry-on luggage.

Safety: When there are children and pets in a household special attention must be paid to needle storage. It’s dangerous to leave unused and used needles where little ones or pets can find them. Always remember safety first. Needles should be stored on a high shelf in the kitchen, bathroom or closet. Immediately after use place them safely into a Sharps Disposal Container and store on a high shelf. When the container is full find where to safely dispose of your container.  

Get ready by relaxing: When you're ready to inject you might be feeling some anxiety or stress. Play your favorite music, do some deep breathing, clear your mind, find a place where you won’t be distracted, listen to a meditation app, or add your favorite essential oils to a diffuser. Breathe again. 

QUESTIONS:

In the comments below please answer the following questions. Your answers will help Portal Instruments learn more about what patients want in a needle-free injector. Thank you for your time and effort.

  1. Is this device of interest to those who regularly administer injectable medications?
  2. What do you think of the needle-free device?
  3. What features make Portal’s device appealing?
     

 

Read more of what the press said about Portal Instruments by taking a look at these articles from USA Today and NPR.

 

NOTE: This is a sponsored post by Portal Instruments. I received compensation in return for my honest review. All opinions are, as always, completely my own.

    

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

Want To Learn How To Tame Stress? Read On

Sometimes something appears on your doorstep at just the right time. Call it serendipity, I guess. Stress has played a large role in my life lately, and as a writer I write what I know.

Stress and MS have been subjects that leap onto the pages of my work. I know I need to tame it, to make sense of its affect on my lingering exacerbation as it alters my quality of life. It's no fun to tango with it.

Learning how to put stress in its place is the most important work I can do right now. I need to incorporate stress reduction into my daily routine as part of my wellness plan. It's important for you, too, because stress can cause damage to your physical and emotional health while influencing your mood, well-being and behavior.

So when I was asked to participate in a webinar about stress and MS I jumped at the chance.

stress

I was even more excited when I learned I'd be joining the amazing Megan Weigel, an advanced nurse practitioner and doctor of nursing practice (click here to read a prior post on Megan about her other passion as yoga instructor extraordinaire for MS patients.)

This webinar was developed in partnership with the International Organization of MS Nurses (IOMSN) the premier international organization focusing on the needs of nurses involved with MS care, education, research and advocacy. 

Managing Stress and Multiple Sclerosis: We Can’t Always Avoid it So How Can We Better Control Our Stress Levels?” is a 30 minute audio and slideshow presentation that addresses the concerns of MS patients. Megan illustrates what stress is, how it affects us both positively and negatively, and what we can do to learn to live with it. I, as patient advocate, had an opportunity to ask Megan some key questions for our community. 

Here's a preview of what we discussed:

These valuable insights include the latest on traditional and non pharmacologic avenues to discover in your quest to regain the quality of life you deserve.

I learned a lot from Megan. Her expertise and enthusiasm, combined with the commitment of IOMSN to excellence in MS care, makes this a webinar you really need to hear.

Click here to begin listening and learning!

Also check out these other resources from IOMSN and Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC):

NOTE: This program was supported by an educational grant from Sanofi Genzyme.

 

 

 

 

What Did The Scale Say To Me?

This week was different.  This week the scale didn't move.  It didn't go up. It didn't go down. This week the number stayed the same.  My reaction?

scale

At least I didn't gain any weight.

I always thought stress was a bad thing, and in my craziness I'd reach out for a quick antidote for calm by eating something sinful. At least that's how I used to think about stress before I watched this TED Talk from psychologist Kelly McGonigal. She argues that stress is our friend. And now I agree. Stress forces us to face our anxieties and, as Kelly says, "This is my body helping me rise to this challenge." Take a look.  You'll never think about stress the same way again. And next time you reach for that donut, remember what Kelly said.

This week was crazy, and I didn't have time to do much exercise. What a ridiculous excuse! Okay, I did walk a lot of steps the day I was in Manhattan, and I also ran around to many appointments.  But, c'mon, driving around New Jersey isn't exactly exercise. The problem has always been that I go in and out of being totally committed to a daily exercise program. Now that I've lost some weight I want to keep it off, so no more excuses! Maybe I should find my old Jane Fonda video, dust off my leg warmers and pop the tape into the VCR.  Oh, wait, I don't have a VCR (or the leg warmers.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNPdBnlOK_U

When people ask me what would be the first thing I'd do if they found a cure for MS, I always say, "Run." One of my fondest childhood memories is running.  Running down the street, around the playground, or alongside my friends.  It's so joyful, so pure, and you feel free. If I could run again, feeling my legs blindly carry me wherever I wanted to go, that would be my Utopia. For now I'll keep walking, despite the MS fatigue and numbness.  Because my abilities are what makes me strong and full of life and oh-so-joyful.  Take a look at the faces of these children from Save the Children and you'll understand what I mean.

Next week, when I step onto the scale at Jenny Craig, I hope the numbers will change. Because this week I'm busy making friends with my stress, adding steps to my day and embracing who I am.

abilities running weight scale

*I received a free month on the Jenny Craig program and a discount on food for this review.  There was no compensation.  All opinions are solely my own.  NOTE: Clients following the Jenny Craig program lose, on average, 1 -2 pounds per week.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Facing Life's Challenges: Finding Your Inner Strength

Candle Meditation Tranquility Peace

"Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy. There's going to be stress in life, but it's your choice whether you let it affect you or not." ~Valerie Bertinelli 

My cousin always tells me things happen how they are supposed to.  I believe that's true.  Things happen for a reason, and because they do, I’ve often contemplated what “the big picture is.”  I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ll never know what the Big Plan is from the Person Upstairs.  So I sit back and let it all play out.  

Sometimes life throws us a curve, and we must face them as best as possible.  Without the curves, we’d never recognize the beauty.  Yet the curves can be tough ones to handle.  They can make us feel sad, anxious, or fearful.   We can feel lost in their midst and reach around to find some solid footing again.

Our spirit is tested during times of adversity. Will we wither and spin out of control or rely on our inner strength to pull us through?

Here are some ways I've found to help me during difficult and stressful times:

 How do you handle stress and the challenges in your life?

___________________________________________

Feel free to share this post with others. Click the REPLY button to leave a COMMENT.  SUBSCRIBE by clicking on the SUBSCRIBE button.  

DISCLAIMER:  Comments from An Empowered Spirit are brought to your attention on topics that could benefit you and should be discussed with your doctor or other medical professional. I am not medically trained, and my posts are journalistic and not instead of medical advice. An Empowered Spirit and its author will not be held liable for any damages incurred from using this blog or any data or links provided.

Skip to content