About a week after the infusions I began taking MS medication. I talked with my doctor about which one would work best for me. The directions for my medication made it very clear that it needed to be taken at the same time everyday, twice a day. The more consistently it was in my body the better chance it had to be successful.
MS medication doesn't make a person better. Its job is to reduce the attacks. My immune system is attacking the protective covering over my nerve cells. The medication reduces the amount of white blood cells that I have. By reducing the white blood cells, we essentially reduce the size of the army that is attacking my nerve cells. The medication can't take away or fix damage. The hope is that it keeps away future damage. Imagine a battle where the soldiers are attacking an unarmed castle. The only hope the people in the castle have is that the soldiers will stop. If there are fewer of them, the damage won't be as bad and maybe they can creatively keep them away.
Taking medication the same time twice a day meant that I had to set an alarm. There are two alarms on my phone that go off every day reminding me to take my medication. I've been taking my medication for over 2 years. At the very beginning, the alarm was a daily reminder that this new thing was part of me. I couldn't escape it or forget about it because the alarm would ding and remind me once again. I wondered if I would get used to it. Today it's better. It isn't such a glaring reminder today, just a quiet reality.
There is always a daily reminder of our weaknesses and short comings. It comes in the form of an alarm for me. Sometimes it's a nagging pain, sometimes it's a visible change, sometimes it's a memory. How do we deal with those reminders? Do we graciously accept that our weaknesses are not who we are or do we cringe and feel less than what we should?
I hope we remember that our weaknesses and difficulties and short comings are not our identity. They simple are the things we overcome and grow in, making us amazing despite the difficulties trying to pull us down.
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