Friday, September 3, 2010

Getting a cold while having MS....

Having MS makes everything more complicated!

We are coming upon cold & flu season. Well, actually, it has already hit my area of Colorado. My kids started school on August 18th and my son was sick starting 8/30 causing him to miss the only 2 days of school he had this week. By Tuesday night, I was sick too. As a parent, it is always a "roll of the dice" whether you will get sick when kiddos bring home the germs from school. However, as a parent with MS...it is almost a guarantee that you will get sick when they bring them home. Why?! Because your immune system is already wonky. 

My son was very conscious about washing his hands, covering his mouth, disinfecting the keyboard and felt really bad when I wound up sick too. I had to reassure him that it wasn't his fault. Yes, he brought it home, but that was probably a few days before he actually showed signs of being sick and there is no way to know until he was actually sick....and by then it is too late. 

For me, this triggers my curious mind to start pondering....and a rather odd visual of me walking around my home wearing latex gloves & a mask...
What can we do to prevent these seasonal colds and germs in our home?
Does this mean that I need to become a germophob (no offense to those that are) and fear germs and keep my apartment absolutely germ free?
What should I do to beat a cold so it doesn't linger for weeks to months?
What should I do to make sure that a cold doesn't get worse and turn into something like pneumonia?
How does having a cold affect MS?

I haven't done any research yet on these topics, but will probably do so in the next few days and post information over the next few weeks.

I don't know anyone that enjoys being sick and I can tell you from personal experience that having a cold AND having MS....is miserable!

For now, I think I shall go use my nasal spray, inhaler, mucinex and fluids...maybe even some chicken noodle soup and zone into a game or two on pogo.com before I lay down for sleep...with the hope that I can actually sleep without coughing all night.

Until next time...

1 comment:

  1. I've heard that droplets are the main culpret of spreading viruses. In the hospital we wash, wash, wash, and do things like leave the faucet running after washing your hands until you snag a towel and then turn the faucet off with the towel, but the Infection Control Nurse says that it is spray from coughing and sneezing that are the big offenders. We've been taught to sneeze and cough into the crook of our arm rather than into our hand. Also, very few people have been trained or taught how to use rubber gloves (my opinion from watching.) I sure how you are not sick through the entire weekend Tiffy.

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