How MS Has Complicated My Daily Personal Hygiene and Mobility

A recent episode of muscle spasms in my back has made my ambulation — already labored due to multiple sclerosis (MS) — more difficult. In fact, it’s made just about everything from moving to lying still either difficult, painful, or both.

Trying to trim my toenails yesterday, which was a long-overdo task, was a tough go: It took me about 20 minutes to do the half-arsed job that I was able to make of it. Then this morning, trying to towel off after my shower went from intense to savage, and on to excruciating.

When I dressed, I found that I’d missed many patches of water on my skin, so my clothes did the job my towel and I could not.

Those and a few other difficulties of this past week brought to mind the attention we should give to personal hygiene when living with a debilitating disease like MS.

From bathing to brushing teeth to hair care to toileting and beyond, there are so many aspects of living with reduced mobility (and that doesn’t just mean walking) with which we might concern ourselves. Not that we simply can’t do them, but we may not be doing them well enough.

Keeping up with regular dental check-ups can be a way to see how effective our oral care is holding up as we try to hold our toothbrushes. Scheduling pedicures can be not just an hour of pampering, but a preventive practice can keep toe and foot issues in check.

Major plumbing renovations, like a walk-in or roll-in soaking tub and a bidet, might be something to consider if showering or toilet hygiene are of concern.

We’ve written about the extreme issues of pressure sores that can get infected, or urinary tract infections that turn into severe kidney trauma, but there are these little things we should keep an eye on as well. Just because we can still do things like this on our own doesn’t mean that we’re doing them as well as we think we are or as we ought to be doing them.

I remember chewing plaque disclosing tablets when I was a kid that showed how well we were brushing our teeth. Something like that might be helpful for those of us wondering if we’re still brushing well enough.

And as far as more intimate personal clean-up, let’s face it: The underwear never lies ….

Before it gets “that bad,” do yourself a favor and check in with yourself on the elements of your personal care that will keep you healthy longer. You’ll thank yourself for spending the time.

Wishing you and your family the best of health.

Cheers,

Trevis