What I Wish I Had Proactively Done Before An MS Diagnosis

As I do research on auto-immune diseases and contributing factors that might have led to my diagnosis with MS I’m overwhelmed with thoughts of what if I had done more before being diagnosed.

What I’m learning is that there are so many different factors that could have been one of the many reasons why my body decided it wanted to live with MS as a sidekick. There is no research that proves what causes MS but there is information available on what could be contributing factors.

For me I’m starting to piece together things like my vitamin D deficiency at the time of diagnosis, MS runs in my family (my father has it), I’ve lived with IBS the majority of my life (leaky gut) and I’ve been highly stressed and an overachiever most of my life (currently reading When The Body Says No). While I’m not saying I believe any of these things are a cause, I am starting to believe that combined they could all be contributing factors or what I’m calling a perfect recipe for the immune system to be overwhelmed.

From there it’s only human to ask yourself questions like; “What if I had just taken care of myself better” or “Maybe I never would have gotten MS if I had only…” or “What if I had simply reduced my stress and taken Vitamin D”. There are so many “what ifs” it’s a dangerous game to play. So I’m stopping.

Thankfully my quality of life right now is really ok. I now have a sidekick that has made me realize I need to take the utmost care in myself. I believe this is a positive thing that has happened in my life. However, I still have thoughts about what I wish I could have proactively done earlier in my life. But instead of focusing on the past I now get the chance to implement them in the present day to have the best life possible. I only look to the past to live in the present fully and more healthy than before. This allows me to be confident and avoid anxiety over an unknown or unhealthy future.

Here are the things I personally wish I had done:

1. Focused on decreasing my stress
2. Taken Vitamin D supplements consistently
3. Become more aware of how many toxins I was ingesting or absorbing
4. Been less hard on me as an overachiever and perfectionist
5. Optimized supplements to blood tests more often
6. Stayed out of stressful relationships
7. Dealt with anxiety faster

But wishing won’t get me anywhere, only action. So today I am:

1. Meditating daily
2. Taking nightly Epsom salt & essential oil baths
3. Consistently taking daily supplements
4. Eating an auto-immune paleo-based diet based on the Wahl’s Protocol
5. Reducing the number of toxins in my food, beauty and household products,
6. I left a toxic relationship and learned self-love
7. Only investing in positive, uplifting relationships (friendships & romantic)
8. Listening to my gut to avoid anxiety
9. Getting blood tests done every 3 months to optimize my supplementation plan
10. Reducing stress at work by taking breaks to go for walks and taking deep breathes when facing conflicts
11. Really truly understand that I choose how I react to stress and that I choose my own happiness

Here’s to being in charge of our health. The future is bright when we know it’s in our power to take care of ourselves better so we can lead a happy & healthy life.