Active MSer? Introduce Yourself Here!

[alerse]

Thanks for this site, Dave. It's really refreshing to be among MSers who get up, out and move !! I was diagnosed 12/2008 and resolved to stay active.

Are there any other swimmers out there? I either swim or water walk and my endurance and stamina are excellent. I also think it's helped with my mood and overall improvement in my balance.

Cheers all and Happy 2010 !

[Susannah]

Thanks for your post, DreyaSF! I love snowboarding so much. How are things going - have you tried riding again?

[Teresa26.2]

Hi,
My name is Teresa. I was officially diagnosed with M.S. back in 2005. I sometimes read on this site. I like the idea of a place to talk to others who have M.S. and still want to exersise to the best of their ability. I had M.S. way before I had M.S. and probably have run two marathons before diagnosis. I have now run 4 more, including the Redding marathon, here in California just a week ago. I am currently training for the Big Sur International Marathon, run this April. I will never stop giving my best.

Alerse, I also like to swim, but haven't been in the pool for any distance in about a year.

Thanks for the site...
Teresa

[knitnride]

Greetings,
After reading ActiveMSers for quite some time I've decided to become a member. I was diagnosed in the late 1970's and I'm planning to learn to navigate the forums and learn whatever is available.
Karen who lives in Oregon

[Tanya]

I am so excited to find this site!! I was diagnosed in September 09, and it terrified me. My previous experience with MS is that my Mom had it--and she was one of those people that became the disease. I have decided that's not for me.

I was just starting to try to change to an active lifestyle last spring/summer. Now that I've "gotten over" the diagnosis, I'm returning to the active lifestyle at full speed. My activity of choice is cycling, so I'm training to ride in my first MS 150. I can't wait!

[Happy1]

Hi, everyone. I'm Jenn. Diagnosed in 2006 and, just this year, getting over it and on with my life. I've started to ride specifically for the MS150 in Frisco TX. but have found that I really enjoy it, have started looking at other places to ride rallies and am looking forward to getting healthier.

I'm excited to have found this forum and how to stay active with this icky disease.

Have a fantastic day!

Jenn

[RunninGirl]

Hi.

I don't officially have MS. I was diagnosed today with "clinically isolated syndrome". I started having MS-like symptoms back in December of this past year (dizziness, numbness, tingling, muscle spasms, cognitive problems, muscle weakness) and just got the results back from my MRIs - I have a lesion in my cervical spine.

I've been a marathon runner for 5 years now - I've run 9 marathons and am running the Boston Marathon two weeks from today. I'm scheduled to get a lumbar puncture as soon as I get home from running that to check for proteins.

It's great to find this site - to know that even if MS ends up becoming a reality, or even if I'm just stuck dealing with similar symptoms from a single lesion in my spine, that there are people with the disease that are still out there being active and living life to its fullest.

I don't have any plans to quit running - I'll keep going as long as my legs hold out.

[Lucia]

Originally Posted by RunninGirl

Hi.

I don't have any plans to quit running - I'll keep going as long as my legs hold out.

Good for you!!! Having MS hasn't stopped me from being active either. Infact, I recently added commuting by trike.

Like you, I'm going to continue being active as long as I can. This site is a good resource to help with this goal.

[socrates2k1]

I'm, going to be 49 this year.
Last year, July 2009, I had a devastating accident, I fell and had severe head and neck trauma, a severe chest contusion, and dislocated my left thumb. I had surgery to repair my thumb, and several months of rehab, due to the trauma.
The symptoms that presented after the accident, seemed to tie-in with the fall. However, many of the symptoms didn't. Through 2 MRI's, a spinal tap, and blood serum tests, it was revealed I had MS. My first MRI revealed a "walnut-sized" cyst, in the center of my brain, and 12-16 active lesions, throughout my brain. The spinal tap and blood serum tests, confirmed the diagnosis.
At the time, I was working, and was on vacation, unfortunately, I never returned to work, from that vacation.
I have been slowly recovering from all of this, but have been told returning to work, is impossible (also I lost the ability to drive a vehicle). Needless to say, I'm now permanently disabled and was just recently approved for SSD.
I want to get back to exercising, and have been debating it, because of the effects it may cause with my MS symptoms. More details on that, in a future post.

[Re-violining]

Hello, my name is Janice. I am 43 years old, married and have a large family with kids from college to age two. I was diagnosed and undiagnosed and diagnosed from september 08 to December 09 and started avonex in Febr. of 10. It kicks my ...one day a week and am considering a switch to copaxone. Right now, the DMD causes more difficulty than the disease and that is hard to accept...although I am thankful that so far the disease is mild.

I am trying to stay active in more ways than one. My family keeps me going but I also have been walking or going to the Y to do the elliptical and lift weights. MS has also encouraged me to fix up my violin and start playing again after more than 15 years. I have started doing cognitive games and crosswords to keep active. I also have been doing things I used to pass on, for instance at the water park...I did all of the slides except the one known for head/neck injury (trying to be smart about it

Although MS stinks, it has made me live for today instead of waiting to do it tomorrow.