Every month of the year seems designated as the month to create awareness about a particular disease. Although I don't personally agree with this concept since raising awareness should be an ongoing effort throughout the year, I support the idea of awareness months. After all, why not bring attention to them? March is both Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month and National Autoimmune Awareness Month. There are over 100 autoimmune diseases, including MS, each carrying unique symptoms while also having common symptoms as well. One of the common symptoms is fatigue, which is defined a ..read more

As I approach my sixty-fifth birthday, I'm taking time to reflect on the significance of this milestone. I consider it a personal victory, having survived multiple sclerosis and other complex challenges over the decades. The song "I'm Still Here" by Stephen Sondheim has been playing in my head, reminding me that I've been through a lot, and I'm still standing where I've always been. HERE. "Good times and bum times, I've seen them all, and, my dear, I'm still here."    When my first neurologist explained I had something called multiple sclerosis, he ended the consult by adding that ..read more

It’s been a few months since I’ve written a blog post, and I’ve missed being here with you. There are endless reasons why I had to step away. For now, I’ll tuck those away for the sake of this blog post. EXCEPT to say I’ve had headache-worthy problems with my blog.   You probably noticed slow-loading issues with An Empowered Spirit; for that, I apologize. I needed help (and still do) to fix AES and couldn’t find anyone qualified who wouldn’t charge buckets of money. Yikes. So I’m working my way through eleven years of posts for possible broken links, photograph sizing corrections ..read more

As an advocate, I speak to people in the MS community every day. We chat about our disease and what it’s like living with it. One wish I often hear is for the able-bodied community to better understand what it’s like to live with MS. In honor of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, I’ll shed a little light on what it’s like to walk in our shoes.     I don’t know about you, but I think of my life in terms of chapters, except my chapters aren’t arranged in numerical order. Instead, they’re divided into two categories, before and after diagnosis. Before my MS diagnosis, I could ride a ..read more

The following originally appeared in The Huffington Post in 2015 for MS Awareness Month. A few minor changes were made to reflect how I continue to feel in 2023 about living with MS.  The philosopher John Lennon famously wrote, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” The life we imagine for ourselves isn’t always the one we get. Our paths can take sudden turns down unexpected byways, leaving us to battle unchartered territory. March is MS Awareness Month, a time to remember the over 2.5 million people worldwide living with an unpredictable and incurable disease cal ..read more

As the year draws to a close I’m remembering the buzz a few years ago about Elizabeth Gilbert‘s Happiness Jars, an idea she made for herself and others to be healthier and create self-awareness about even the tiniest of blessings in our lives.   For 2023 I’d like to get in the habit of writing what I’m grateful for, from the slightest good on a bad day to the best on a good one. I set aside a pretty glass jar. Gratitude is a way of fostering positive emotions that could help us achieve greater health, build our inner strength to face adversity, and nurture stronger relationships ..read more

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. 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 th ..read more

When my neurologist diagnosed my MS over three decades ago my parents urged me to get a second opinion. I agreed wholeheartedly. The second neurologist, who came highly recommended, quickly confirmed the diagnosis, then casually added: “On average people with MS live seven years less than the general population.”  I thought my head would explode…from the diagnosis, the doctor’s (ahem) bedside manner, and the mic drop about MS and mortality. Jeez. With limited information at my disposal in those pre-internet days, I was desperate to research credible information to validate (or invalidat ..read more

The BEAST that’s lived in my body for more than half of my life started to erupt over the last few years in unsettling and disruptive ways.  The odd thing is that, for the first time in my MS life, I’m experiencing the denial phase that typically begins after a diagnosis. It’s been a wake-up call to come face-to-face with the harsh reality of MS, possible progression, and aging. Life never follows a straight line. When I first learned I had MS I hadn’t a clue what was in store for me, the unexpected detours and undeniable disappointments that could lie ahead. When you’re young, and there ..read more

When I was 22 I was in a serious car accident that landed me in the hospital with a concussion and feet that were suddenly numb. I ignored the loss of sensation. At 27, along with increasing numbness and weakness, I had a few other troubling symptoms. I finally consulted with a neurologist who quickly diagnosed me with multiple sclerosis. In my thirties, I had more good days than bad. In my forties and fifties, a few comorbidities reared their ugly heads. The difficult days now outnumbered the rest. By the time I reached 60, MS had progressed incrementally, making life more complica ..read more