Your Body is a Fortress, Part 9 – Neuron Bench Presses

[This post is geared toward those newly diagnosed with MS or for people who love people with MS. However, these strategies could apply to anyone striving for a healthy brain and body. Still here? Welcome aboard! Photo by Me.]

All too often, someone approaches me—a family member or a friend, or someone who has happened across my blog, or even my MRI technician—who says something like this, “My brother’s sister-in-law just found out that she has been diagnosed with MS. She has [x, y, z] symptoms, and well, we’re all crushed because of the news. She’s pretty upset.” (Discussion ensues.) “Can I send her your email address?”

I’m glad they feel comfortable talking to me about it. And hells yeah, absolutely send me an email. I’m a fifteen-year veteran, having served hard time working for Ms. MS since I was 24 (I’ll have my 40th birthday this fall). I have some things to say about getting such a diagnosis and what I’ve done about it since then.

It’s true that MS touches all of us—friends, loved ones, and co-workers. Everyone knows someone who has MS. You know someone (other than me). I’m fairly sure of it.

Every person has his or her own path, and I’m not saying this post will guarantee you or your loved one(s) success and happiness. I’m simply sharing my journey with you—take what might seem useful.

Some Background

Directly from the National MS website: “In the United States today, there are approximately 400,000 people with multiple sclerosis (MS)—with 200 more people diagnosed every week. Worldwide, MS is thought to affect more than 2.1 million people.”

I’m an Army of One, with 2.1 million buddies by my side. Call me Roxanne the Riveter (Rosie’s granddaughter). We can do this!

My MS Diagnosis

“Well, Lori, based on your history, the MRI, and the spinal tap, it looks like you have MS, but, at least you don’t have a brain tumor.”

I sat with my eyes welling up, thinking my world was crashing down around me.

What? At least I don’t have a brain tumor? What kind of thing is that to say?

Not the best bedside manner, to say the least. But, it is what it is, and life went on.

As a quick aside, I should tell you what is happening on a molecular level when someone has multiple sclerosis (MS). I am a molecular biologist, after all, which has definitely come in handy.

Click to visit the Wiki site

MS is like the telephone chord that looses it’s plastic coating, so the signals don’t get to where they are supposed to go as well. It’s an autoimmune disease where the body manufactures molecules that attach to one’s own myelin sheath (that fatty substance acting as electrical insulation), which surrounds the neuron at the axon. These molecules destroy the insulation (myelin).

This destruction causes a “hardening” or what’s called a sclerotic plaque (scar tissue). Medically, this is called a “lesion” when it happens to groups of cells and is imaged via MRI.

With affection, I often call my brain the Swiss cheese brain. But, every time I get an MRI that shows more lesions, I get a pang of loss. Damn! Less real estate! I bank on the fact that each of those is the property in the swamps I’ve been wanting to sell off anyway. Then, I get to work wiring a new path around the damage (i.e., balance drills, sleep, mental challenges, writing, math exercises, etc.).

(To learn more about MS, symptoms, and treatments, please visit the National MS website. One thing I won’t have time to touch on here are medical treatment options—I might touch on that topic in future post.)

My top ten ways to thrive with MS (but, applies to anyone!)

One: Educate yourself

Learn the facts from a reputable source like the National MS society and your doctor.

Two: Don’t obsess on the internet (looking for MS information) or in MS chat rooms

MS encompasses a wide variety of symptoms and it’s very much an individual disease—often referred to as “My MS”. Realize that just because you hear such-and-such happened to so-and-so, doesn’t mean it will happen to you. “It might happen” is not the same as “it will happen”. Don’t let the internet take over your life and/or beliefs. There are a lot of scary stories that will most probably not apply to you. Don’t spend time thinking about the ‘what ifs’. Your mind is a powerful thing. I’m living proof. Be in the present—enjoy the now.

Three: Apply an 80/20 rule

Immediately dump 80% of those things in your life that cause you stress: emotional stress or psychological stress. Physical stress is good for you, like working out, swimming or walking—but try not to overheat—MS can cause heat sensitivity. I knew I was in a bad marriage that couldn’t be saved while I was in the midst of being diagnosed. We ended things quickly and I moved on. If you can find work that drastically reduces your stress, do it! Stress is the biggie, in my experience. Get rid of it. It’s not worth loosing your eyesight over. And, I’m being serious. I lost mine for a spell. Only reserve the 20% that you can face or can’t possibly be changed—dump the rest.

Four: Get support

This is as important as water and food. You MUST find support, whether that is a professional (probably ideal if you can get it), a friend, family, or a MS support group. Surround yourself with positive people. You don’t have the time or energy to NOT do this.

Five: Fuel your body well

Avoid eating land animals and saturated plant oils (coconut, palm oil)—saturated fats and hydrogenated fats (in margarine and most packaged snack foods) are not good for you. Flax oil is great, and omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids are your friends (grilled salmon, yum!). Your body is your fortress—treat it as such. Drink alcohol in moderation. Eat a lot of fiber as well as nuts, seeds, legumes, and fresh veggies. Get your vitamin D—usually 20 min in bright sunlight (no sun block!) every day is sufficient depending on where you live. You’re eating and sun basking for your neurons, to help build up that fatty tissue (myelin) and to support your immune system. You’re bulking up those axons, time for some Omega-3/Omega-6 bench presses!

Six: SLEEP!

I should have placed this at numero uno, but this is of utmost importance. No joking around here! I don’t care if you were a Midwestern farmer’s daughter who is accustomed to waking up at 4 AM to start the chores and busting your hump until 11 PM, you can’t skip lots of sleep. Add naps, too. You will not fare well if you don’t let yourself sleep as much as you feel you need. Incredible amounts of healing occur during sleep. More and more is being learned about the healing power of sleep. Read this article by Jonah Lehrer at the blog, The Frontal Cortex. Or, better yet, subscribe to learn a plethora of great info about the brain and how it functions in society. Mr. Lehrer is a best-selling author to boot.

Seven: Delve into alternative health

Learn to meditate. This has given me so much hope and light. Don’t know how? Get some books from the library or seek out a meditation group. Feel stuck? Do a simple meditation that I perform every day. In a comfortable position (I get horizontal) breathe deeply. Feel deep, healing breaths flowing in and out of your lungs. Simply count to seven. At the in-breath, say in your mind or out loud “1” and the out-breath, say “Ommm” or any other word or sound that is pleasing to you. Repeat using the number “2” and so on. When you get to “7”, start over at “1”. Free your mind. Be in the present. Focus on the breath.

Eight: Perform visualization exercises many times during the day

You now have no excuse. Meditation and visualization are no longer an option in my practice. I must do them every day, several times a day. Visit this post for an excellent discussion about techniques and more ideas about this subject. (Plus, the author rocks. Debbie is a voice of healing from someone in the trenches. She is healing from a brain injury, herself). I formerly used visualization exercises to rock the triathlon, now I use healing images (usually involving water) to watch in my mind’s eye as my brain heals.

Nine: Your life is not over

If you’re thinking it is, stop it. You will adjust to whatever circumstance you are facing. You must believe this. Do I still get brief moments of sadness having decided to not have children of my own because of Ms. MS, or from no longer racing, or hearing from friends that so-and-so just finished another marathon? Hell yes. Do I let it own me? No. Instead of competing in the Ironman Triathlon, I’m going to become a published author. I hate to use the cliché, but when one door closes, another one opens. It does no good to wish you didn’t have MS. You do. You absolutely need to not spend time focusing on what you can’t change, but what you can do.

Ten: Accept that there may be some bad days

But, also know there will be really great ones, too. Accept and know in your bones that the brain is plastic, it can rewire routes, it can heal. Don’t let MS destroy your spirit—MS may be hungry for myelin, but it can’t have your soul. Get out for walks, move you body, stretch, do yoga, engage your mind, try new things. Everyone’s MS is different. Take time to cry and scream when you need to, but don’t stop trying.

You are not your MS.

Visit more posts in the “Your Body is a Fortress” Series.

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