I made less progress than I would have liked to this week because Judy and I took a well-deserved vacation.

I thought that the vacation would mean that I didn’t have anything to post this week, but it turned out I was wrong.

We spent our vacation with my sister and her husband , Del. After spending a few days with them I was inspired by the way Del manages in spite of having had a stroke.

MS is like a stroke in some ways. Symptoms of MS depend on what part of the brain the Multiple Sclerosis damages. Symptoms of a stroke depend on what part of the brain the stroke damages. So MS and strokes are similar.

I noticed Del did what he could despite his stroke. He has limitations. He has difficulty walking, poor balance and ignores much of what happens on one side of his body.

He doesn’t choose to ignore this. He says he can see what’s happening there, but for some reason his brain doesn’t pay attention to what he sees. He was happy to be riding a three wheeled bike, which he could do despite his poor balance. He told me that he has to concentrate to make sure he doesn’t ignore things he shouldn’t, like traffic.

He also gets tired easily.

Despite his challenges, he pitches in to help out where he can. When we were planning a foil wrap veggie mix for supper, he volunteered to cut up the veggies. He cooked some of most meals on the barbecue. In general, he seemed to help out wherever he could.

It occurred to me that he was showing characteristics like the ones I commend in my book. He is fiercely independent, in that he will do what he can, and he  has a positive focus.

He inspired me to do more for myself despite my MS. Watching Del made me think about more things I can do for myself; More ways I can pitch in around the house.

Del inspired me so I thought that I would share this story in hopes that it inspires you, as well.