Media - always sunny-side up

[Thinkimjob]

Just watched the ABC in Australia; story is if you keep exercising hard, then you can beat MS.

Stop for even a day (MS patient in question had kinda fallen off her bike) and MS comes back.

So apparently, MS is easy to beat! Just keep jogging and weightlifting, until oh dear you can't, and then whatever happens, it's more or less your fault.

Progression, ABC. It's called progression.

Sorry to whinge.

[KoKo]

Just watched the ABC in Australia; story is if you keep exercising hard, then you can beat MS.

Stop for even a day (MS patient in question had kinda fallen off her bike) and MS comes back.

So apparently, MS is easy to beat! Just keep jogging and weightlifting, until oh dear you can't, and then whatever happens, it's more or less your fault.

Progression, ABC. It's called progression.

Sorry to whinge.

I hear you Thinkimjob.

In my first few years after diagnosis I was still working, playing tennis, riding my bike, bowling, etc. - until gradually I just couldn't anymore.

Over the years (except for during the plateau periods) I've had to continuously adjust my now very humble exercising goals.

Just when I get settled into a routine, thinking that I can maintain it for awhile, then (surprise) I have to readjust and aim for a lower (as opposed to a higher) more realistic goal due to increasing muscle weakness and decreasing endurance.

Yes, that's progression - ongoing impaired nerve signals from the brain/spinal cord to the body.

I wonder if that news story mainly pertains to persons with MS who are in remission?

Take Care

[marti]

I understand what you're saying. I've had people tell me to try Tai Chi or Yoga or..... whatever is the going thing. They don't understand that I am 66 years old with MS, Fibro, Gastritis, Graves Disease, Degenerative Disc Disease etc etc. I'm doing good to get up out of bed and just walk. So that's what I do... I try to walk the length of the house and yard on some days. That's as far as I am going to get. I believe in exercise for people who CAN do it or Can do it SOMETIMES. I do what I can. That's it.

[pennstater]

Just watched the ABC in Australia; story is if you keep exercising hard, then you can beat MS.

I really hate when the media focuses on these stories. It is great to have optimism based in realism, but when I hear you can control your own fate by exercising, eating healthy, etc..., I want to scream. All this when they don't even know what causes MS!

MS existed when everyone lived a much more physical lifestyle (before cars, phones, washing machines, etc...) And worked sun-up to sun-dowrn. It existed before "junk" food, artificial sweeteners, and the like.

Can inactivity and unhealthy eating make us feel worse, of course. But don't tell us our MS progression is 100% under our control!

[choco]

The other day they were interviewing an Paralympian runner only guess what she has? Yup, MS. That's great, I'm happy for her. Only I can now see people saying that there was a woman with MS running in the Paralympics so MS can't be that bad…or if she can run in the Paralymps surely you can do xyz... I am genuinely happy for this person, not so happy with the impression it gives to the public that MS "can't be that bad".

[JerryD]

Yeah, yeah, yeah... exercise is the greatest thing for MSer's since CoQ10 ! lol
Feel like griping ? How about griping about the slightly animated Tecfidera commercials, that air on many of the US television networks ? They're a joke ! And I turn the channel, every time !

[Thinkimjob]

Yeah, yeah, yeah... exercise is the greatest thing for MSer's since CoQ10 ! lol
Feel like griping ? How about griping about the slightly animated Tecfidera commercials, that air on many of the US television networks ? They're a joke ! And I turn the channel, every time !

Watched it on YouTube just then. Wonderful miracle drug, then as Pretty Girl goes out for a night on the town, a quiet "side effects include PML, an incurable brain disorder."

[JerryD]

Just to clarify my point of view,Think, I must own up to my previous life as a TV news sound man. I worked for CBS News, ABC News and NBC News and various entertainment programs. For 10 + years, I spent hours with Dan Rather, Morley Safer, Leslie Stahl, Bill Geist and many others ( I can hardly remember all of them ) reporting news events, etc. ! I made a lot of money on many peoples' suffering .
The one thing that the news agencies have in common is that they report the stories to inform, educate and entertain their audience . That statement is true for most, if not all, programming on the various networks' schedule .
That being said, there are times that the news power houses try to put a happier face on a story than is actually realistic ! I don't know why this is !
It bugs me but, for my part, I always keep a cynical eye on everything I see and hear ! Everyone should be wary of the information that they receive from all sources. Like our parents always said, 'Consider the source' ! When you get information and entertainment for free, remember that it is worth the price that you paid for it! Good luck

[DogMa]

I agree that it's good to put a sunny 'face' on things when you can. I realize that broadcasters must temper doom and gloom, but when friends and family, and even the occasional bystander feel they just have to remind me/us that we can all cure our MS/get over MS symptoms/whatever, "if you'd change your diet, exercise more, practice meditation, etc., based on what's been put out there on the air and in print, I want to scream. If being rid of MS were that easy, don't they think we'd do whatever we had to do just to be healthy? Wouldn't we, if it were that simple?

[Tawanda]

One of the first things that came to mind after I was diagnosed eith Multiple Sclerosis was Richard Pryor (or which word scared me most, "chronic" or "progressive" ). More recently, there was Annette Funicello's last pictures that her husband realeased that scared the heck out of md. I don't know which M.S. representation hurts me the most...

[Thinkimjob]

I agree that it's good to put a sunny 'face' on things when you can. I realize that broadcasters must temper doom and gloom, but when friends and family, and even the occasional bystander feel they just have to remind me/us that we can all cure our MS/get over MS symptoms/whatever, "if you'd change your diet, exercise more, practice meditation, etc., based on what's been put out there on the air and in print, I want to scream. If being rid of MS were that easy, don't they think we'd do whatever we had to do just to be healthy? Wouldn't we, if it were that simple?

It's been 18 years of this. Strange, stupid irony of it, now there are hard core drugs I would happily have taken back in the day.
Lost my nerve.

[Tomjadg]

I really hate when the media focuses on these stories. It is great to have optimism based in realism, but when I hear you can control your own fate by exercising, eating healthy, etc..., I want to scream. All this when they don't even know what causes MS!

MS existed when everyone lived a much more physical lifestyle (before cars, phones, washing machines, etc...) And worked sun-up to sun-dowrn. It existed before "junk" food, artificial sweeteners, and the like.

Can inactivity and unhealthy eating make us feel worse, of course. But don't tell us our MS progression is 100% under our control!

Don't forget "positive attitude" and "pray" will help you...umm not.