I know there are technical terms for various MS symptoms and issues, but the average person doesn't relate to those terms very well.

Six years into my diagnosis, I'm STILL trying to come up with terms that:
1. Convey the gravity of the symptom
2. Don't go over the head of the average person
3. Don't require two paragraphs of explanation.

For example, the ever-popular MS fatigue.

"Fatigue" doesn't really convey to people that it's more than "I know what you mean, I'm tired all the time, too."

"Lassitude" is the more correct term, but I'm picturing 99% of my friends and family saying, "What does THAT mean??"

And now we're down to two paragraphs of explanation to describe MS fatigue. *sigh*

I'm still working on that one.

I've also been trying to narrow down a way to describe how I react to heat. I used to say "heat sensitive", but that way understates it. I've started to say instead "heat intolerant", because people understand "intolerance" today, relating to gluten, lactose, etc. and I get a little more understanding that it isn't just that I don't LIKE heat, it's that I can't DO heat.

I'm pondering one-word descriptions for the other symptoms, also. I keep slipping back to square one. *sigh again*