There’s something about being stuck in a chair for days that brings everything I feel about living with Multiple Sclerosis to the surface. And no, I’m not talking about some peaceful kind of reflection. I’m talking about the kind of overwhelm that boils over. The kind where I think, I’m so tired of this. I hate this.
That’s the reality of MS.
It hijacks your life without warning. It mimics other serious illnesses. It confuses even the most well-meaning doctors. It drains your energy while leaving you looking perfectly “fine” to the outside world.
And out of all the diagnoses I’ve had, MS is the absolute worst for me.
I truly felt better during aggressive cancer treatment.
MS is lonelier. It’s invisible. It’s relentless.
It’s incurable. It is constant pain.
And quite honestly, it can kiss my ass.
It’s in these moments — stuck, hurting, exhausted — that I turn to art.
It’s how I pull meaning and joy from the mess. It’s how I turn grief into something I can hold. On days I can’t go out in nature or move, I create my own world — one filled with nature and humor — because it lifts and comforts me. A world that, when I look at it later, always puts a smile on my face. I can look at it and say, “Yeah, that day was horrible,” but still smile and feel proud of what came from it.
This is what Multiple Sclerosis looks like for me — and this is how I take my sanity back.
Art helps me grieve this unforgiving, lifelong disease: with a little nature, humor, and sass.
MS can “Blow Me.”
MS can “Kiss My Ass.”
Want your own sassy dandelion? Grab your “Blow Me” waterproof sticker, today!
