My MS Life Moves Forward

For the last several years I’ve been focused on my “MS life.” The acronym “MS” seemed to be dominating my life.

• I have multiple sclerosis (MS). Living with and dealing with MS takes a great deal of time and energy, and my physical health has been a huge focus for our family, often to the exclusion of all else.
• I work with Microsoft (MS). I am a certified Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS). I have been a Microsoft trainer for almost a decade.
• I work in a middle school (ms). As a curriculum technology specialist, I focused on middle school topics and needs.

Some of my "MS life" seems to be moving forward now. I still have MS (multiple sclerosis). This is not a disease that can be cured. I also have to be pretty careful, because when other illnesses hit it’s a total knock out to my body (the strong disease-modifying drug I take by IV once a month is an immune-suppressant, so my body is not as resistant to other illnesses. Even my usual allergies are harder to deal with due to their affects on my body). HOWEVER, the medicine I take is a miracle drug for my body, and allows me to walk without a wheelchair or cane. I don’t even need quite as much rest as I once did, except during situations with other illnesses. SO…we will never be rid of the disease MS, but we are at a point where it does not dominate all aspects of our family life.

I still work with Microsoft, and prefer a Windows PC over Apple. Even though my first use of a computer was an Apple II, I’m deflinitely an MS girl. HOWEVER, hubby and I are addicted to our iPhones. I'm also working with MacBooks at work, including Final Cut Pro. What an exciting new challenge!

The biggest change regarding my MS life is an upcoming change in my work assignment. I’m excited to be moving to a new school location–a junior high! The change allows me to be at one school full-time (for the past 3 years I’ve split my schedule between a middle school and an elementary). It allows me to be very close to our house at the junior high my boys will attend in not too many more years (uggh–can't think about that right now…). It gives me some new and exciting challenges with multimedia (yes, including some Apple components). Plus, it still lets me focus a lot on training and professional development. The transition makes me nervous (I’ll be covering THREE schools for the next few months, while most on my team just have one!), but the change is exciting! SO…I’ll still be a part of “middle level,” since many states and districts consider middle school and junior high together, but for our district I’ll no longer be a middle school (ms) technology specialist, but will be moving forward to junior high (I’ve graduated–yay!).

As my MS life moves forward, I’m excited to re-focus my “new” time in my life and see where we go from here!