My symptoms began when I was a Junior at Texas Tech University. If you missed my previous post on how I came to my diagnosis, you can read My MS Journey Series: My Diagnosis.
It’s important to remember that everyone experiences Autoimmune Symptoms differently. Being aware of your body and its normal stat can make it easier to understand when something is not right.
In the slides above, the first 10 symptoms are what I experienced in the onset of my journey. Aside from those 10, there was 1 symptom that left me jaw dropped…I wanted to share that symptom exclusively here, on the Blog.
I knew something was really wrong when Collin and I were being intimate. We have amazing chemistry and everything just works with us. From one of the first days I met him, I could feel the energy between us.
With that being said, I am grateful to have a partner who takes care of me and my needs in bed, which he does, many times over. But without going into too much detail…the usual things that Collin knew I/my body liked and enjoyed, were not working this time.
By that I mean, my symptoms had started taking over the intimate parts of me, which caused me to lose all feeling and sensation sexually. No matter what he did or tried, I was completely numb inside.
In the midst of being intimate, Collin stopped and asked me if I was okay. He noticed right away that what normally gets me off, was not now. We both paused and I remember looking at him in total disbelief. “I can’t feel any of this,” I told him mortified.
Now, the last thing you want to tell a guy in bed is that you can’t feel anything he’s doing lol. Had it been any other time, I would have already came, guaranteed. And now that I hadn’t and couldn’t feel it, I was scared as fuck.
I had been experiencing most of my symptoms for 2 months without answers. But when this happened, I started to panic. I called my mom and to tell her my symptoms had worsened, and this was how I knew. She agreed I needed to be seen immediately.
Little did I know at the time, that was a symptom I could experience. And it was the last one I would experience before receiving my diagnosis and treatment to regain my coordination, mobility, and feeling again (yes, the intimate feeling too lol).
What Triggers / Relieve My Symptoms Now?
There are many things that can increase my symptoms or cause additional flareups in my life, and the same is true for what can relieve some of my symptoms.
Although there is no cure for Autoimmune Diseases, we can learn what makes us perform better or worse by being aware of our body and mind.
Food & Drink
I am not one to advocate for a “one size fits all” diet. Each of our bodies are entirely different. We were born with different genetic makeup and among a variety of different environments. To say that one diet works for everyone is a load of crap (aka don’t buy from anyone who promotes this).
In my opinion, finding what works best for you is most important when it comes to treating your symptoms.
What works for me is a diet high in Vitamin D. It is common for the Autoimmune community to have low levels of Vitamin D, especially when it comes to Multiple Sclerosis. Increasing my Vitamin D through real foods like salmon, tuna, and green vegetables help me immensely, accompanied with a mediterranean-focused diet by incorporating healthy fats like nuts, fruits, grains and beans.
Of course drinking a lot of water and orange juice is vitally important.
Cutting out or limiting coffee, alcohol, and carbonated drinks makes a huge difference. I am not one to cut out alcohol or coffee completely, but instead, I limit my intake based on what I have had or plan to have that day.
For instance, if I want coffee in the morning I will make sure to drink water before and eat a small meal as well. Or, if I want alcohol later, (because my girlfriends want to go to lunch) I will limit my caffeine and drink a ton of water throughout the day.
When it comes to alcohol, I really don’t drink Sunday through Thursday. And when I do, I pretty much stick to wine or beer. In the last few years I have limited and enjoy far less frequent vodka or gin mixed drinks.
Exercise
Getting some kind of exercise is crucial! Even if it’s for 30 minutes a day. Going for a walk outside in the sun can be extremely beneficial. Not only will exercising boost your mood by releasing endorphins (a pain and stress relieving chemical), but it will also help keep you grounded in a routine, which I find incredibly helpful.
As for me, I prefer Yoga in the morning. I start my day with intention by coming to my mat and I am able to take what I learned in Yoga and carry it over into the rest of my day. Yoga is very good for stretching your body, increasing circulation, and blood flow, which are all amazing treatments for someone living with chronic pain or inflammation.
I find that after I do Yoga (or any workout) I always feel better than I did before.
Mindset
This may be the most important yet. It is easy to get stuck in the rabbit hole of researching symptoms, fears, and ‘what-ifs’. What has helped me address these negative thoughts and emotions is to address them, head on.
Journalling and meditation have increased my awareness for my body and mind. Taking time to tune inwards, can radiate your deepest intentions outwards. Recognizing how you are feeling and normalizing your feelings is a must!
No matter where you are in your journey with life, Autoimmune Disease, school, job, parenting, marriage, etc., understanding how you are feeling and sitting with your intention is key!
Doing this work is worth it. You may have to bend and break at times, but knowing there is the other side of what you are currently going through, makes it better to get through.
Medicine
I receive 2 IV Infusions each year to treat my MS. Later in this series, I will share more about my infusions and how I came to decide on my treatment plan.
What I will say for now, is that since I started my medical infusions, my yearly MRIs have been spectacular – they show no increase in lesion size or number on my brain and spine.
Though the infusions can not reduce or reverse my already existing lesions, it is huge news knowing it has stopped the progression of more, thus far.
Calendar
Lastly, the best way I combat my symptoms is by keeping a calendar. One, so that I don’t forget what I have going on. And two, because I can visually see what days I may need to gear up for and what days I can use to relax or reschedule.
For me, I am always rescheduling. At first it was hard for me to grasp the idea of rescheduling or being late somewhere. I hated the idea of making people wait or “looking unprofessional” in the corporate world.
However, it’s so important to remember that we are living life with a chronic illness that we can not control. Waking up is a blessing. Getting out of bed is a great day. Making it to any plans is imaginable.
Whoever you are meeting, I’m sure they would understand if they only knew half of your story – what living with an Autoimmune Disease was like. Nothing in the world is so important that we need to force our body and mind past its breaking point.
I learned very quickly that if I push myself, my body will nearly always pay for it in the following days.
Do yourself a favor and track what days, times and seasons of the year you feel most fatigued. When it comes to scheduling your day, remember to make time for YOU first! It’s okay to spread plans out over the week. I do it too!
Whatever you can do to cause less stress or pain for yourself, you need to do. It will be your saving grace, I promise.
