Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month: My MS and me

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Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month: My MS and me

March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. Though I have MS, I don’t write much about it because, frankly, it’s long been just part of who I am, not what defines me. There are far more informative bloggers when it comes to all things MS—my dear friend Cathy of An Empowered Spirit foremost in my mind—so I typically stick with grandma-focused sorts of stuff.

Yet, with MS becoming a bigger (sometimes overwhelmingly so) focus of my life in the time since last year’s MS Awareness Month, I figured I’d spend at least one post sharing the relatively recent changes to my MS and me. Perhaps doing so will put…

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MS and must-see brain matters

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MS and must-see brain matters

As many of you know, I have multiple sclerosis, having been diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 1992. I've done fairly well with the condition over the past 26 years, with the help of progressively stronger drugs along the way. In fact, most strangers—and even some folks I do know in person—have no idea I have MS because, for the most part, it doesn't show. It's one of those "invisible" diseases.

As such things go over the years, though, some of the effects are becoming less invisible. Especially to me. Especially those darn…

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The concussion discussion from a grandparent's perspective

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My Q&A with Being Brain Healthy author Ruth Curran

concussion movie posterWill Smith's film CONCUSSION, based on the true story of one brave doctor's unrelenting efforts to enlighten the NFL about the effects of continual trauma to the brains of football players, has opened the eyes of many to the dangers of America's favorite sport. Concussions affect far more than just football players, though, and the movie has also opened the door for many important discussions about the effects of brain injuries of all sorts, suffered by all ages, regardless of the cause.

I have long been concerned about concussions in my rambunctious, active, sports-loving grandsons, so I turned to Ruth Curran, author of Being Brain Healthy, to assuage some of the worries and concerns I have as a grandmother. See, grandparents, unless they're in a situation where they serve as primary caretaker for their grandchildren, have little say in the day-to-day care of their beloved grandkids, can't restrict certain sports or activities. That doesn't mean we have no concerns.

being brain healthy by ruth curranHere, Curran addresses my concussion...

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8 reasons grandparents should not resist a rest

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8 reasons grandparents should not resist a rest

Once you're old enough to be a grandparent, a good night's sleep is hard to come by. Chalk it up to hormones, hot flashes, medications, and more. Considering the causes can be exhausting in itself.

Despite our continual quest to quench our desire for downtime, we grandparents often flat-out refuse to rest our weary heads when we're with our grandchildren. Whether it's because we feel guilty or we simply want to "get stuff done," resisting a rest can be detrimental to our health and happiness. Detrimental to the health and happiness of our grandchildren, too—especially when they're in our care.

Here's why:

sleeping woman and dog 

NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP...

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Here and Now: March 12, 2015

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Today. Here. Now.

clock and book 

On my mind...

Does anyone else ever "save" articles and posts on Facebook (via the little "save" option in the upper right corner of each post) planning to read it later only to realize your saved articles list has reached an overwhelming length? You, too?

I won't "archive" the articles, though, for I just know...

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