It is important to take comfort in the things that you love. This is what will help you get from one day to the next without going crazy! I will be honest and say that I have let some hobbies slide since my diagnosis. This is partly due to difficulty in actually doing them but in part, I have been feeling sorry for myself! Everyone goes through a phase like this once in a while and I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Every now and then, I find myself festering in my chair thinking I have nothing to do! I love to read which is quite fortunate, I don’t need a lot of energy to read and with my Kindle, I don’t even have to worry about my wonky hand! I often find myself reading rather than doing something that would require more energy, not because I can’t do something else but because, in these moods, I am loath to make the effort.

When I am not sitting in my chair feeling sorry for myself, or drained by fatigue, I think about the hobbies that I have had over the years. I loved art at school, I was pretty good at it too. But I lost my inspiration and chose a different path. Just as well, this other path drove me towards Super Sarah but it would have been all the more heartbreaking to be creative when I started struggling to use my left hand. Interestingly, Super Sarah has started to paint and take a serious interest in art so I can pass all of my worldly knowledge on to her!

I used to make jewellery but I stopped when two curious kittens joined our family. Their little noses and pointy whiskers were a nightmare amongst all of my tiny beads and I spent more time chasing beads around the table surface than attaching them to a necklace or bracelet. I tried closing the pesky creatures out of the room but they would sit outside the door and cry. I am a soft touch so this hobby was abandoned. Just as well though because those tiny beads would have been a nightmare with my unruly fingers!

When my step-dad was turning 60, my mum asked if I could bake him a cake to celebrate. He had baked a delicious cake for my 30th the month before so I did not hesitate to return the favour. The only problem was, it had been well over a year and a half since I had baked anything as it has become increasingly difficult to stand in the kitchen for long periods of time.

Super Sarah has taken the reigns in the kitchen, she is an incredible cook so I can’t grumble. But in this case, she took a step back, insisting that I bake. She set up a little workstation for me between the sink and the cooker and sat a tall stool beside the counter for me. Perched on my stool, I got to work!

I remembered the recipe off by heart and loved every second of baking. Super Sarah was on hand to help with the oven work and in 25-30 minutes, we had a lovely cake. It was delicious and my step-dad enjoyed it! He said he was really happy that I broke my baking hiatus and said I would have found it therapeutic. Do you know what? He was right! Baking is back in my life!

That set my train of thought to other hobbies that I have that I would consider therapy. I know this sounds silly but I really do consider my Xbox as a form of physio. Using the controller means that I have to move the fingers of my left hand and this keeps them flexible. Another sensible activity that I enjoy is exercise. I have a gym membership and an exercise bike at home. When I am on my exercise bike, I am loose and can move with ease – I don’t feel disabled any more! It is brilliant. If you can still exercise, please do it as often as you can. It is so good for you physically as well as mentally.

Blogging is another activity that I find therapeutic. Whenever something funny happens, or if I struggle with something and want to share it, I tell you guys. Those of you with MS will understand and can relate to my experiences. If you don’t have MS, you now have an insight into the life of someone with MS backed up with experiences and anecdotes..

It is important to keep doing the things that you love for as long as you can. This makes for a rich and fulfilling life. For me, if I am having a good day, exercise is my thing. If it is a bad day, I curl up in my chair with a cuppa and my book. I have a hobby for every mood!