Various Woes

See with what large letters I have written to you in my own hand.
--Galatians 6:11

So wrote the apostle Paul, whom we assume, according to various such statements, suffered a problem with his vision. I can sympathize, for my own vision is swiftly becoming much worse, despite the purchase of new glasses perhaps 6 months ago. What you see here on the page is not as I see it when I write it, for I must use the very largest letter option and then, after writing and editing, reformat to a smaller version, such that more than one paragraph may fit on a single blog page.

In the same way, I am becoming less able to read books except for those I buy for the iPad, wherein one may tinker with the screen options and make the print very much larger. The problem is that I much prefer to read books in hard copy. I just like the feel of the pages, the intimacy of the substantial thing in ones hands, the scent of the paper, and so on. What one sees on the iPad screen has a cold and distant feeling to it.

Nonetheless, I struggle to see the print in a paper book now. I've been reading a book called Death in Babylon, Love in Istanbul, and it's a pretty good book, with some worthy, poetic prose, but I find myself increasingly reticent to even pick it up, knowing that a session of reading will likely involve frustration and a headache.

Ah, woe is me.

In the meantime, after having appeared to improve for a while, the pain in my neck, back, and shoulders is suddenly resurgent and again quite a nuisance. I can only guess that this is the result of trying to institute a program of exercise. Actually, this is not the first time I have learned the same thing. I seem to have a habit of learning things over and over again. As in the past, the expectation that I may use my muscles in the manner of an ordinary person is dashed to bits by the results of the same. This is not the pain one would expect with the exercise of muscles--a normal sort of aching or fatigue. No, this is weird, sharp, stinging, disabling pain--a neuropathic objection to the attempt to be healthy, or, in other words, free of the restrictions of MS.

So, instead of exercising, I am massaging my own neck, shoulder, and back three times a day--not an easy thing to do without assistance as, of course, one's back is positioned rather behind oneself.