Exciting Moments on the Bike: Watch Out For Deer!

With the purchase of an outdoor bicycle last year, a world of possibilities has blossomed for me. My husband, Rob, and I have discovered new adventures and places to explore right in our own community. Just last week, we rode into Washington, D.C., for the first time along the Potomac River. The views were spectacular.

There was one ride last autumn that stands out in my mind. Rob and I packed up our bikes and explored a different part of the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail. The W&OD is one of many former railroad, rails-to-trails corridors in the country. Rails-to-trails are frequently enjoyed by bikers, walkers, runners, rollerbladers, and more. They can get relatively crowded on beautiful days.

During the week of Thanksgiving, Rob and I packed up our bikes and traveled on a portion of the W&OD that we hadn’t seen before. We traveled far west before stopping for a break at a local brewery. I’ve come to learn that brew pubs and bike paths form a mutual symbiotic relationship.


By the time we began our return trip, the sun was beginning to sag in the sky and encounters with walkers on the trail became less frequent. Our handlebar lights lit up the narrow width of the trail as we rode into the growing darkness. At one point, I noticed a family standing next to the side of the trail; they were looking at something nearby. I was briefly puzzled... then I saw it!

Read this post in its entirety:
Adventures With MS: Riding With The Deer

Preparing For My First BikeMS

In anticipation of our first year participating in BikeMS, here are some things I did to get ready.

To get ready for the ride, I still have quite a bit of training and conditioning to do. Not being a seasoned athlete, I realize that I need to be careful in how I approach getting ready. Here are some of the tips and strategies I’ve learned along the way.

• Get the right fit. For comfort, safety, and efficiency, your bike needs to fit your body and be adjusted to reduce physical stress and maximize the strength of your efforts. Go to a local bike shop for expert advice.
• Set realistic goals. Since I can’t already ride 30+ miles, I need to build up to that distance. I’m keeping track of my rides with a free phone app (e.g., Strava, MapMyRide) and attempt to increase my average ride by one to three miles each week.
  
• Schedule rest. Although it is tempting to think that riding every day will be the best way to prepare, it’s the wrong way to build strength and endurance. Rest days are necessary to allow your body to repair muscle and begin to compensate for the increased physical demand. TrainingPeaks, a free resource for Bike MS participants, emphasizes recovery days and the need for varied levels of workout intensities.
  
• Enjoy variety. It’s important not to do the same things every time you go out on the bike. Some training days should feature greater physical demands — increased elevation gain or sprints, for example — or easier, low-intensity spins that keep you moving but don’t wear you out. I like to alternate trails that present different challenges or easier sections.
• Focus on hydration and nutrition. It’s vital to stay hydrated before, during, and after workouts. The amount of water and enhanced sports drinks you may need depend upon your body, the environment, and your workout demands. The National MS Society offers basic information on hydration and nutrition to get you started.

Read this post in its entirety:
BikeMS: Setting Goals and Going the Distance

How Animals Help Us Cope With MS

As I was writing this evening, my gray cat Oscar jumped up on the arm of my recliner. He purred loudly and rubbed affectionately against my arm. Distracting me from my work, Oscar laid it on thick as he thanked me in advance for the tasty dinner he was about to receive.

Oscar is my multiple sclerosis (MS) buddy. He is my friend. He is one of three cats who keep us entertained and provide lots of laughs and affection. Oscar frequently joins Rob and me in bed after we’ve turned off the lights at night, and he is usually right at my feet when I wake in the morning.


Oscar is a gentle soul who seems endlessly thankful to be a part of our family. A skinny stray who showed up on our porch, he was starving for affection as much as for food. I fed him, but he always asked for pets before eating. One rainy night, he showed up bleeding at our house. It was all I could take. I brought him inside the house, and from this moment forward, he became a member of our family.

Read this post in its entirety:
My MS Buddies: My Cats

Peeing in the Street: Embarrassing Moments with Multiple Sclerosis

The #MSMoment I’d like to share happened several years ago, but I still remember it like it happened yesterday. I felt fortunate that nobody was around to witness it, but that didn’t make me feel any less embarrassed.

Every six months, I go to the dentist for a routine cleaning and checkup. That’s something we each should do on a regular basis, because it’s important for our overall health. On a beautiful spring day a few years ago, I left my appointment around noon. With no music lessons scheduled until 4 p.m., I had plenty of time to get some lunch, go to the post office, and stop at the grocery store on the way home.

After leaving the dentist’s office, I went to my car, opened the door, and sat in the driver’s seat. As I turned the ignition, thoughts of the bathroom flittered across my mind. I hadn’t noticed any urge to go to the bathroom until that very moment.

“Maybe I should have stopped at the restroom on the way out of the building?” I thought to myself. But then I would have had to ask for the bathroom key, go to the restroom, and take the key back to the dentist’s office, when all I wanted to do was get on with my day.

“I could go back in. Or maybe I’ll just wait until I get to the restaurant for lunch. That would work.”
Read this post in its entirety:

Read this post in its entirety:
MS Moments: Urinary Incontinence in the Street

Does Personality Affect Cognition in People with Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that frequently leads to neurological symptoms and disabilities. The effects of MS can result in sensory changes, vision problems, mobility challenges, impaired control over bodily functions, cognitive dysfunction, and altered moods.

The cognitive challenges of MS, while quite common, can be particularly disturbing. More than half of all people with MS will develop problems with cognition, according to the National MS Society. Certain types of cognitive functions are more likely to be affected by MS than others, for example:

• Information processing (dealing with information gathered by the five senses)
• Memory (acquiring, retaining, and retrieving new information)
• Attention and concentration (particularly divided attention)
• Executive functions (planning and prioritizing)
• Visuospatial functions (visual perception and constructional abilities)
• Verbal fluency (word-finding)

Read this post in its entirety:
How Does Personality Affect Cognitive in MS?

My Husband, My Caregiver

Although I am the one diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), I am not the only one who lives with MS in our family. My husband, Rob, lives with MS, too.

As is common in many relationships, Rob and I take care of each other. We have a fluid give-and-take that helps to make our household function smoothly. For example, while I’m busy teaching music lessons, Rob will often prepare dinner after he gets home from work. I usually take care of laundry during the days.

More unique and special to our relationship, Rob has become excellent at watching out for the intervening effects of MS. If I start to get overheated in the summer, Rob will encourage me to get something icy to drink. Better yet, he often brings me something to drink without mention. If I begin to have a cognitive meltdown from sensory overload, he gently guides me to a less confusing, less stimulating environment, so that I can think straight again.


Watching out for me didn’t come automatically for Rob; it took time, practice, patience, and careful attention. The more we as a team have learned about how MS affects me, the better we become at ameliorating some of its effects. We become a stronger team in the process.

Read this post in its entirety:
My Husband, My Caregiver