Another year has come and gone – but this one looks a lot different than last, does it not?

This post is a little late, as this anniversary came + went last month. Of course, more time just gives us more perspective.

(that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it.)

Like I expect most who live through a time like this in history, I’ve learned a lot about myself and my loved ones the last few months. Maybe more so in the last few months than the year prior – it’s strange how different circumstances bring it all to light. In my case, I’ve seen my immediate family be kind and compassionate, but some distant relatives proved to embrace the opposite.

Like I said, times like these really show us a lot about who we’re around. But, I digress. Back to how year two of my diagnosis is going.

On the 8th of April, we celebrated not just my 2nd Rebirthday, but also my husband’s 32nd. Odd coincidences like getting diagnosed on his 30th birthday make me want to tip my hat to the universe – well played, ma’am, well played.  

Last year I was able to explore some beautiful parks in Indy and get great photos with my family.

This year our photo shoot looked a little different. 

Even though life is different, and a bit harder overall, time moves on. The last year has been no different, even if time seems to sometimes stand still during isolation.

I’m definitely feeling better physically now than I did on my last Rebirthday – I hope I can say the same a year from now. I give a bit of the credit for that to the switch from Plegridy to Rebif. Pleg just wasn’t a fit for me. With Rebif, I usually forget the morning after that I injected the night before. I’m injecting 6 times in 2 weeks vs. 1, which is the biggest downside. 

I’m still following OMS, and have had to switch up my stress prevention techniques sometimes. I know that my lifestyle has almost everything to do with how I feel. It feels so good to listen to my body, and give her what she needs.

Physically, I’m usually able to do things I wasn’t even before I was diagnosed. I’m trying to focus on building my strength and really learning Tai Chi this year. I don’t have any symptoms that follow me day to day like I used to – don’t get me wrong, I do have acute spurts of annoying tingles in my feet, random deep bone pain, and the occasional other physical symptom. They’re just less inhibiting than this time last year.

My fatigue and mood swings have been a royal pain since March, when lock down began in my state. I’m sure it’s just my body responding to the stress of an unprecedented situation. I’m not too worried, because I know how I feel will pass as I begin to adapt to a new normal. Change is the only constant we can count on in life, huh? Overall though, this year isn’t shaping up too shabbily.

I may be weird, but I love getting older. As each year passes, I grow in my ability and willingness to adapt. Life with MS and my other chronic illnesses has made me respect myself in new and unexpected ways; I’ve learned who I could be if I just allowed myself to be who I am, who I’ve always been, not who they expect.

In addition to looking at how I’m doing moving into year 2 after my diagnosis, I wanted to give a quick update on my journey using Rebif. I’ve been on it for 11 months now (seriously, though, WHERE has the time gone) and figured it was time to let y’all know how it’s going.

My routine has stayed the same regarding injection night; if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right? I haven’t experienced any new side effects, other than the deep bone pain I talked about occurring with Plegridy; it showed up a few months ago. Only have to deal with it half as often as with Pleg, but it’s aggravating, and can cause some sleepless nights.

All in all, I’m still grateful for the switch to Rebif. It’s been a much better fit for me and my journey. The only thing I liked better about pleg was how infrequently I was injecting, like I mentioned before.

I get my 2nd MRI next month, and my bi-yearly check up with my Neuro is scheduled for July. With all the happening right now, that could change, but fingers crossed numbers stay down here and things continue as planned.

Lots of things have changed, but one thing hasn’t changed at all; I’m still overwhelmingly grateful for my diagnosis. 

Without it, I’d still be taking my body, my loved ones, and my life in general for granted. I did not appreciate those things the way I should prior to getting diagnosed. Life is better for me on this side of MS, the messiness and all. 

I hope this update finds y’all doing well. I know this is a weird time – I get it, I really do. Which was the point of my last post, and hopefully my next makes these weird times a little easier. It’s been hard finding all my usual items at the grocery while in lockdown, so I’ve come up with my own recipes to replace them! Check back next week for that.

You can always find me on Instagram or Pinterest until then, or leave a comment below. I love getting to communicate with all of you!

Until next time,