luminaries, a lake and Multiple Sclerosis

As if a push and roll outing around a lake surrounded by 400 luminaries and a lighted floating Christmas Tree was not enough … 

“With the economy the way it is, and how things are going in the world today, we wanted to give back to our community.” … “Everything is free”

Christmas by the Lake at Children’s Lake in Boiling Springs, PA felt like falling into a Currier & Ives lithograph when members of a ‘town band’ arrived to play holiday music and a high school choir to sing Christmas carols. … all that was needed was snow!

Of course in our story everything revolves around Multiple Sclerosis.

MS related dysphagia restricts even a free menu of hot chocolate, coffee, hot dogs, homemade cookies, pumpkin bread and chestnuts roasted on an open fire. However with some teamwork and verbal cues we were able to enjoy hot chocolate and homemade cookies. I suspect I enjoyed the roasted chestnuts more than Patti. Ohhh how I once loved bags of roasted chestnuts on the streets of NY.

You may notice the mittens pictured on Patti. Chronic fidgeting has been, and is, one of the more frustrating of her MS cognitive symptoms. This long ago torpedoed the catheter era and continues to confound transporting her when she repeatedly disconnects her seat belt while I am driving and need to stop to reconnect.

Wearing her mittens usually keeps her from manipulating most objects and endlessly putting the mittens on and off it seems to satisfy her fidgeting.

Though having mittens on this balmy sunset, 48°F (8.9°C), was fortuitous as they were ideal for holding the hot chestnuts until they cooled enough to eat and for holding the pictured luminary for a creative photo op.

Accessibility in general can be a challenge especially after dark. Fortunately any time a town closes streets to traffic for a community event it exponentially increases its accessibility rating.

Did I mention “free” horse drawn carriage rides? Probably not, MS fatigue eventually trumps all … sooner than later all Patti really wanted to do was go to sleep. 

Patrick Leer

BLOGS:

Caregivingly Yours, MS Caregiver @ http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/

My Lung Cancer Odyssey @ http://lung-cancer-survivor.blogspot.com/

multiple sclerosis caregiving care giving