INKTOBER 2018. Multiple Sclerosis

I made this Inktober in 2018. I'm trying to express my feelings of having Multiple Sclerosis and create awareness.

POISONED. Smokers have a very high risk of affecting the progression of Multiple Sclerosis (if you have Super Sayajin MS, you level-up to Super Sayajin God phase 4 very fast) Those who know me know that I smoked for more than ten years, I understand that is not easy to leave it. But if you are sick, please, LEAVE IT. If you know you're not going to stop, at least do not use treatment and do not spend more money and leave medication for those who want to improve. It sounds ugly, but if you love yourself, if you're going to control your illness, you will quit.

TRANQUIL. I have never been an admirer of "meditation"; I do not like that this method is used to heal instead of the prescribed medicine. However, I started to practice it (although I call it "self-reflection" and, of course, I did not leave my injections) and this #inktober is a way of reflecting for me. I feel it was essential to realize what was happening with my body and how to handle it.

ROASTED. Diet is essential in the control of Multiple Sclerosis. It is important to control weight, sunbathe in moderation, exercise and especially not smoking. Tobacco worsens the evolution of MS. You can have half a glass of red wine in the main meal since resveratrol, one of the components of red wine has antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. Healthy living and a healthy diet are essential elements in the prevention of any disease and, of course, applicable to patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

SPELL. There are times when I would like to take a potion that would make me forget everything or a "spell" of positivism for difficult occasions. We know that, currently, no medication completely cures Multiple Sclerosis, but research is moving faster and hope is never lost.

CHICKEN. I had many fears, and I felt too many things when diagnosed. I discovered that most of the time we do not know how strong we can become. Trust yourself and prove to yourself that you can overcome your fears.

DROOLING. Sometimes we take many things for granted. Most of us can enjoy a cup of coffee, a piece of chocolate cake, some taquitos or an ice cream. Some people with Multiple Sclerosis suffer from dysphagia that alters the swallowing process since the food is placed in the mouth until it reaches the stomach. This process consists of 4 phases, and all of them require good mobility of different organs. Multiple Sclerosis can alter these processes, and cause different things like paralysis, swallowing and slow digestion, gagging when eating, loss of appetite, excessive or no salivation, among others. Enjoy your meal.

EXHAUSTED. Multiple Sclerosis has a thousand faces because each person is affected in a particular way and also each family situation is different. Among the most significant difficulties they have to face are invisible symptoms. Fatigue affects almost 80% of people with M, and it is one of the most challenging symptoms. It is the main reason why people quit their job or lose their partners. It has happened to you that you arrive on a Monday from work and you think "I had a rough day, I'm so tired"? with the MS you do not compare that feeling, your routine becomes unbearable, you have to consider doing normal things because it is like torture. Fatigue does not rest.

STAR. The medication that I inject daily is a synthetic protein that simulates myelin protein. It has different side effects such as vasodilation, chest pain, dyspnea, and tachycardia. At the injection site, you can get lipoatrophy, itching, redness, and pellets. I have marks and bruises all over my body, that beautiful body that I have taken care of and tried to keep healthy. I have decided not to call them "marks" if not "constellations."

PRECIOUS. Multiple Sclerosis is an opportunity to realize how precious we are. Do not stop protecting your body.

FLOWING. A key to happiness is to let some situations be as they should be, instead of wanting them to be as you expected. I regretted for some time the fact of my Multiple Sclerosis, and yes, I wish it was a lie or that it disappeared, but when you accept it and make it yours it is indeed when you can continue and work to improve.

CRUEL. Multiple Sclerosis can be something you can live with every day. But there are times when psychological symptoms begin to erupt from time to time. Depression and clinical anxiety are the most common in patients with MS. You do not control your thoughts, the thoughts control you.

WHALE. Multiple Sclerosis, an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system, can range from relatively benign, to somewhat crippling, as the communication between the brain and other parts of the body is disrupted. The vast majority of patients are slightly affected, but in the worst cases of multiple sclerosis, a person can develop an inability to write, speak or walk. A doctor can diagnose multiple sclerosis in some patients shortly after the onset of the disease. In other cases, however, doctors can not quickly identify the cause of the symptoms, which leads to years of uncertainty and multiple diagnoses, characterized by the appearance and disappearance of unexplained symptoms.

GUARDED. Our immune system naturally defends our body from invaders like viruses or bacteria. In patients with Multiple Sclerosis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin that lines the neurons within the brain, the spinal cord, and the optic nerves.

CLOCK. In very extreme cases, Multiple Sclerosis can be fatal and terminal, but in most cases, those affected lead a "normal" life, s It is the same as with any disease, you have to take care of it so that it does not reach extreme situations.

WEAK. Walking can be very challenging because of muscle weakness. Depending on the type of Multiple Sclerosis that the patient has, you can see and feel the decrease in strength in some parts of the body. The benefits of physical activity and exercise are significant and should be prioritized to see improvement.

ANGULAR. You can not just want a better life, you have to look for it. Although it means to inject yourself daily.

SWOLLEN. It is very common for patients with Multiple Sclerosis to have swollen ankles and feet caused by lack or diminution of movement in the legs. The shoes stop fitting.

BOTTLE. Resveratrol is found in red wine, chocolate peanuts, strawberries, and black grapes. It has a neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effect as well as having anticancer and cardiovascular protection properties.

SCORCHED. The heat can cause a worsening of symptoms in people affected by Multiple Sclerosis. High temperatures are a more common problem than low temperatures. For this reason, in summer, we talk about the so-called Uhthoff phenomenon, the transient worsening of the symptoms of MS in relation to the elevation of body temperature.

BREAKABLE. A chronic disease is not a mask that you can remove and wear at will. It is a part of who you are, one more characteristic of your personality and your way of thinking. It helps to understand how you solve problems and how we adapt to changes.

DRAIN. Like other symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, cognitive symptoms vary significantly from one person to another. The most common affect learning and memory, attention and concentration, mental speed, difficulty in solving problems, planning, performance and evolution of tasks and difficulty finding appropriate words.

MUDDY. The Axolotl can regenerate some parts of the body such as its legs and tail, as well as cardiac and neuronal cells. Another interesting fact is that when it is a dry season, this amphibian hides in the mud waiting for the rain to return and its environment to be habitable. This animal has been of great inspiration for patients with chronic diseases.

CHOP. The alteration of sensitivity is one of the most frequent symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. The cause, the deterioration of the nerve impulse that collects or carries the signals of the skin due to demyelination in specific areas of the spinal cord or brain, depending on the regions of the affected Central Nervous System and each person, as well as the moment.
The brain, more precisely in the cerebral cortex the connection of the thalamus with the parietal lobe; it can not interpret the signals he receives as it is outside his experience. To deal with this, what it does is to try to relate it to something the body has experienced before, such as being squeezed or burned.

PRICKLY. One of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis that can most affect the quality of life of the patient is the pain. Almost two-thirds of people with MS have at least one episode of pain. It is a complex symptom that can manifest itself in different ways. Drug treatment and a multidisciplinary approach can help most patients.

STRETCH. Every person with Multiple Sclerosis, no matter the severity of their ability or disability, needs to have regular physical activity. The exercises not only provide a sense of general well-being but are also crucial in the prevention of other problems associated with multiple sclerosis.

THUNDER. Multiple genetic and environmental factors have been implicated in suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. While 30% is due to genetic factors, the remaining 70% is due to environmental factors. Thus it has been observed that in climates of the northern hemisphere, the further away from the equator, the higher the prevalence of MS. This could be related to the number of hours of sun exposure. The fewer hours of this intrauterine exposure, the more likely to suffer from MS.

GIFT. Thank you Multiple Sclerosis for helping me to realize how strong I am. I appreciate being able to walk, remembering the faces of my loved ones, being able to talk, being able to park in standard parking space instead of the disabled one, climbing normal stairs instead of electric ones, eating, being able to work, being able to feel, among many other things. Thanks, Multiple Sclerosis for coming to my life and reminding me that we should not take things for granted and enjoy the things we can do.

DOUBLE. The disease can significantly weaken the mood and abilities of the person. Feelings of uncertainty and fear about what may come from the disease do not go away, but when a person with multiple sclerosis lives with it, all emotions and situations must be managed, and attitude is the most crucial factor. You have to make adjustments, among them, make aware that you have been diagnosed with a chronic illness with which you must live side by side.