Behind the Smile: Living with MS

08/03/2026

Living with an autoimmune condition is tough, but living with two? It’s a full-time balancing act.
For anyone who doesn't know:
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects my central nervous system—bringing on the invisible struggles like fatigue, nerve signals firing wrong, brain fog, and sensory changes.
Psoriasis shows up on the outside—an overactive immune system causing skin cells to build up, leading to flare-ups, irritation, and inflammation.
Some days, the fatigue from MS takes over. Other days, a psoriasis flare makes just feeling comfortable in my own skin a challenge. And because both are rooted in inflammation, stress or a bad week can trigger both at the exact same time.
But here is what living with MS and psoriasis has actually taught me:
1. Patience with my body: It’s not working against me out of spite; it’s just confused. Learning to rest when I need to isn’t giving up—it’s taking care of business.
2. Advocating for myself: Managing multiple health conditions means being proactive, asking the right questions, and working with doctors who listen.
3. Gratitude for the good days: When my energy is up and my skin is clear, I celebrate it.
To anyone else out there juggling multiple invisible (and visible) illness badges: I see you. Take it one day, one flare, and one breath at a time. We are so much stronger than our immune systems give us credit for. 💛

07/21/2026

If there’s one thing managing Multiple Sclerosis teaches you, it’s that progress isn't always a straight line—and sometimes, taking a step forward means dealing with a few temporary side effects along the way.
I recently started back on lacosamide to help manage my symptoms. While I know it’s the right step for my body long-term, my stomach definitely didn't get the memo today! The nausea hit right out of the gate, making it a bit of a rough start.
It can be frustrating when the very medication meant to help you feel better makes you feel pretty miserable in the short term. But instead of letting it derail my whole day, I’m focusing on the bigger picture. This initial adjustment is just a temporary bump in the road. My body is resilient, it's working hard to adapt, and every day will get a little bit easier as my system settles back in.
For now, I'm taking it easy, keeping light snacks like crackers and toast nearby, sipping ginger tea, and giving myself the space to rest.
To my fellow spoonies and MS warriors: how do you manage the rocky first few days of a medication reset? I’d love to hear your favorite tips for settling a nervous stomach in the comments below! 🧡

07/17/2026

Health update: MS has been throwing some extra challenges my way lately. The medication I’ve been on isn't working, and we’ve found out that MS is the main culprit making things harder right now by messing with my nerve signals.
It can definitely feel unfair at times, but I’ve already been in contact with the urologist and am just waiting on a return call to figure out our next steps.
This disease is tough, but I am tougher. It’s an uphill battle, but I know I’ve got this! Thank you all for the constant prayers and love—they mean the world to me. Keeping my head high and focusing on the answers coming my way in the next two weeks! 💪🧡✨

07/14/2026

07/12/2026

I am trying so hard to stay strong, but I am at a complete breaking point today. I have my massive, life-changing CDL test tomorrow and Tuesday, and of all times, my body has decided to completely betray me.
Dealing with MS is exhausting on its own, but throwing another UTI into the mix has pushed the pain to a level that is just ridiculous. I am completely wiped out, hurting, and trying to fight through the brain fog and physical exhaustion just to keep my head above water for this test.
I’ve worked too hard to get to this point to let this stop me, but I am terrified, running on empty, and in a lot of pain. If you have any spare prayers, good vibes, or thoughts to send my way over the next 48 hours, I desperately need them. 🧡

07/11/2026

“You’re raising that boy to be a sissy.”

No.

I’m raising boys who will one day be men.

Men who know it’s okay to cry.
Men who aren’t afraid to say they’re struggling.
Men who can comfort their children instead of telling them to “man up.”
Men who know that strength isn’t the absence of emotion… it’s having the courage to feel it.

The world doesn’t need more boys who think they have to hide their tears.

It needs more men who know that vulnerability and strength can exist together.

07/11/2026

Some days, it really feels like MS hates me. 🧡
It throws flare-ups at the worst possible times, makes the simplest tasks feel like a mountain, and tests my patience like nothing else. It’s exhausting, it’s frustrating, and it’s okay to admit that it just flat-out sucks.
But even on the days where it feels like this disease is doing everything it can to tear me down, I’m still standing. MS might hate me, but it clearly doesn't know who it's messing with. I might have to fight harder, but I will always fight back. 💪✨

07/09/2026

Some days the information sticks, and some days it feels like trying to read through a cloud. And don't even get me started on the air brake test today—I swear those gauges and numbers are actively hazing me! 🛑😅 Trying to keep "Leaks, Lights, and K***s" in the right order while the brain fog is heavy takes every ounce of focus I've got. But I’m taking it one zone, one acronym

07/07/2026

It Doesn’t Get Easier

They say, “You’ll get used to it.”
As if my body will someday forget
the battle it fights every single day.

But Multiple Sclerosis
doesn’t get easier.

I just get better
at carrying what no one else can see.

I learn to smile
while my legs feel like they’re made of stone.

I learn to laugh
through the exhaustion that sleep can’t fix.

I learn to keep showing up
even when every step costs more than yesterday.

This isn’t about becoming stronger
because I wanted to.

It’s about refusing to let this disease
write the ending of my story.

No…
it doesn’t get easier.

I just become more determined
to find joy in the middle of the struggle,
hope in the middle of the uncertainty,
and faith in the middle of the storm.

Because MS may change my body,
but it will never define my spirit.

06/26/2026

There’s tired… and then there’s chronic illness tired.

It’s the kind of exhaustion that sleep can’t fix.

The kind that follows you from the moment you open your eyes until you finally close them again.

You can sleep ten hours…
and still wake up feeling like you never rested.

You can be excited for plans…
only to watch your body make the decision for you.

So you learn to celebrate victories that most people never think twice about.

Getting dressed.

Making dinner.

Folding the laundry.

Laughing with your kids.

Simply making it through the day.

When you live with a chronic illness, ordinary tasks can require extraordinary strength.

Some days you miss the person you used to be—
the one who could go without checking the energy “bank” first.

Other days, you’re simply fighting to make it to bedtime with whatever strength you have left.

The hardest part isn’t always the pain.

It’s being told, without words, that you “look fine.”

People see the smile.

They see the moments you pushed through.

They rarely see the hours—or days—you spend paying for those moments afterward.

Living with chronic illness means carrying a battle that most people will never witness.

But every time you choose to keep going…

Every time you get back up…

Every time you love your family, show up the best you can, and refuse to let your diagnosis define your heart…

That’s courage.

So if today all you did was survive…

You didn’t fail.

You fought a battle no one else could see.