When MS Gives You Lemons, Throw Them Back

Let's get one thing straight: multiple sclerosis doesn't come with lemons—it hurls them at your face. And not the nice, juicy, lemonade kind. No, these are the kind that are rotten, moldy, and somehow manage to hit you square in the eye every single time.

And before anyone starts with the whole, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" nonsense, let's talk about how much bullshit that saying really is. First of all, lemonade without sugar tastes like ass. Second, if you have MS, you should probably be avoiding sugar anyway—because we all know what sugar does to inflammation and fatigue. So no, lemonade isn't the solution here.

Instead, when MS hands you lemons, you throw them right back. Here's how:

Laugh at the Absurdity

Set Your Boundaries Like a Pro

Celebrate Small Wins

Educate the Clueless

When life pelts you with people who say things like, "Have you tried going gluten-free?" or "You're too young to have MS," don't just throw those lemons back—launch them with a catapult of sarcasm.

Have you tried gluten-free?"

• No, but have you tried minding your own business? It's super effective for unsolicited advice.

"You're too young to have MS!"

• You're too old to be this ignorant, and yet here we are.

"You don't look sick."

• Well, you don't look like a fucking doctor, so I guess we're both full of surprises today.

Explaining MS to the clueless is optional. If they're open to learning, go ahead and educate them. But if they're serving up a side of judgment with their ignorance, feel free to hit them with some smart-ass truth bombs.

Throw the Damn Lemons and Move On

Bad day? Shitty symptom? Throw the lemon at the nearest metaphorical wall. Scream into a pillow, blast angry music, write a snarky post in the What Fresh Hell Is This section of your Journal, or do whatever helps you let it out. Then pick yourself up, put on your metaphorical (or literal) armor, and keep moving forward. MS might get a few hits in, but it doesn't get to win.