Life Lately: MS Updates, Good News About Ghost, and a Much-Needed Getaway

It’s been a little while since I shared a personal update, and a lot has happened — from MS frustrations to family news to one of the best vacations we’ve had in years. If you’re living with Multiple Sclerosis or following my journey, here’s what life has looked like lately.

Ghost’s Checkup Brought the Best News We Could Ask For

Let’s start with something positive. Ghost had his quarterly checkup yesterday and, once again, he’s defying every expectation. He’s still doing incredibly well, even showing little pieces of his old personality that we weren’t sure we’d see again. Anyone who has a dog with health issues knows how heavy that stress can feel, and hearing the vet say he’s holding steady was a huge relief.

Moments like this remind me how important it is to celebrate the wins — big or small — when you’re juggling chronic illness, everyday stress, and everything else life throws at you.

A Short Vacation… That Ended Up Being One of Our Best

We also just got back from a much-needed cruise. It was shorter than we hoped, but honestly, it didn’t matter. It ended up being one of the best cruises we’ve taken in a long time.

If you’re a cruiser, you know the dinner-table gamble: you never fully know who you’ll sit with, whether conversation will flow, or if you’ll spend every evening in awkward silence. This time, we hit the jackpot. Our tablemates were the best we’ve ever had — funny, kind, easy to talk to, everything you hope for but rarely get. We even started a group chat, and we’re still talking even though we’re now spread across the country.

Traveling with MS can be unpredictable, but this trip reminded me why we keep doing it. The memories and the people make every challenge worth it.

Diving Into a New Writing Project

Somewhere in the mix of life chaos, I also started writing my next project. It’s extremely early, but so far it’s fun, weird, a little vulgar, unpredictable — all the things that make writing exciting. I have no idea where the story is going, and for once, I’m completely fine with that.

If you’re someone who writes while living with MS, you get it. Creativity comes in waves, and when the wave is here, you ride it.

MS Update: The Ocrevus Delay I Really Didn’t Need

Now for the frustrating part. My Ocrevus infusion was originally scheduled for November 24, but my insurance company decided to change the way MS is coded. Because of that, every preauthorization had to be re-submitted. So my infusion was delayed until this Thursday.

If you’re on Ocrevus or any disease-modifying therapy, you know how stressful delays can be. Even though Ocrevus doesn’t treat symptoms directly, my body always seems to know when treatment time is getting close. Lately the walking problems feel worse, the dizziness is more noticeable, the pain creeps back in, and a few other symptoms show up — the ones I’m still working up the courage to talk about publicly.

Whether it’s mental or physical, it’s real. And I’m ready to get this infusion done.

Looking Ahead: A Busy Holiday Season

Most of our family is coming to Oklahoma for Christmas this year, and I’m really looking forward to it. With MS, the holidays can be a mix of excitement and exhaustion, but having everyone together feels worth it. After a few months of ups and downs, ending the year surrounded by family sounds perfect.