Twitching and Muscle Cramps Are No Fun!

As I am lying here in bed catching up on email, Twitter and Facebook I realize that I'm having a hard time focusing literally, but not because of my eyes this time. I'm laying on my side and my muscle in my back is twitching (not to be confused with twerking) making my entire body move up and down.  Twitching and muscle cramps are something I have had for years and years....long before I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

I am pretty sure that they were related to MS, I just didn't realize I had it at the time.  Fortunately for me the twitching is not painful, only annoying and doesn't happen too often.  The muscle cramps in my feet are more predictable now.  I formerly would get them without warning.  They would attack me from out of nowhere and draw my feet up into a contorted arch.  These days they only try to do go into that extreme type of cramp when I wear a shoe with a heel.  Yes, sadly I have had to give up any type of cute high heel shoe.  It is a sacrifice I am willing to make to avoid that kind of pain. 

Yep, I am finally doing it! The 30 Day Squat Challenge

Okay, I have finally given in!  I am doing the 30 Day Squat Challenge.  You know the one that made its way around social media last spring......Hey! Better late than never!  When this started going around Facebook last spring, I had numerous Facebook contacts who were participating and offering each other encouragement and accountability.  I wanted to try it then but was pretty sure that I could not keep up with the progressive nature of it at that time.  Sticking to one of my New Year's Resolutions however, I did do something.  I quietly and without any fan-fair began doing a few squats every day.  I think I actually started with five.  Over the summer I worked my way up to 25 every morning.  Now I can do those 25 without even blinking an eye so I decided it was time to start the actual challenge.   Exercise is so important to people with Multiple Sclerosis and aside from the physical limitations that may prevent us from performing certain exercises we also suffer from just plain lack of motivation!  Even though the "rush" of doing this challenge seems to have passed in my social media circles, hopefully there are a few of you out there that can keep me accountable and help me stick with it.  I am proud of myself for consistently working up to the point where I feel like I can even attempt it!  Anyone want to do it with me?

It's all in your head.....errrrr face!

Today is a PET PEEVE post! 

Aside from the obvious issues that we have to deal with fighting MS, such as the cognitive deficits that we have to compensate for, the walking troubles, dropping random things, etc  there are the weird skin sensations and pains!  Yes pains! 

Prior to being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis I would have bouts of odd "skin pain".  For months I had pain in my right hip/groin area that was excruciating.  It was painful for ANYTHING to touch me including the softest, lightest bed sheets.  The only thing that offered me any relief was to wear tight blue jeans.  I know, it sounds ridiculous but it helped.  I think because rather than any garment touching me in a specific spot in the painful area, it spread the "touch" over a wider area and made it more bearable.  No one could explain to me what it was or give me anything that could make it stop.  It made me begin to think I was crazy(er).  :)   I did try Lidoderm with limited success, but as with all of the other junk that comes with MS......it finally just went away.  (THANK GOD!)

So fast forward to yesterday.......The left side of my face and my scalp began to hurt.  The kind of hurt like you have had your hair up too long in a pony tail and finally let it down hurt.  Not comfortable but not the end of the world either.......only it doesn't go away after a few minutes.  It stays and seems to intensify.  It wakes you up when you turn over on your pillow at night.  It makes you wince when you brush your hair.  It brings you to tears to clean your face or put on makeup.  In general it just wears you down! 

I am hoping that this does not last months like the other did.  I am whiny when I am in pain and I hate to be whiny.  It makes everything else worse!   So if you see me with half a face of makeup you know why......or this week I can just play it off as my Halloween look!

Thanks for letting me vent!  I try to keep a positive outlook but sometimes I just need to let it out!