Pay the Piper

This past Saturday my band Paradocs played a gig at Cowboys. It was a benefit concert and all proceeds went to the restoration of the Strand Theater on the Marietta Square. We all love this historic area and were happy to donate our time and energy to raise money to rebuild this great venue. We had a great time doing some old songs and new ones. We were thrilled with the turnout, too. I rested up all day in preparation for the big night and I also tried to really take it easy the day after, too...

But nevertheless I am now sick with a nasty chest cold. 

Maybe this happens to normal healthy people too. Or maybe people with MS that are on immune-suppressing drugs shouldn't be running around pretending to be rock stars for 2 hours, even if it is for a good cause. 

I dunno. I just know that it stinks and has me feeling really down. I know it is only a stupid cold, but I can't help but feel depressed right now. 

I think there should be a rule: If you have to live with a chronic disease that affects you with symptoms every single day of your life, then you should automatically be exempt from getting other things like the common cold or the flu. 

So while I totally had a blast singing with my band on Saturday, it leaves me wondering if people with MS should be doing such things. Not that I plan on sitting at home like a vegetable for the rest of my life, but what is "too much" for a person with MS? All my books say "Don't overdo it," but what IS overdoing it? How do you know your limits, stay within them and still manage to be a normal person that Does things??

Because while getting a cold/infection is a bothersome nuisance for most people, for MSers it can be far more serious. Because of the medicine I take to control my disease I can't fight off everything that healthy people can fight off. Furthermore, when I get sick with even a tiny chest cold it really pisses the MonSter off, and he rears his ugly head by making all my MS symptoms worse, too. So I am in a lot of pain and my vision is Crappy, my balance is totally off (aka I look like a drunk person when I walk) and I am sneezing and coughing and pretty darn miserable. 

Who knew there was such an icky price to pay for being a one-night-only Rock Star (who makes zero dollars because it was a charity event!) 

Can we just find a cure for this stupid disease already??

I've got a life to live here!!