New Year with Multiple Sclerosis

As 2012 comes to an end my wife and I are already setting goals for next year.  Over this past year my wife has lost 35 lbs, had very few major MS issues, learned more about how to treat her MS and she is ready to take 2013 by storm.  She has already set a goal of losing another 15 lbs and I have no doubt that she will lose it before summer because she is already starting to focus on her eating again.  One of the other big goals we have for this year is to completely wipe out our debt.  We have been lazy about budgeting this last year so over the next week we will have our whole year mapped out.  Cash is king so we are going on an all cash budget starting January 1. 

Right now my wife is already starting to go through our house and unclutter our home.  We know that extra clutter is just taking emotional energy so over this next year we are downsizing our "stuff."  We already have a plan in place to have a big garage sale to not only get rid of our stuff, but to pay off more debt.  We are already bringing in extra income from our online efforts and Christmas was good to us online, so we will put that money towards debt too.  We really feel like less stuff and less debt will help both of us.

Over this last year my wife has really felt like she is taking more and more control over her MS.  She had less major issues and anytime we felt like she might have problems, we immediately took action and did the things we know to do to treat her MS.  I know that we both feel like we know more about how to treat her MS, what warning signs we need to watch for and are looking forward to her health getting better and better. 

What goals are you setting for the new year?  Are you starting a new career?  Will you be traveling somewhere special this year?  What are you going to do for your health this year?
 

Stresses of Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis

If you have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis or are going through the testing now to figure out exactly what's causing your symptoms, then you know that this process can be stressful, frustrating and long.  When my wife first started the testing for her MS over 20 years ago, she felt like a lab rat.  They ran test after test and everything kept coming back negative.  If you're knowledgeable about how MS is diagnosed, then you know that there isn't a single test or even a battery of tests that will give a clear diagnosis.  My wife had MRI's, a spinal tap, blood testing etc. and everything kept coming back negative.  Even her MRI showed no spots or issues, but all of her symptoms pointed to MS.

I'm not a doctor, and this is not medical advise so please don't take it as such.  What I'm writing this for is all of those individuals out there that are frustrated and stressed out because they've spent months and months trying to figure out what is causing their fatigue, numbness, tingling, pain or whatever other symptom they may have.  My wife saw multiple neurologists and no one would diagnose her with MS until she went to see Dr Roy L Swank in Oregon.  Dr. Swank spent years and years researching MS and he developed the Swank MS diet to combat the effects of MS.  During her first visit to his clinic he immediately diagnosed her and put her on the diet.  We both really wish Dr. Swank was still alive and practicing because his treatment and counsel helped us through many rough spots with my wife's health.

Here is what I have learned about the diagnosis of MS.  Since there is no definitive test, the diagnosis is based on the symptoms and multiple testing that is done.  In other words, MS is a collection of specific symptoms and can be very difficult to diagnosis.  The other thing I learned when we ran a Naturopathic Doctor's office was natural treatment of diet, rest, supplements etc. can do amazing things for auto immune diseases like MS.  Starting a healthy diet can happen today and is something that anyone can do to make their health better.  Our Naturopathic Doctor really believed in the Breaking the Vicious Cycle diet for Auto Immune diseases.  We were able to see the successes of this diet and used it ourselves for some time.  I say all of this to say don't get depressed, frustrated and feel like you have no control because in our experience, anyone can better their health with a few simple things like diet and limiting stress in their life.  My wife completely understands the desperation that can come from wanting to know what is causing her health issues, and over time we have decided to take control of what we can and not stress about what we have no control over.  Take control of what you can today like diet, rest and limiting stress in your life and know that it can get better.  My wife is a living testament to this.

Update on Online Business

I've had a lot of response on a previous post about online marketing that I do to create passive income for my family, so I thought I would update you on one of my recent efforts.  Many Muliple Sclerosis patients are not able to work full time and they would like to supplement their income with a business online.  Over the last few years I have been working my way through the "mess" that is internet marketing to find a few systems that actually work.  One of those is a system utilizing a free platform called Squidoo that I found about 2 months ago. 

This particular product was created by a mom that wanted to stay home with her kids, and worked to create a substantial online business to support her family.  The system is super simple, providing all of the information on how to setup simple Squidoo Lens to drive traffic to Amazon.  You receive a percentage of anything the visitor buys on Amazon along with additional income you can earn from Squidoo itself.  After 2 months of building lenses, I have about 25 up now and have sold a little over 50 products on Amazon this month.  I can do the research, build the lens, and have it up and running in just a few hours, and since it's on Squidoo it's free to build.  I don't have any hosting costs or domain name costs.  Pretty sweet deal to create income without any financial outlay.

If you are looking for a system to create income online, I would highly recommend Squid Pro Quo.  You can view the sales page here -  www.warriorplus.com/w/a/rhdfr.  I want to be totally up front with you and let you know that I make money from selling this product.  That's not why I'm recommending it to you though, I'm recommending it because it really does work.  I hesitated to even put the link on my blog because I don't want this blog to be about selling something.  If you've noticed I don't put ads on my blog or anything else because I want it to be about helping those with Multiple Sclerosis.  If your like me, money struggles can be one of the most stressful issues in your life and if I can help a few people to relieve some of that stress then it's worth it.  If you want to know more shoot me an email or leave a comment and I will do my best to share what I've learned.  If you do end up purchasing it, please let me know and I will help you if you have any questions.

Multiple Sclerosis Dizziness

Through the last six months my wife has worked extremely hard to listen to her body as she is having issues to see what she can do to help.  One of the issues she struggles with off and on is dizziness.  Sometimes its dizziness that leads to vertigo type symptoms and other times it's more of an annoyance that she just deals with throughout the day.  One thing she has learned is that she can stop the issue with rest and water, and if she drinks a lot of soda or tea it can bring on the symptoms.

This last week we went out to eat after a stressful day.  She and I both drank sweet tea and she drank 3 full glasses.  After driving back to the our offices, we were standing around outside the vehicle and the dizziness hit her.  Within minutes she could feel her head spinning and knew she needed to get home.  She went home, laid down and drank water and the dizziness went away.  I think it amazes both of us how quickly her body reacts to things, whether good or bad. 

She knows she has to drink plenty of water to keep her body hydrated and pays for it when she doesn't.  Years ago when we first started researching Naturopathy and how to treat MS differently, the first seminar I went to was on how dehydration affects MS and other Auto Immune diseases.  Since then, my wife has tried to make sure she drinks plenty of water every day and finds out really quickly when she doesn't drink enough.  The only other treatment we have used for dizziness is Chiropractic, and she is adjusted regularly so usually we don't have to take a special trip to the Chiropractor for dizziness. 

Can't Work Because Of Multiple Sclerosis, What Now?

My wife has been fortunate enough to not have to worry about working full time the majority of our marriage, but many individuals with MS don't have that option. Many have to work full time and are the main providers for their families. This is stress that many times causes more MS issues, which is why my wife and I have chosen a lifestyle that allows her to work if she wants, but she doesn't have to. Currently we run an all girl's children's home and she works part time filling the gaps we have in our staff. Since she isn't full time or punching a clock, she can stop when she needs to and rest. We both know that we are extremely lucky

For those that have had to give up full time work, or are looking to add some additional income for their family, we may have a solution. I hesitated to write about this on my blog because I refuse to sell anything on this blog, or add a bunch of ads etc. to the blog. I really want this to be a safe, truthful place about our experiences with MS and nothing more. After so many emails and comments about families struggling to make a living and life, I felt like I needed to share what we have learned. For the last year I have been learning affiliate marketing online, and have created a consistent supplemental income for my family.

Like any other business, affiliate marketing takes a lot of work and patience. There is a lot to learn and a lot of "gurus" out there that want you to give them hundreds or thousands of dollars for them to teach you how to make money online. I spent money and bought quite a few programs before I found one that has worked, and recently found an even easier, quicker way to create an income stream. There are many different methods that work, and I have only made money from a few. I am now working on replacing my income so that my wife and I can spend time doing what we want, instead of what we feel like we have to do.

So, I wrote this for any of you that might want to know more about how I've made money online. I'm not going to put any links on here to the products or systems I've used, but would rather you email me if you are really interested in knowing more. We know how tough it can be when you have an MS attack and your body won't cooperate, and this is a legitimate way to make money through all of that. If you want to know more shoot me an email at mywifehasms@gmail.com, and hopefully I can keep you from wasting time and money on systems and products that don't work, and show you products that I've used that I know work.

Blood Pressure and Multiple Sclerosis

It's been a while since I've posted because our life has been a little crazy. My wife is doing well, even with the craziness and many different physical and emotional drains on her body. One thing she came across recently is that her blood pressure is low. She was noticing some weird feelings in her body and on an off chance she checked it a few weeks ago. The numbers came back low so we purchased a blood pressure monitor and began to check it regularly. I'm sure glad we did because I learned that I have high blood pressure and have already went to the doctor to have it checked. After a few weeks of checking her blood pressure, she figured out quickly that she needed to increase her water intake to help with this issue. As long as she is drinking plenty of water her blood pressure is fine, but if she doesn't drink water and drinks soda or tea, she starts to feel bad. We both knew how important water intake was for our bodies, but neither of us ever thought about her blood pressure being low and how drinking water impacted blood pressure. We are always learning and she has become very good about "listening" to her body and taking action when she needs to. It's been almost 23 years since she was diagnosed with MS, and she is still figuring out how to live a healthier life.

Life Goes On With MS

So many emails I receive are from individuals with newly diagnosed MS. They are scared, and have more questions than answers. If they've searched the internet for MS symptoms, just diagnosed with MS, living with MS, etc., they have probably been led to many blogs and websites that give a bleak future for the MS patient. Well, I can only speak from my wife's experiences, but I can tell you that you can have MS and live a very full, active life. The last few months my wife has been working on losing weight, becoming healthier and having more control over her MS. She started with a juice fast a few months ago and has continued to become healthier by losing over 35 lbs, eating better, exercising with care, listening to her body and resting, and being more aware of her stress level and need for chiropractic. Because of this, she has had very limited MS symptoms in months and we have pushed hard with trips, church camps and the heat of summer. This last week alone, she had very little sleep at camp, spent all day working with teens, helped outside in 100 degree heat, and pushed hard from morning till night. She had one morning she experienced a headache and a few times in the heat that she had to step inside and cool off, but outside of that, she did amazing and was able to keep up at a pace with everyone else. I am so proud of her and her efforts the last few months because she has been more consistent and determined than I have seen her in a long time. She looks great, has lots of energy, and is feeling great. She has participated in cycling classes, climbed mountains in New Mexico, kept up with teens at church camp and been more active than I've seen her in a long time. There was a time not too many years ago that we wondered if she was going to be able to walk again, and through a lot of trial and error, we found some very specific ways that she was able to control her MS and overcome any issues she was having. I guess I am writing this today because so many newly diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis patients struggle to have hope for their future, and so many others are fighting for a normal life. Fatigue, headaches, numbness, pain, stomach issues, twitching, loss of movement, leg pain and weakness, MS hug, eyesight issues, cramping, dizziness, memory issues, brain fog and many other symptoms have all been issues my wife has dealt with over the 22+ years she has been diagnosed with MS, but she continues to fight for a better life and has been able to overcome those symptoms. Life can go on, and my wife has worked hard to be healthy not only for herself, but for me and our daughter. Living with MS is not easy, and one thing I have learned from talking with so may different individuals with MS is that not everything that has worked for my wife will work for them the same way. Patience, trial and error and having the hope that there are definitely treatments that will work have kept my wife striving for better health and a better life. Life goes on after diagnosis of MS, and there can be some really rough times, but I know for my wife that she has struggled through those and has continued to become healthier and live a full life. So, please don't let diagnosis or MS attacks stop you from hoping for a better future and a full life. That is one of the main reasons we started this blog, to share our experiences in the hope that it would help someone. We are an open book, so if there are any questions you have please shoot them our way, and don't ever lose hope that there are treatments and ways for you to have more control over MS.

Update on MS Disease

It's been a while since I have posted, and I wanted to give a quick update on how my wife is doing. We have been in Kansas for almost a year, running a Children's Home that is both high stress and little rest. Over the last year she has struggled with minor Multiple Sclerosis symptoms, but has controlled any bigger issues with diet, rest and natural therapies like chiropractic. She isn't having to work full time, but works many hours per week for our Home, along with home schooling our daughter and taking care of our personal home. She is an amazing wife and mom, and this past year has been a year of learning and growing towards more understanding of how diet etc. affects her health. Over the past 4 months she has lost 28 pounds, and is continuing to lose weight utilizing Weight Watchers. She is combining years of information and studying MS diets with counting points in the WW system. This has worked wonderfully for her, and given her a goal to pursue. She participates in cycling class at least once a week right now, and has been working out as her body will allow. She has become much better at listening to her body over the last few years, and is very aware of when and how far she can push her body. She has done fantastic with her desire to become healthier and lose weight, and I couldn't be more proud of her progress. Our summer is going to be crazy with all of the activities and events we are participating in for the Home, and we will have to be careful to make sure my wife's MS doesn't rear it's ugly head while we are enjoying our trips. She will need to get plenty of rest, drink lot's of water, make sure her body is eliminating properly, eat healthy, and make sure she doesn't push her body beyond it's limits. For all of those individuals out there that have been recently diagnosed with MS and wonder if you can have a normal life with MS, my wife is a great example of someone that has not allowed her MS to define her life. You can find healing and with some adjustments in your life, you can thrive. Don't ever give up on learning and finding treatments that work for you, and please let us know if there is anything we can do to help you through your journey.

Multiple Sclerosis Life Expectancy

Tonight my daughter asked me a really off the wall question. She had driven with me to pickup a donation for the children's home and we were heading back home when she asked, "dad, is mom going to die soon?" Now, my daughter is 14 years old and my wife was diagnosed years before she was even born, so she hasn't ever known a time before my wife had ms. She totally took me off guard when she asked because we weren't even talking about my wife or anything to do with MS.

This is a question I had asked Dr. Swank when we used to visit him yearly. When we visited with him, I would bombard him with questions because I wanted to know as much as possible about Multiple Sclerosis. When I asked Dr. Swank about life expectancy he quickly told me that most MS patients lived a long life. He even said that in his research, 85% of his patients that were following the MS diet lived a full life with limited MS issues. What I've personally seen is MS doesn't lessen the amount of years you live, but it can lessen your ability to live those years.

I quickly answered my daughter and let her know that her mom wasn't going to die soon from her MS, and that is not the way Multiple Sclerosis affected the body. Then she asked me what we would do if my wife went completely numb, and I assured her that we would do everything possible for my wife to live a long, healthy life. It reminded me today that we need to be discussing MS with my daughter as she gets older so she understands it and doesn't fear it. It is so important to discuss MS with your family and especially with your children, and to understand the effects of MS well enough to discuss it. If you have any questions I can answer please let me know.

Stomach Pain with Multiple Sclerosis

Well, we had a rough few weeks after our juice cleanse. My wife became sick with bronchitis and struggled getting over it for weeks so we weren't as constant with the juice as we would have liked after the initial 6 days. Now we are trying to juice once or twice each day and then eat healthy meals. There are days like today that we just couldn't make that happen, but for many days we have been able to juice and eat well.

One thing we did notice when we started juicing is that my wife's stomach issues went away. She didn't have a single upset stomach or any issues at all when we were juicing, or even after we were juicing until yesterday. Last night we went out to eat and we are not exactly sure what caused it, but she was sick for about an hour after we came home. She was extremely frustrated because it had been weeks since she had dealt with any kind of stomach issues, and it had been a nice break from the nausea and pain.

We know the juicing was good for both of us, but we didn't expect the stomach issues to end while we were doing it. I know we both felt better, had more energy, and were able to sleep better at night when we were juicing everyday, all day. So, this is one more opportunity for us to learn and grow in our knowledge of how our bodies work. My wife is trying to incorporate more juice into her diet to see if that will keep the stomach issues from ruining more meals. It can be so frustrating to eat a great meal and within minutes or hours, she will get sick and have to run to the bathroom multiple times before her stomach will finally feel better. This was just another reminder of how important it is to eat healthy and put nutritious food into our bodies. This is something we can control that directly affects daily living with MS.

Day 6 Juice Cleanse with Multiple Sclerosis

Overall, Day 5 was really rough for my wife. Day 6 started out much better and my wife had a much better night of sleep. Today my wife decided to add a little more solid food into her diet. She ate some celery and peanut butter, and then had a small salad in the evening. She felt a lot better today, and everything was good other than not being able to go to sleep tonight. She was up till 3 in the morning, and I'm pretty sure it was the salad that energized her a little too much. :) I also had a small evening meal, but only juice the rest of the day. I am feeling very energetic and it is getting easier to pass up foods that normally I would be craving all day long.

Today we mixed it up with a few different juices, and have found a Pear juice mixture that is one of our favorites. We have also added other items to the juice like sweet potato's, strawberries, and blueberries. Both of us are feeling much better today with less cravings, more energy and we are both getting a lot done. This whole experience has had it's ups and downs, but we are both very happy we started on this path to better health. Over the next weeks we are going to juice until dinner, and then eat a healthy meal. Up till today, I have lost almost 10 lbs, and my wife has lost 6 lbs. For more information on what we did and the recipes we used, you can follow my wife on her blog at http://myhusbandswifehasms.blogspot.com/. She started the blog recently to show her perspective, and it has been fun to see how we see some things differently and some the same. Check it out and make sure and comment on her posts.

Day 5 Juice Cleanse with Multiple Sclerosis

Day 5 started pretty rough for my wife. This seems to be the day that my wife's body has gone into major detox. She felt fatigued, light headed, and had flu like symptoms. I had felt this way the first few days but she hadn't really had the yucky feeling until today. For me, I felt pretty good all day. I am noticing more energy, and more desire to get things done than I have in a while. I still have times through the day that I get pretty drained, but I'm noticing I just need to drink juice more often to keep my energy up and stomach full. So, for me this has been an eye opening experience with how much my life revolves around food and how I overeat regularly.

Luckily, my wife juiced like crazy yesterday and we had juice to last most of the day today. I made it the whole day with just juice, but my wife ate a few celery sticks with organic peanut butter in the evening to add some protein and fiber because she knew she needed to do something different to rid her body of the toxins. I think she realized today that she needed to get her bowels moving or have bigger issues. So, as much as she didn't want to, she used an enema to move things along and felt much better afterwards. She rested a lot today, and was better by nighttime, but we are worried about getting her body detoxed so we setup a massage to help and are trying a few other things.

Day 4 Juice Cleanse with Multiple Sclerosis

My wife woke up this morning without any leg pain, so that is a blessing. She is feeling pretty good today, and is sticking with the juice extremely well. She hasn't had a single piece of solid food since beginning on day one, and has been very good about being consistent with drinking juice every few hours. So far, she has done much better than me, and doesn't seem to be struggling much with just drinking juice. I can't personally say that since I had another breakfast meeting this morning. I ate the healthiest thing on the menu, but paid for it all morning. I was bloated and felt awful all morning, and was very surprised how overly full I felt because I didn't even eat all the food. This was a great learning lesson for me to see how big of portions I normally ate, and how that affected me.

Things got a little tricky for the evening because our daughter had an out of town basketball game. We took a large cup of juice with us but knew we wouldn't be back home till after 8 or so. The popcorn, hotdogs and other snacks looked really good at the game, but we both held strong and made it home without eating any solid food. We drank our evening tea and almond milk and were fine for the evening. My wife did struggle to get to sleep tonight, which she hasn't had an issue with through the other days. She normally has issues with her sleeping pattern but has fell asleep easily the other nights of the cleanse. She wasn't able to fall asleep until 1 or so in the morning so we will see how she pays for the lack of sleep tomorrow.

Day 3 Juice Cleanse with Multiple Sclerosis

Day 3 saw both of us back to our normal routines. The challenge for me was a business lunch that I had to attend, but luckily I was at a restaurant with a salad bar and was able to eat all fresh veggies. Eating a salad after two days of just juice was quite interesting on my body. Lots of gurgling and noise from my stomach as I dealt with digesting solid food, and I felt really full after not having that much solid food in my stomach for the last two days. My wife on the other hand was full of energy and had a very productive day.

One thing that we have been drinking every night is Yogi Detox tea. The tea is supposed to help move the toxins out of our bodies, and one of the issues of doing a juice cleanse is bowel movements can stop and the toxins can be re-absorbed. The tea doesn't taste too bad, and has seemed to help, but I am a little worried about getting the toxins out of our bodies. One of the reasons this is a concern is my wife started having major leg/knee pain tonight. It became severe enough that she had to take some pain meds to help, and ended up going to bed early. This is the first odd thing that has happened since we started the cleanse.

Day 2 Juice Cleanse with Multiple Sclerosis

I have to say day 2 was pretty rough for me, and my wife. We drank a couple of different juices today, and made it to church, but other than that we were both pretty wiped out. My wife had allergy issues all day, and we aren't sure if this is a part of the detox or not. She has had allergy issues since we moved to Wichita, KS, which is not the norm for her. Normally I am the one suffering from allergy issues, but she has been fighting the sneezing, stuffy nose and sinus issues for months. So, we are hoping the juicing helps with this along with other issues as we cleanse our bodies.

I think one of the biggest challenges today was not having any energy. With my wife's allergies, and my general lack of energy, we accomplished a whole lot of nothing. We spent most of the day laying around our house trying to relax and feel better. We still drank the green juice today, and added a carrot juice. The carrot juice is much sweeter and is really great. Even with the juice, I have to say that I was starving by the evening. I finally caved when I was falling asleep around 7:15 and ate an apple with a little natural peanut butter. Once I had eaten a little, I was great the rest of the night. After one full day, we both showed to have lost 3 lbs.

Day 1 Juice Cleanse with Multiple Sclerosis

Our first full day of our juice cleanse is done and over. We started the day with a large glass of green juice that included kale, celery, ginger, carrots and cucumbers. I wondered how this would taste since I am not a fan of celery or real veggie tasting drinks. The smell wasn't too bad and the taste was actually pretty good. We both drank about 60 oz of juice yesterday, along with a cup of detox tea and some coconut water. We aren't huge fans of the taste of coconut water, but it is rich in Potassium and electrolytes and was suggested as a great supplement for hydration. I was pretty hungry most of the day but my wife was actually full enough that she didn't drink all of her juice.

She felt great all day and had plenty of energy. She is dealing with some allergy issues right now, but other than that she felt really good. For me, it was a rough day. I was dragging all day with hunger pains and a dull headache. I was even light headed but it didn't seem to affect my wife in that way. By the evening, I was feeling so bad that I decided to eat a salad and see if that helped. My wife didn't give in but ended the evening with some homemade almond milk to hold her through the night. We both found ourselves running to the bathroom often with all of the extra liquid in our systems. :)

This is a learning lesson for both of us as we try to listen to our bodies and detox. We know from past experience that when my wife's body was full of parasites and wasn't eliminating properly, she was having MS issues. This year we hope to create our own plan to keep our bodies detoxed and our systems clean. Day 1 wasn't great for me, but if this is what needs to be done to find some healing for our bodies, then it is well worth it. We talk all the time about the things we can control, and this is one of them. If we feed our bodies properly then we will see the results of that, and we will be healthier.

Juicing for Health with Multiple Sclerosis

Well, my wife and I were introduced to the documentary Sick, Fat and Nearly Dead a few weeks ago and it really made an impact on us. We had been discussing juicing for health and had talked about a juice fast to "reboot" our bodies. Both of us know that our bodies are full of toxins, waste and other things that are causing our bodies to not work properly. So, today is the first day of the beginning of incorporating juice into our diet. We have tried this before but not with the research, information and support we have now. Over the past week my wife has bought a new juicer, created a 10 day juice plan, and shopped for all the nutritious fruits and veggies to make the juices.

Today we drank a combination of kale, ginger, celery, apples, lemon, and cucumbers. I have to say that I wasn't excited about how I thought this juice would taste, but it isn't that bad. We both downed 20 oz of this "green" juice this morning and I really am full. We will be drinking 4-6 glasses of juice a day along with plenty of water, coconut water, detox tea and homemade almond milk at night to carry us through with a full feeling. I will try to post the juices, weight loss and a general feeling as we go through the next 10 or so days. We are both very excited about detoxing our body and seeing how our health changes over the next few weeks.

New Year With Multiple Sclerosis

Well, 2012 is here and with it new joys and challenges. Who knows what kind of discoveries will happen this year with MS treatment and what lives will be restored through those discoveries. With a new year comes new hopes and dreams, which I know my wife has already started working on her goals for 2012. We have already found a new Naturopath we are going to see this year, and I know my wife has her eyes set on running a 5k this year. As we look forward we can't help but look back at 2011.

The end of 2011 brought all kinds of MS issues and new challenges. For the last 8 months we have lived in Kansas, and every time we move it brings with it new challenges and a new learning curve for my wife's MS. Over the last few months she has fell more than any other time in our marriage. We are not sure what is causing her to drag her leg so much, but we have been very concerned because the last time she fell, she fractured a small bone in her hand that is still causing her pain.

In addition to the falling, she has struggled with some other odd symptoms. For over a week she would wake up every morning to an upset stomach. After being sick for a few hours, it would all pass and she would spend the rest of the day with a little queasiness. The other symptom that we have noticed is eye sight issues. We've noticed her eye sight is better some days than others. For instance, last week we painted our daughters room and my wife didn't notice that she was leaving paint runs on the wall because she couldn't see them. This really surprised me because she is very detailed and painting has been a strength for her. I know it frustrates her when she struggles to do things that she has been able to do for years.

So, as we look forward we have to look back and learn from our experiences. We have huge hopes and dreams for this year and we are both committed to doing whatever we need to do to make those dreams come true. Our hope is also for all the readers of this blog to find some hope and healing through our experiences and life. May your 2012 be amazing and you find some peace in the chaos that is MS.