Random responses from my random brain:

Niko: "Do what you can do when you can do it (and remember it)" -- good motto! Thank you!

Sally: I hear you about "accepting it" but not being "okay with it". Not being able to "be there" is one of the hardest things for me, too. It’s not okay.

Kami: I often leave the drugstore off the list! If I can find the two or three "drugstore" items I need at the grocery store, why make a second stop to save maybe $2 and use up a quart of energy?

Kitty: I like your attitude. That's how I think on my good days.

Erin: Sitting outside sounds good--except for the ice and snow. I'll wait a few weeks!

Karousel: "...make changes as best I can." That sounds like good advice, also, even though Ma and Pa have a hard time with change. I should just sit down and say, "Now, what can I change?"

AMN: Hmmm. Do it anyway, even if I never "get past it". Sage advice, as always. Especially the part about "then take a nap".

Debbie: Some days I have that fight in me, some days I throw the fight and try to regroup for the next day. Good for you.

Bird: Haha, no there's no one else who can do the shopping! I'm laughing picturing Bob (who doesn't drive now) walking into a grocery store by himself!

Actually, it isn't really shopping that’s the issue, it’s the concept of one more thing on my list of activities that only takes an hour or two but sucks up the whole day's worth of spoons.

I'm learning a lot from all of your input. My ultimate goal is to (like the Apostle Paul) learn to be content whatever state I'm in. I don't mean "content" as in "give up" and let this terrorist disease win. I mean find a good balance: be realistic but not fatalistic, not give in but recognize my limitations. Discontent that keeps me plugging along is a good thing; discontent as opposed to inner peace just makes my symptoms worse and rots my mood.

Maybe I’m trying too hard to “get past it”; maybe that’s not a good goal. Maybe I just think too much. I like hearing all of your coping skills, and plucking out what might work for me!

I don't see how you can "get past it" unless you get rid of it (it being MS). It's always going to suck eggs, some days more than others. Don't beat yourself up over not gleefully accepting what this disease does to you.

On my good days, I'm full of sage advise..Been a while since I've had a good day, so I got nothin'..
Seriously, though, when I'm feeling OK I find it easy to accept it and move on. When I'm not, or when I have to hesitate to make plans for anything, it just burns my backside..I've been dx'd for a few years, and had my very first flare this year. I don't think I like it very much. Since then, so much has become harder to do. Who's to say it won't happen again and leave me able to do even less? I think that's the hardest part. You can accept and move on from a lot of difficult things, but when they can come back to bite you with no warning at any time..How do you move on from that?

I am sending you great big hugssss
undx but can not always except limitations my sxs give me...

well work today, since I am the boss...ok I was there 16 hours...all but 20 min on my feet....uggggggggg hurting badly now..

I will be suffering the next few days, next few shifts...but I keep going...

sorry I went on and on...mainly wanted to tell you I understand hard to accept things we can not do, especially the things that seemed easy at one point now so hard to do..or takes so much of our spoons...hugsss,sarah

I just don't plan anything, and I never disappoint myself.

If there are no fresh groceries . . . there's always soup!

If the bills don't get paid . . . there's always tomorrow!

If I just want to sleep all day, that's what I do.

Then I wake up one day and I HAVE to do it, or I have a burst of energy, and I do everything that I can. I even pre-pay bills on that day.

It all gets done that way . . . eventually.

No worries.

Cherie

I finally finished sweeping the garage out today. My dad gave up about 2 minutes after I handed him the broom yesterday, and the sweeping job I did yesterday was craptastic...so today I did the entire garage, and actually finished it to the point where I was kind of happy with it.

There's still sand along the sides of the garage and I didnt really sweep along the back wall, since my mom's scooter lives there, and I just didnt feel like moving everything that's along the wall. I just got the big piles of sand swept out from where the cars have dragged in sand and salt.

My dad was happy with it (and happy that I didnt try to make him finish it)

My arms hurt now...altho it's a good kind of hurt, slightly pulled muscles. My back is killing me and is really not happy with me now. That's an unhappy pain. I hope I wont be regretting the garage sweeping later. (I have Baclofen and I'm not afraid to use it! and will be following it with a couple Tylenol)

It only took me about 2 or 3 weeks and several attempts (mostly half-hearted attempts) to get it swept up enough to make me happy.

They were forcasting heavy rain and big thunderstorms for tonight, and the weatherguy actually told the truth for once. We had HAIL tonight! I wanted to get the sand and salt out of the garage before it got soggy again. Trying to keep from dragging sand and salt into the house.

I may vacuum tomorrow or eventually sometime this week. (oh wait..the cleaning lady comes monday! yaaaaaay!! and she has a new vacuum!)

I think I'm going to relax with a Baclofen or three, and my Amazon Kindle and not move much for the next couple of days. I managed to accomplish at least one cleaning task this month.