Breathe a little bliss

Ignorance is bliss. 

Over the past few years that phrase has been on replay in my mind. I've been helping moderate an MS forum and the amount of information that some people with MS have researched is astounding. I like to think that my growing pile of research papers into diet, supplements, exercise, vascular issues and the like is keeping me informed, but egads, some people live and breathe MS research. They can quote published articles, right down to the semi-colon. They can tell you which countries have approved Sativex and what drugs cause heart palpitations.

And I wonder why I can't be that person. Or, maybe I know why. Maybe I'm afraid to take on MS as a hobby too. Maybe I'll find things that terrify me…god knows that has happened on more than one occasion. Maybe I'll find statistics I'm not aware of. Maybe I'll lose myself.

See, in all of this, I've maintained that MS is a part of me. Like the extra 10 lbs I picked up last Fall and have yet to shed. Not welcome, but largely ignored.

I’ll admit that I occasionally probe libraries for research papers and have amassed everything from the therapeutic potential of NrF2 activation and the effects of dimethyl fumarate on neuroprotection and immunomodulation (say that 5 times fast) to thoughts on MS being a vascular disease or MS improvement following removal of heavy metal intoxication. I'm interested in MS, but my reading isn't a daily thing. I'll still pick up something from a Giller or Booker Prize lists before pages and pages of abstracts. I follow Terry Wahls, the MS Society, and CCSVI groups on Facebook but I don't pore over every message or post. I want to be informed, but I also want to have a large, rich life outside of MS. I'm afraid that constant research would bury the person I know myself as.

It seems like today's world offers so much by way of technology that it's a double-edged sword. We are more connected, but more isolated. We can fact check our mechanics, doctors, lawyers, and even car sales people until the cows come home. We are armchair experts in every field as long as there's power and cell coverage. I love technology. I love that I can open my laptop and play Scrabble with my mom who lives many miles away. But I hope there's a point where people can step back and step outdoors. Breathe the fresh air. Let a little ignorance flow over them.

P.S. Yes, I've been away from here a long time. You were warned there'd be long stretches of nothing. :)

P.P.S. Nothing new on the MS front for me. I feel well. Can someone convince me to walk another half marathon so I can get my excess 10 lbs ready for a huge hike this Fall? Someone? Anyone?