My new doctor actually asked me if I am an athlete because of my resting heart rate! With my cane in hand, I proudly answered yes? half expecting him to wonder how I can run 10 miles, but need a cane to walk. He didn’t! He’s the 2nd Dr to tell me it makes perfect sense since the ability of walking and running have different cadences.
The first doctor who gave me more confidence in keeping up the running was my physical therapist. I sheepishly admitted to her when she asked if I do any exercise that I like to run and do it occasionally. Even though I was running some, I didn't understand how it is possible to run better than I walk and I worried other people wouldn't understand either.
MS is virtually an invisible disability and it's already difficult to help people other than doctors understand what's going on. The doctors can see the many lesions on my brain MRIs and are trained to pick up on the subtle symptoms, but I never asked until recently if I could still run. I mean, I walk with a cane often. Yet, I secretly enjoyed getting out there on the trails. I thought that if I asked that someone would tell me I couldn't run anymore. When I've had so many issues with my Multiple Sclerosis symptoms, running has been a way to release the overwhelming stress a lifelong disease puts on me.
I feel the most normal when I'm running. I don't feel like people are staring at me like I do when I'm walking crookedly. When I walk, the floor seems to jump up on me so to say. It's like I'm in a carnival fun house all the time. Because of this and other symptoms, it takes a lot more energy to seem normal. When I run, this isn't true for me.
My physical therapist explained why this may be so. First of all my vision problems due to MS are mainly why I walk crooked. I have damage to my optic nerves that cause my vision to shake. Some of the technical symptoms are called Nystagmus and Marcus Gunn Pupil. Nystagmus means my eyes shake left and right. This makes it difficult to read text. I have to use a bookmark or my finger to keep my place reading and even then my eyes get fatigued if I am reading lines of text wider than a newspaper column. Marcus Gunn Pupil means one of my pupils will stay larger or smaller than the other. It is slower to respond to light like the other one. It can really mess with how I see. Also my pt told me that when I run, I'm giving one foot more time to adjust and go straight before the other foot lands and I'm jumping around too, so if it's crooked, then it's not as noticeable.
I was thrilled to hear this as I've always loved running. I've run 7 half marathons and some smaller races before I was diagnosed. Now I feel like I'm doing something to counter what MS is doing to my body. There’s some research that says Multiple Sclerosis can be helped by vigorous exercise, but I only know how it makes me feel and that’s enough for me.
I started training for the Army Ten Miler after getting the encouragement that what I'm doing is good for me. I will be running tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Oh, as you can see, I'm running as Blonde Wonderwoman, of course!
#multiplesclerosis #multiplesclerosisfighter #invisibledisease#armytenmiler2018