An MS transformation
I slept really well last night, despite the two nights of lousy sleep before last night’s night of good sleep.
I blame the two previous lousy nights of sleep on the incredibly obnoxious bladder issue that the meds don’t always help. That pisses me off.
(Get it- pisses me off?? I have used that one before and it is not my own but it is classic.)
Anyway, last night was a good night’s sleep so why did I wake up so crabby?
Well, first off, after my morning bathroom run I turned on my computer to discover that an email I expected and eagerly anticipated was not in my inbox. On top of that, for some reason, I couldn’t open my other emails, even after logging on and off a few times.
Things went downhill from there…
I turned into the biggest crabapple ever!
Aka, a Sourpuss.
Aka, Oscar the Grouch.
Email is a completely silly thing to get that upset over, especially since overall, things are well.
I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday that ran on time, went smoothly, and all my results were good- miraculous.
After a miserable summer, autumn is here and the weather is fine. (Don’t you dare nitpick- I am in no mood. For Cape Cod folks like me, autumn begins the day after Labor Day!)
I was settled in my new place
I was making decent progress on a project I was enjoying.
So what was with the lousy mood???
When I don’t know the answer to something, I blame MS. And in this case, there is some merit to that blame as it was the morning after my MS shot.
In addition to my email annoyance, other things that could be MS related went wrong.
My lack of concentration caused me to have trouble saying my morning prayers.
I spilled tea all over myself.
My clumsy fingers had trouble opening my cereal box.
My lack of coordination dropped some of my breakfast on the floor.
My MS meds hangover was starting to cause my head to ache.
So what was I to do? It occurred to me that I wouldn’t be very productive until I cleared my head some and I needed to be productive today. Since the weather was gorgeous, perhaps a walk on the beach would help.
It was at that minute that the sky darkened and scary looking storm clouds passed over my new home.
Then it started to rain. Not a light, pleasant, stomp in puddles rain. But a heavy, raging, life sucks with a vengeance downpour.
Oscar the Grouch was alive and well and had moved into my body and I was helpless to stop him.
I figured since I was now officially Oscar the Grouch I should do some research on him.
What I found was terrifying!
Oscar is not actually a monster, but a Grouch.
He was born in 1969- just like me.
He is rarely seen outside of his can. (Hmmm, when was the last time I left my can, I mean, my house?)
He complains, A LOT.
He likes to say things like “Scram” “Get Lost” “Go Away” and “Ding Dong- you’re wrong.”
And scariest of all, he used to be orange. And as most of you know, orange is the color of MS!
Oscar is actually MS and MS has actually taken over my body and turned me into Oscar.
Need more proof?
It has long been known that multiple sclerosis is associated with depression (what is more depressing than being told you have MS?) and also with major mood swings.
I looked into this further and learned that MS is also known to cause “frequent bouts of anger and irritability,” and “are likely to affect everyone in the family.” (Unless they run and hide.)
So what to do about it? My doctor already has me on mood drugs as I snap at her as soon as I get to her office.
Like Oscar, I was tempted to hunker down in my can and pull pillows over my head. But that seemed too unproductive even for the grouchy and unproductive me.
Plus, the remote control for my bedroom TV died.
So I wrote this blog instead.
Now, I will hide.
But not before first sticking my tongue out at the world and saying “Na, na, na na na!”
Quotes on emotional changes with multiple sclerosis are from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s website.
Quotes from Oscar the Grouch are from Sesame Street and me.
Quote about being pissed off about bladder issues are from my sister Laurie.
“Na, na, na na na” quote is all mine.
Image courtesy of farconville/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
You are awesome! It takes courage to try to explore the ‘grouch’ and I know my moodiness (nickname Judy Moody) has always been part of me, but much worsened with MS. While seasonal shifts can brief relief in some ways I think it the increased gray sky and darkness messes with me. I try to telecommute on my ‘grouch’ days and spare my co-workers when I can 😉
Thank you so much Judy. It is so weird how on those days something minor can set you off and you can see it happening but are totally powerless to stop it! It is enough to make someone well, grouchy…. Hope you are doing well and the people you love have learned to hide when the Oscar takes over you!
You can’t be Oscar, you’re a girl. Didn’t Oscar have a female Grouch friend? Can’t think of her name. Living in a garbage can would make anyone a grouch. No room even for a futon.
Pick up your mood and your day will follow.
I totally forgot about her- thank you Kerri for doing the research! Grundgetta it is! But I still can’t help associating with Oscar. MS symptoms are so freaking random and extreme that I wouldn’t be surprised if gender bending wasn’t one of them!
Your sense of humor defies a true comparison to Oscar! Sock – Oscar’s girlfriend is Grundgetta (I was intrigued enough to look it up).
Thank you so much Kerri! Grundgetta is a great name but reminds me of grunge which reminds me of my “I am way too fatigued to brush my teeth or take a shower mornings. So maybe Grundgetta will cover me for all of my bad MS mornings? I am eager to check out your blog!
You write So Funny & I so needed this today. :-). This ms is for the birds n I so wish they’ll find a new barn 2 live !!!! You always make me laugh. :-). Have a Great week
Thank you so much Dee and so glad I made you laugh, especially if you are having a tough day!! That’s what the website is about- finding ways to giggle and smile through the things that frustrate the heck out of us.