This I Believe

The air waves broadcast
a cacophonous debate
which turns cynical.

I am so relieved
when finding confirmation
goodness does exist.

There are nice people
kind, decent, and generous
just not noisy.

The Great Equalizer

One’s station in life
before MS matters not.
All will be humbled.

Yes, money can help.
It may soften the impact
of costly disease.

Great equalizer
bowel, bladder, and movement
shortfalls that limit.

MS and Heat

I overheated
got nauseous, weak, and confused.
My legs became limp.

A lesson to learn
in the heat of the summer
don’t stay out long!

Don’t mess with MS.
Stay cool or it will get you
make you pay a price.

Adding Color

A silent movie
jerky, black-and-white, grainy
MS can be that.

Restoring color
or at least safeguarding it
an archivist’s goal.

How to add color
to my life’s threatened film strip
remains my challenge.

Missing Your Comments? Blogger Changed.Try This.

Stumped at commenting
on some of my treasured blogs,
I offer this cure.

Go to your dashboard,
hit settings and then comments,
comment form placement.

Hit pop-up window.
Presto change-o we can come
and leave you comments.

Behind the Facade

Behind some facades
lies a world hidden from view
and driven by fear.

I seek to embrace
compassion for those in fear,
taking the high road.

Sometimes it is I
who needs others’ compassion
to rise above fear.

Distraction

Kafka on the Shore
a book by Murakami
a great distraction.

Comprehension of
elusive reality
may require fiction.

Talking cats and all
Murakami’s book will best
MS craziness.

Stress and MS - No Link Really?

So stress does not cause
MS exacerbations.
You could have fooled me.

Stress does not increase
the risk for getting MS.
Well, what do I know?

Is there no link then
for stress and inflammation?
I do not get it.

CCSVI - Cause or Effect?

CCSVI
Is it a cause or effect
is examined here.

Another great post.
Wheelchair Kamikaze Marc
gives a balanced view.

All the nuances
science and psychology
put into context.

Seamstress Retired

Threading a needle,
vision blurred, fingers shaking,
the eye gets smaller.

The needle threaded,
I pierce the fabric and yelp.
My numb finger bleeds.

From able seamstress,
suits, drapes, blouses, and slacks,
I now barely stitch.

I Miss My Friend

A friend I met here
has been absent for a while,
very unlike her.

I have never met
this friend I wrote to daily.
I miss her no less.

I hope all is well.
that her health and family
did not suffer ill.

Happy Father’s Day

They come in all types
outrageous, timid, and brave,
our loving dads.

Active MSers Website

Just when I believe
MS has the upper hand
I discover this.

So many people
determined to stay active
despite MS odds.

They may not be all
of those who have this illness.
They still give us hope.

Cutting Losses

Strive for excellence,
a reigning mantra to guide
how I planned my life.

Never did I think
settling for suboptimal
was acceptable.

MS can transform
settling for the status quo
into good enough.

About Bravery

When I will feel low
and bravery seems distant,
my poems help me.

These verses capture
my struggle to overcome,
my trajectory.

I am reminded,
though my spirits may falter,
to keep keeping on.

A Fine-Tuned Machine

Until it is lost,
the body’s fine-tuned control
may go unnoticed.

Seeming trivial,
a tiny muscle can stop
a vital function.

Drop foot is a case
where a small muscle impairs
something important.

Can I Pull This Off?

Can I pull this off?
This stiff challenge exceeds all
I have ever tried.

Humbling trials top
rare moments of mastery.
Toughness is tested.

Somehow my spirit
prevails against all the odds
though sorely tested.

What Does the MS Label Mean?

The MS label
is like a Rorschach inkblot
testing perspectives.

Some use their MS
as a new hill to conquer
obstacles be damned.

Some will surrender
to unknown MS futures.
Some straddle the fence.

Brain Takes a Break

A stressed brain shuts down.
Normal processes falter.
Thinking turns foggy.

The short-term answer
for a short-circuiting brain
is to take a break.

The long-term prospects
given degeneration
become a crapshoot.

The Accidental Poet

This poet was born,
not from an urge to create
high literature.

The essence of life
drawn in compact form and style
found expression.

No pretensions here
only a cry from the heart
of an injured soul.

My Five-Minute Naps

My five-minute naps
are the fuel powering
my daily routine.

I will go full bore
within my capacity
and then flake out.

A series of naps
makes it possible for me
to be ambitious.

What MS Means

Some things get slower.
Some are accelerated.
Retirement is one.

In reappraisal,
life’s purpose gets scrutiny
one’s value questioned.

New goals adopted
sources of satisfaction
face re-invention.

The Eagles Sang

On the radio
I heard The Eagles singing
a favorite song.

Such a lovely place.
Hotel California
What a nice surprise.

I went to a past
of sweet youthful memories
and had a great time.

And Still I Write

It happens often.
I think I cannot say more.
Then I write something.

Inexhaustible
this topic of how MS
can affect someone.

MS like breathing
impinges on all of life
leaves nothing untouched.

My New Choices

You are courageous,
someone told me a while back.
It was nice of him.

If only I could
use my courage for more than
basic survival.

I must choose among
suboptimal choices
in this my new life.

Places to Go People to See

I am so grateful
I traveled the world over
before limits came.

If not for clipped wings,
I would now be flying to
the places I missed.

If I recovered,
I would start crossing off trips
on my to-go list.

Guess Who?

An unwelcomed guest
shows up and then stays and stays.
One smiles and smolders.

Determinedly cool
though every instinct cries
one has been aggrieved.

The guest takes over
—the final indignity—
reigning in one’s stead.

Risk Reward

When are side effects
largely acceptable risks
for a greater good?

Many have been helped.
Tysabri’s efficacy
makes deciding hard.

I read the data
for PML and wonder.
When is safety trumped?

Strangely Serious

1/5


Sickness and mind-set
a funny sad webcomic
explores the tension.

Whether up or down
akcd spoofs one’s take
on handling illness.

The Spinal Tapped blog
Life as a Teen with MS
turned me on to this.

Life's Whodunits

Like a mystery,
life offers many clues but
few answers up front.

Many will prefer
life’s unfolding whodunit
and not crave answers.

Surprises vex me.
I prefer advance notice
so I can prepare.