I think the thing I miss most is being able to be spontaneous. Just being able to get up and go without having to think about all the possible scenarios. Will there be a bathroom? Will I have to walk alot? What if I don't take a nap...will I be able to keep up with everyone else? Will there be stairs? What about crowds....I can't do crowds anymore. Is it too hot? Will I have to eat while I'm there?

Sometimes it just gets to be too much. And it's just easier to stay home.

exactly, Kelly !

and YES, Gazelle !

After re-reading my post I would like to add this. Although I do get irritated that I have to consider all the possible things that could derail an outing I'm very grateful that, for the most part, if I do decide to venture out I can. It might not be as easy as it once was but it's a far cry from not being able to at all. So.....while I might get peeved at having to do a lot of advance planning at least I still have the option. And for that I am grateful.

Ya, I get ticked off as well. I used to be able to get into a car and drive somewhere (by myself) and not have to worry about the time it would take to get there, to remember the stuff I wanted to do, and not get tired (fatigued) with it all.

I know I've had to make life adjustments to it all. I'm happy knowing that I have the ability to make the adjustments on my own.

Niko

Some days I just want to be able to hop in the car and go to the mall BUT I know I can't make it by myself, I can't walk that far even with the cane, I can't lift the scooter out of the car, it's too hot...........so on and so on! And I long for those day when I could do just that.

If DH wants to go for a ride to the shore, I have to think....is it too hot? Is the scooter charged? Are there accessible bathrooms available?? Some days it is just easier to stay home!!!

I think we all have those feelings and would love to have our old lives back............but in the long run we are thankful for whatever good things we still have in our lives.

Yesterday I decide to be Ms Independence and went off to get some needed stuff at the Commissary. This was after a few hours of debating if the weather was OK, my fatigue level etc.

I get to the store......no scooters available, so I decide to get a normal cart and walk...well...kinda walk, doing my Igor impression and I find .....they have rearranged the entire store

I managed to get the bare necessities, bread, milk and
TP and I was out the door!! I need to go back with DH when a cart is available and check this out!

Risby, sorry to hear that they rearranged the whole store! That must have really stunk. Sometimes I think stores do that on purpose just to confuse us all.

Oh, don't get me wrong guys, I usually do look on the bright side. More and more with work stress it affects me. When I wasn't working, I was terribly bored but did a lot better. I had time to do things at my own pace. The pocketbook doesn't mind working, but boy, I think my body does. And I'm nowhere near disability eligible. Part of the problem may be, too, that I haven't had a block of time off since early October last year.

Today, my legs actually can move. They're heavy but not feeling as if I need cranes. So that's a good thing.

Sometimes ya just get tired of bouncing the trampoline of ups and downs. Some of you have been doing this a whole lot longer than I have. Maybe one day I'll get used to it too. After 5 years, I'm still not used to it.

Gonna go soak my ******offness with a glass of milk and a PB&J sandwich. Somehow that always seems to improve my outlook on life.

Working does add a HUGE burden to this disease, no doubt about it!! We all seem to try to milk that, till we just can't any more . . . then sometimes to p/t till that is too much too.

I don't mean to belittle the hard times that everyone goes through either. It's during the "adjustment" periods that I struggled the most, but I just happen to be in position right now where I am not making adjustments, and nothing critical is going on. I'll take it . . . for as long as it lasts.

Cherie

a lot. Lately I am realizing that I am really an angry person since this all started. I have to really work on that!

24/7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Depends on the day but MS on any given day tends to P me off. Most frustrating to me are the simple things, like not being able to get my bleeping fingers to work properly when trying to pick up or hold something. Getting up from a sitting position not realizing I can't feel one of my legs - priceless. The numerous aches and pains, sucky fatigue, etc. I could go on and on but you get the picture. And yes, believe it or not, most days I try to maintain a positive outlook in spite of it all.

Oh, and I'm thinking that perhaps Sally's got my house bugged or something - if I'm having a really bad day, you'd lose count.