How does humidity affect Multiple Sclerosis?

Posted on May 22, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

Good morning Y’all! We thankfully made it through another Monday and now we are on to having a happy Tuesday! I hope your week is going well so far and you are feeling as good as you possibly can!

As y’all can probably tell, I live in the south and down here I swear we only have two maybe two and a half season, all of which are pretty warm! Now that it is “spring”, but really the weather feels more like summer, it is always either HOT or HOT and RAINY! I know all the doctors say that heat is the worst thing for those with MS, but honestly I use a heating pad for the majority of the day and do perfectly fine for the most part when I get to go to my happiest place the beach! I feel strongly that the brutal humidity is WAY worse for me than any hot temperatures I have experienced! Not only does the nasty humid air cause my hair to do wild things, it also makes me feel absolutely terrible including SO much additional fatigue! This picture is how I feel like my hair looks on the humid days! Pretty tragic, isn’t it??! I am sorry to bring him into this, but it seemed to fit perfectly when talking about hair doing crazy things!

Many people with Multiple Sclerosis do experience a worsening of their symptoms when the weather is either hot or humid. The elevated temperatures impairs the ability of the demyelinated nerves to conduct electrical impulses. The good thing is though, the adverse effects of temperatures and humidity are typically a temporary issue and will get better once you are cooler off. However, the bad news is it can and does take longer to recover from these issues if your body gets overheated. There is always that annoying good news bad news scenario! This time of year, that lasts about 10 months is really quite frustrating for me, but I always make it through!!

How do y’all deal with humidity and heat? Does it have an adverse affect on your health? Do you have any good tips that work well for you? I have heard the normal tips, like avoid extreme temperatures, which is pretty impossible when living in the south. But, I have also heard about cooling vests, which I honestly have not tried yet. Also the obvious, stay inside with air conditioning but staying hydrated is extremely important as well! This actually helps me drink more water, as normally I really do not. I know that is not a good thing, but I have never been the best at drinking water.

Thank y’all for visiting my site! I always appreciate you taking the time to read and I LOVE your comments as well, which I will definitely respond to as quickly as I can! Please always remember that I am sending y’all LOTS of love & comfort!

Always, Alyssa

Motivational Monday!

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

Good morning y’all! I hope you had a lovely weekend and I hope you have an amazing start to the new week! I hope y’all find my Monday quote very motivating as I find it so very loving and encouraging!

I hope y’all have a great day! I look forward to reading your thoughts about my Monday motivation! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all lots of love and comfort!

Always, Alyssa

Rainy Sunday

Posted on May 20, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

Good Evening and Happy Sunday! I hope y’all have had a nice and pleasant weekend. It always amazes me how fast the weekend flies by! I hope y’all were able to rest up and are prepared for a new and hopefully amazing new week!

Do you notice increased pain when it rains? Have you ever wondered why the rain can be so soothing to hear, but yet cause all you SO much additional pain at the same time? Well, I of course became so curious to get some real true answers considering all Mother Nature wants to do right now is rain I had to do a little of my own research.

After reading on several different websites including https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52133, I have found it is all pretty much due to barometric pressure. When the pressure in the atmosphere is low, clouds and rain is much more likely. Dampness has a tendency to increase our pain and stiffness because of the reduction of pressure in the atmosphere which allows the bodily fluids to move from blood vessels to tissues and in turn causes swelling and pressure on the nerves in those tissues. Also it causes an increase in fluids on the affected joints. Pressure on the nerves and joints will naturally cause an increase in pain and stiffness

Let me just ask, how do you handle these rainy and painful days? Does the rain cause you more pain and stiffness? I try to stay inside, but what about tomorrow when it is going to be raining once again and I have to leave the house for work? I just tend to keep my trusty heating pad with me at all times and it helps some, but it is not as magical as I would like it to be!

I want to thank y’all for visiting my site today. I appreciate all of your support more than words can even begin to say! I hope you had a great weekend and I hope you have a great start to your week. I am looking forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as I can! Remember, I am always sending you LOTS of love, support and comfort!

Always, Alyssa

Who Am I?

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

Have you ever asked yourself this what should be a fairly easy question, “Who am I?” I sometimes am forced to ask myself this question a few times a day, especially when others challenge the person I know I am, by being disrespectful and even a little demeaning. I find that other people can cause a slight change in my views of myself and then I react unkind. For instances, there is a person I work with that seems to enjoy treating others as if they are beneath him, which creates a very hostile work environment, or at least it does for me! I do not need someone to blow smoke up my rear end, but I do demand and deserve to be respected. This negative treatment causes an excessive amount of anger and frustration in me, which then causes my attitude to be so NEGATIVE and this is not me! In your experiences and opinion, what is the best way to handle this extremely disturbing individual?

Underneath everyone is a person that is so much more than what can be viewed from their exterior appearance! Our exterior is just a visual image, but underneath that visual image is an entirely other person with emotions and passions. When I was first diagnosed with MS, I thought that people just viewed me as just my illness and not for who I was on the inside. Even now, almost 18 years later I feel that is all people see me as which could not be further from the truth, but I am learning that is their problem and not mine! Others view me from my outside as a vertically challenged (I am a little short) and petite person which makes people make annoying comments that I do not eat, which I do! The verbal attacks cause frustration to me and therefore make me very uncomfortable, but again I know this is those doing the talking problem not mine!

At 36 years old, I am still learning how to deal with other’s personalities and how to interact with them when it is the complete opposite of my own. When I ask myself, Who am I?, I typically answer it the same way every time! I pride myself on being kind and understanding of everyone. I also have never been and never will be judgmental towards anyone by judging on race, color, religion and or sexual preference. I always want to help others get through hard times by offer support and encouragement to those! I will always be compassionate, loving, caring and giving to a fault despite how most around me are not. So, if I ask y’all the same question, “Who are you?” what would your answer be?

I really appreciate you visiting my site today and I really look forward to any comments you may have! I do promise you, I will respond as quickly as I can! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend and I hope you are feeling the best you possibly can! Please never forget that I am always sending you LOTS of love and comfort!

Always, Alyssa

The “Inside My Head” tag responses

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

I received this tag from an amazing and very encouraging blogger Wendi from https://simplychronicallyill.com. She writes amazing posts that I find inspiring and she gives some great educational information for those with children. Not only does she battle chronic illnesses, but she is a fantastic mother that is devoted to her family! If you have not already had a chance to view her blog, I definitely encourage you to do so, you will never be disappointed with her posts and I think she will inspire you just as much as she does me every day!

The Fun Rules

° Thank & tag the person that has tagged you

° Attach the tag photo

° Answer the ‘This or That’ questions that I have answered

° Tag 10-20 friends

Here are my answers, I hope you enjoy!

°How do you feel at the moment?

I will be completely honest with y’all, there is a mixture of gratitude for being able to meet so many great people through the blogging community and a tremendous amount of pain!

° What do you need more in my life?

What I need the most in my life is courage to make it through all the trials and tribulations that occurs.

° What would make you happy right now?

What would make me so happy I know will never actually happen, but I would still love for there to be peace among the world. Peace and love are so important in our lives, but also so neglected.

° What is going on in your life right now?

My husband and I are planning to move to a brand new city in a few months!

° What am I most grateful for? List 10 things.

My husband that is always there for me in more ways than I could ever count!
My mother that has always supported my dreams since I was a child!
My mother in-law that has treated me like her own daughter since we first met!
My 2 loving and precious cats that always greet me at the door and give never ending love!
Even though my health is not great, I am grateful it isn’t any worse because it always could be.
I have grateful to have a loving and comfortable home to come return to every day.
I am grateful for a loving and compassionate family as I know many are not blessed with this!
In all honesty, I am grateful that even though it is painful right now, I am happy that I am still able to walk. I thought when I was first diagnosed I would loss my walking abilities and be in a wheelchair in the first few years, but almost 18 years later my fears were not correct.
I am incredibly grateful for all the friends I have made through the blogging community!
I am grateful to have the opportunity to write about anything and everything I want to write about!!

° When did you experience joy this week?

I was over the moon excited that I received a top 50 MS bloggers recognition. I was so happy that my blog is actually helping others as that is my goal!!!

° List a small victory/success?

This is a rather small victory, but I managed to get some organization in our kitchen cabinets! I like things to be in an order that make it easy to find everything. I even like our can goods to be lined up perfectly and in alphabetical order. I know I sound a little crazy, but it looks nice!

° What is bothering me & Why?

If I am being totally honest what is bothering me right now and continues to bother me is how the government is behaving. I have always found politics very upsetting because I don’t feel the politicians are being honest, ever! It is very upsetting what I feel our president is behaving and harming the country.

° What are my priorities at the moment?

At this moment my priorities are taking the best care I can of my husband and 2 cats, but also trying to reduce my stress levels.

° What do I love about myself?

I think that I am a pretty compassionate and empathic person, so I find that to be something to be proud of.

° Who means the world to me & why?

My family means the world to me because they are the ones that are always there for me and never hold a grudge. They are understanding and extremely supportive. I do not want to single just one person out because family as a whole is important and we do not get a second chance for a family! Of course we do not get to choose our family, but I lucked out and have a fantastic family. My husband, mother, mother in-law, step father, father in-law, sister in-law, niece, aunt and uncle in-law (I think that is the right way to phrase it!) are all amazing!

° If I could share one message with the world, what would it be?

Always treat others with kindness and compassion because you never know what is going on in their lives!

° What advice would I give my younger self?

Never give up and aim for my goals.

Focus on what brings you the most joy and do not worry how others view that!

° What lesson did I learn this week?

I have learned that you can not fix anyone else’s problems, but you can only fix yourself. I always wanted to fix everything for everyone else, but am slowly learning you can not change or control anyone else! This is rather frustrating for me because I try to be the fixer in everyone’s life!

° If I had all the time in the world, what would I do first?

Without a doubt I would travel and definitely write the book I have been dreaming about writing!

° What’s draining my energy?

Negativity of the world is EXTREMELY draining!

° What does my ideal morning look like?

Opening the windows to the beautiful sight of the ocean! Of course this only happens on vacation at the beach, but it would be amazing if I could have this view every day!

° What does my ideal day look like?

I guess if I stay on what my ideal morning would look like, my ideal day would allow me to see the ocean every day. I find the sight and sound of the ocean absolutely amazing and incredibly relaxing. When I am near the ocean is the only time I do not feel any stress at all!

Now if I am being logical, my ideal morning would start off slow and carry onto a job that I really enjoy and am passionate about, not just going to the job for a paycheck! I would love to be able to meet my husband for lunch, as it is always refreshing to have some us time during the day. Then I would envision coming home, being able to relax after a long day at work, then have dinner with my husband and of course have our beautiful cats nearby!!

°What makes me come alive?

I think positivity makes me come alive where negativity destroys my ability to come alive!

° What/Who inspires me the most?

Even though my grandfather is no longer with us, he still inspires me greatly! My grandfather was an amazing man with a heart of gold. He was always offering his help to everyone that needed it. He did not know hate and never judged anyone, which I appreciate. I have never and never will be judgmental of anyone else! I think my grandfather and I think alike on this, we are all human no matter what our color, sexual preference and religious beliefs are!!

° Where does my pain originate?

My pain originates in my back and legs and sometimes with a bad migraine!

° What are my strengths?

My strengths are my ability to be compassionate and understanding of others. I always try to see things from their point of view and try helping from that stand point. I have a tendency to always want to help others in any way I can!

I do my best to hide the pain I am feeling and just enjoy life the best I can and also try to make everyone around me happy!

° What is something I’ve always wanted but too scared to get?

I would love to go rock climbing, but I am a little scared because of the issues with my legs. But, someday I hope to do this!!

° What is something I would love to learn?

I would really love to learn Yoga. I have heard how beneficial Yoga can be, but I just do not seem to have the patience to teach myself by watching a YouTube video. I never know if I am doing it right, then I get frustrated with myself and give up!

° Where would I want to live my ideal life?

I would love to live at the beach! But not just any beach, I would want to live at a beautiful tropic beach with white sand and amazing waves!!

°Where would you like to travel in the next 5 years?

This is a great question! I actually want to travel back to Jamaica, where my husband honeymooned. I would like to do this for our 10 year anniversary which will be in 2021. I have some time to plan this, but I think it would be magical!

° What can I do to take better care of myself?

The most important thing I could do to take better care of myself is learn to reduce my stress. Stress is a killer and causes so many issues for everyone, but especially those with MS.

° What hobbies would I like to try?

I would like to try scuba diving. I love the ocean and ocean life, so I think it would be fascinating! My husband and I tried it briefly on our honeymoon, but I want to do more and be more comfortable with it!! My mask did not fit when we did it, so I would definitely need a smaller mask!

° When have I done something that I thought I couldn’t do?

I would definitely say snowboarding! When my husband first introduced me to snowboarding I never thought I could do it, but it has been about 8 years and I have gotten a little better.

° At the end of my life, what do I want my legacy to be?

I would want my legacy to be that I was a kind and understanding person that people enjoyed being around and felt comfortable sharing with. I would hope people would remember me as always being willing to help and offer great advice, of course advice I never took for myself though!

My Amazing Nominees Are: First let me just say, I nominated you because I think y’all are amazing, but at the same time I know we are all busy in life, so if you do not want to do this, it is okay and I understand. It took me about 2 weeks to finally do this and I want to thank Wendi for being so understanding about that! But please do not feel obligated to do this and it is perfectly okay to just pass on this!!

http://lifewithanillness.com/

http://www.nikkibelieves.com/

https://dinosaursdonkeysandms.com/

https://grvam.wordpress.com/

https://baffledmum.com/

https://truckingwife2018.wordpress.com/

http://lifewithkim.org/

https://peacefrompanic.wordpress.com/

https://msichchronicles.blog/

https://mslabrat.com/

Thank y’all for visiting my site today. If you have not already visited the sites for those I have nominated, I strongly encourage you to do so, they are pretty amazing! I hope you have a great day and please always remember I am sending y’all LOTS of love and comfort daily!

Always, Alyssa

800 + Followers!

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

Since starting my blog on July 17, 2017 with 3 fantastic supporters my husband, mother and mother in-law, I have had the opportunity to get to know so many incredible people all over the world. My goal for starting my blog was to raise the awareness about Multiple Sclerosis and I really wanted to help others battling Multiple Sclerosis and other chronic illnesses by offering support and endless encouragement. We all know that our daily lives are not easy with random symptoms that appear with and without warning, taking various medications, going to countless doctors’ appointments, being confronted with numerous challenges, being forced to accept innumerable changes to our lives daily, even hourly and so much more! It is never easy finding others that truly understand what our lives are like. By creating this blog, I have been able to learn from so many others that live with Multiple Sclerosis and other chronic illnesses affecting their daily life how they find the strength and courage to keep moving forward!

In our society today, I think it can be really difficult to be “different” from everyone else. I do not believe being different should be frowned upon, but it should we should all be proud of our differences no matter what they may be. Whether our illness is visible by the way we walk or talk, or invisible it can be challenging. Some people have been forced to leave their career as it became too much to handle. Some people have even been forced out of their career because people have lost their ability to have compassion and empathy for others. That just is not right to cause anyone unnecessary stress and shame!

I am so excited and honored to be able to share this with you! As I said when I started my blog in July 2017, I had 3 followers and that was great. Now 10 months later I am fortunate enough to have more than 800 amazing followers that I am able to get to know! The individuals I have met through this blog have been absolutely amazing! I would say that starting my blog was one of the best decisions I have ever made as it has brought me so much joy! The numerous extraordinary people I have been able to make strong connections and friendships with has been beyond incredible! All of us know what it is like to live with a chronic and incurable illness so we are able to offer support and encouragement to each other! Y’all have truly been a blessing in my life and I am thankful for each and every one of you!

I really want to thank all of you for continuing to follow my blog and making incredibly inspiring comments. Through the comments you make on my site and the communications we have on your own site, I feel like I have made so many lifelong friends! Let me just say once again, thank y’all for your support, encouragement, great advice and never judging my crazy moments, because I do tend to have them! I hope y’all are having a fantastic week and I hope y’all are feeling well! As always, I am sending y’all LOTS of love and comfort!

Always, Alyssa

Half Way There!

Posted on May 16, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

Good morning Y’all! It may not be where you are living, but so far where I live it has been a rainy week with no end in sight. I thought a happy thought this morning would make y’all smile, even it is just for a momen that is worth it for me. I want y’all to have happy days!

Y’all already know that I have been experiencing a lot of pain for over a week now, so you know the rain is not going to help that at all! I will hold onto my hopes for some pretty sunny days in my future! I think that sunshine brings so much happiness to our lives and it gives us all some natural Vitamin D which is good for our health!

I know I have already asked you this before, but I am needing your amazing advice please! Do any of you know of any good leg stretches that may help my leg issues? I am willing to try just about anything in order to get some kind of relief!

I hope y’all have a wonderful day and hope you are feeling great! As always I am sending y’all LOTS of love and comfort!

Always, Alyssa

It is okay to not be okay all the time

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

It has taken me a really long time to realize that it is okay and perfectly normal to admit to not being okay all of the time! We are all just human and we all have times when we do not feel like our normal selves, as I said this is normal and there is not anything wrong with it! For some of us, including myself, it is not easy to admit to ourselves let alone anyone else that we are really not okay, but possibly struggling to keep pushing forward. Pain inflicts so many hardships to our lives and that pain can and does cause much sadness, fatigue, irritation and even bitterness.

As y’all already know, I have been dealing with a lot pain and muscle spasms, which you also know is extremely frustrating! Last week I had planned to increase my work hours, but unfortunately was not able to do this because of the intense pain I was experiencing. Trying to remain positive I thought, “It is okay, I will just try again next week.” Well that would be this week and so far it is not happening again. I did work 6 hours yesterday, but I was not able to go to work today.

I will continue to refuse to give up and I also refuse being too hard on myself because at least I am trying! I want to be able to work “normal” hours, but more than that I want all this pain to give me a break even for one day! As crazy as this may sound, I am standing by my decision to not share this information with my specialist. Do I think she could give me any additional information that I do not already know after living with this illness for almost 18 years? My answer to this question is a FIRM NO! I will not subject my body to even more steroids than I have already dealt with and I do not want to switch medications again! Prior to June 2017, I was on Gilenya for 6 years and it seemed to have worked well for me. My reasons for changing the medication was because I was dealing with horrible sinus issues and I thought it was due to the Gileyna, but now I see things differently!

With this horrible leg pain, which is also causing much additional back pain, I want to find some leg stretches that may help me even just a little! Do any of you do any leg stretches that you find beneficial and if so what are they? I know many of you know and understand what I am going through and I value your advice and opinions so much more than I can even explain!

I hope y’all have had a great day and I appreciate you visiting my site today. I hope your evening is filled with much happiness and relaxation! I am really looking forward to reading your amazing comments! As always I am sending y’all LOTS of love and comfort!

Always, Alyssa

Mystery Blogger Award Nomination!

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

I want to send a extra huge thank you to Tasha for nominating me for this incredible award. I feel so extremely honored that you would think of me for this fabulous award! I absolutely love having the opportunity to follow your amazing site, as you give some truly incredible and inspiring information! You have so much kindness and compassion in your heart and I am grateful to be able to get to know you, you are pretty fantastic! For anyone reading this, if you have not yet checked out Tasha’s site, it will definitely be worth you wild Her site is https://painwarriorcode.wordpress.com.

Three things about me you may not know:

Music is the best therapy for me! There is NO WAY I could make it through my time at work without having music in my ear. I do love all different types of music; the only kind I am not too big on is country as it is a little sad sometimes! I prefer more upbeat and positive music!
My husband proposed to me on stage with our favorite band, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. It was a wild and crazy moment in my life that I will NEVER forget!
This might sound strange, but I love animals way more than people. Animals do not know hate and discrimination; they just love unconditionally without judgement!

My Incredible Nominees are:

Even though I have nominated you for this award, please do not feel obligated to participate. I know we all get busy and have other things to deal with in life, so I do not want to add extra pressure to you. Heck, it took me over a week to do this because of being so busy and dealing with pain issues. Of course I would love to read your answers, but at the same time I do not want to add any pressure to your life!

https://wondercyncyn.wordpress.com/ Cynthia

https://rejoicinginhope1212.wordpress.com/ Savannah

https://atribeuntangled.com/ Alexis Rose

https://miraculoussmile.wordpress.com/ Christy

https://justagirlwithms.com/

https://joypassiondesire.com/

https://mslife.org/ Magdalena

https://alix-in-wonderland.com/ Alix

https://beckiesmentalmess.blog/ Beckie

https://mymsrollercoasterride.wordpress.com/ Toni

https://thelonelyauthorblog.wordpress.com/ Amazing author!

https://simplychronicallyill.com/

https://abodyofhope.wordpress.com/

https://personalgrowthsuccessblog.com/ Jessica

My Answers to Tasha’s Questions:

What made you want to start blogging?

I started my blog because I wanted to be able to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis, but I also wanted to be able to inspire others to keep moving forward in life and not get stuck in neutral. I wanted everyone, no matter what condition they were living with, to know they can still live a normal life, with maybe a few adjustments. My goals were to always encourage others to live a happy and full life, no matter what!

As this award is about blogs that inspire and motivates – do you as a nominee have a mantra, proverb or saying that you live by?

Another great question! I would say it is Live, Laugh, Love because they are all very uplifting and positive!

If you had to choose one meal that you had to eat every day for a month (without any health consequences), what would it be?

This is a wonderful question! Everyone always teases me that I do not eat and when I do I eat like a bird, but that really isn’t entirely true. But if I had to choose one meal to eat every day for a month it would without a doubt be pizza! I love pizza, so I think I could eat it daily for an entire month and not get sick of it!

What is your favourite hobby/pass time?

My favorite pass-time is actually a little more difficult because I have 2. I absolutely LOVE to write, but I also love to read a good book!

What’s the best / worst practical joke that you’ve played on someone or that was played on you?

I honestly do not know because I may have a good and positive personality, but I am not really one for practical jokes. I do not really think I have ever played one and if one was played on me, I probably just ignored it!

Questions for my amazing Nominees Are:

If you had one magical power, what would it be and why?
Would you prefer to live at an exotic island with beautiful beaches or in the snow-covered mountains?
What is your absolute favorite exotic animal?
What is your dream car?
Where is the best place you have ever traveled to?

Thank you again Tasha for nominating me for this incredible award. I am so sorry it took me so long to actually do it and I appreciate you understanding! I also want to thank all of my nominees for being just fabulous all of the time! Y’all are really amazing and I am really honored to be able to get to know you. I also want to thank everyone reading this post, I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you have an amazing day. As always, I am sending y’all LOTS of love and comfort!

Always, Alyssa

Motivational Monday !

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Positively Alyssa

Good morning Y’all! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and a fantastic Mother’s Day! This Monday’s motivational quote is very powerful and has SO much truth and meaning to it! I look forward to reading your reaction to this fabulous quote from Jim Rohn!