Coping With Surgery When You Have MS
I've dealt with the pain brought on by MS for years. We’re old friends. Over the years I've come to realize that pain is my constant companion, 24/7. Not a welcome one, but I've learned to accept it to a certain extent.
Since I have nerve pain everywhere from the upper torso down, serious pain tends to get my attention. I recently had severe pain that definitely sounded an alarm. Two years ago during a hospitalization it was discovered that I have a one-inch gallstone. The doctors contemplated doing surgery at the time but I wasn't strong enough.
I was sent home without having that problem resolved. We were left with doing our own research trying to find a solution.
'Home Remedy'
My dear husband got on the Internet determined to find a ‘home remedy.’ After spending many hours doing research, he found a "magical" solution. He was so excited. He couldn't wait to get started. I, however, had my doubts. He rushed out to the kitchen to prepare the problem-solving elixir. He mixed olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and white grape juice together.
He brought in a 24 ounce container for me to start my home treatment. All I had to do was drink four ounces at a time every 15 minutes until it was all gone. Sounds simple. Believe me, it was easier said than done. Have you ever sat down and enjoyed a warm drink of Italian salad dressing without seasoning? Probably not, and for good reason.
Not only did it taste terrible but it left my mouth feeling... slimy. Eventually I got down to the last four ounces. My husband came in for my final dose. He cheerfully said,"Come on. You can do it! This needs to be all gone."
I had obediently downed most of that disgusting stuff. My response to him was, "If you want it gone, you drink it!" Not surprisingly, he refused.
Flying on Autopilot
Two years later I have finally gotten some relief. Normally the stress of upcoming surgery would be an aggravation. This time? Not really. In fact, I looked forward to it. I’ve had many medical procedures and I've learned to just put my mind on autopilot and conquer them one at a time. That seems to work with my MS symptoms.
