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MS and My New Do

I read a recent article by Devin Garlit. It was titled “Some Bizarre Life Hacks I've Adopted Because of MS”. I liked it so much that we are going to use that concept in our self-help group this month. Thank you Devin for the idea. I've come up with some as well. In the article he talked about his beard and his hair. I have a hair story as well!

I have struggled lately to get a hair style that I like and one that I can do because my right hand is getting weaker. And therefore, it's harder for me to style my hair like I used to. I like it best about 3-4 inches below my shoulders, straight and with a slight curl under. I always get a undercut. That means that each successive layer of hair is cut a little bit longer so that it curls under naturally.

My hair is naturally curly and normally I use a flat iron to smooth down the waves and curls. I had to go natural because my right hand was unable to hold the flat iron, squeeze the flat iron and move the flat iron through my hair. Plus the hand fatigued very easily. This was very disconcerting since I have always liked my hair straight with a slight curl at the end.

I've been wearing it naturally (curly) for the last several weeks. My hair seemed to be getting curlier by the day. And therefore harder to straighten. So the combination of curlier hair and difficulty using the flat iron, I had to make a decision. So I began to wear it naturally.

I remembered a picture that I had from about 10 years ago with my hair shorter than how I have been wearing it recently. I like that look and I thought I could do that again. So recently I cut off about three or 4 inches of the curls. Instead of using a flat iron I am using a curling iron with the brush bristles on it. It is still somewhat difficult to get all the curl out, but it is working better than the flat iron. I also find with the heat of the bathroom, hair dryer and curling iron, I have to take a break so I can cool down. I can usually recover in about 10 minutes.

MS affects every part of my life, including now how I wear my hair. I haven't really done an MS rant before, because I try to stay very positive and upbeat, knowing I am right where God wants me. I guess this could be considered a rant, because right now I hate my MS.

I hate the pain, overwhelming fatigue, decreased mobility, spams, cramping, heat sensitivity, muscle weakness, ringing in my ears, difficulty sleeping, cognitive changes, bladder and bowel issues and the combination of all of it together. It is not just dealing with one symptom, but all of them together. 24/7/365

BUT, I know I don't have to be strong on my own. I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!

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