The Importance of an Invitation

For many people battling a chronic illness, like Multiple Sclerosis, social opportunities become increasingly difficult to attend. This can become especially problematic in the warmer months, as many of those with MS suffer from some form of heat intolerance or during the holidays, when large gatherings and travel prove problematic. Friends and family begin to realize that we either have to cancel our plans at the last minute or simply outright decline many of the invitations we get. Eventually, as we are forced to continually be unable to attend functions, the invitations can start drying up. This can be disastrous for someone with a chronic illness.

Attending isn’t easy

No one feels worse about not leaving the house than us. Trust me when I say I wish I could be at every single event my friends and family have. I even crave it because I can attend so rarely. When your body forces you out of action so much, even attending events that would previously seem annoying becomes a coveted activity. I’m sure there are many times where it feels like we are simply “blowing you off,” like we aren’t interested and we are making excuses. I assure you that is not the case. If I say something and it sounds like an excuse, that’s only because I’m embarrassed to, once again, explain that my body is failing me. That some symptoms suddenly increased, maybe even because I was excited to be joining you (“happy stress” can be difficult for us, too). Let’s face it, anytime you have to constantly give the reason behind anything negative, you begin to feel like it’s unbelievable.

ONE MORE THING

When I think about my day-to-day life with Multiple Sclerosis, there is one phrase that I think comes to mind constantly: “One more thing” (often times, that sentiment is preceded by an “ugh”). It’s a phrase that seems to perfectly sum up the frustration that my disease constantly springs upon me. Whether it is having to add a new medication, or having a new symptom, or just any MS-related problem that comes along, it always feels like it’s already adding to a mountain of other things. One more straw to see if the camel’s back will finally break (and there are many moments when I feel certain it will).

There’s always something else

“One more thing” is a phrase that relates to nearly every aspect of my disease. Talking with the doctor and ready to try a new medication? Great, just one more thing to try. Having a rough day already where you’re fatigued and can barely walk, then dropping a glass, shattering it and spilling the contents? Yep, one more thing to add to the day’s disasters. Experiencing a new symptom, like blurry vision, for the first time after years of living with the disease? Yep, one more way MS is affecting you (reminder: new symptoms should always be told to your doctor).