Andrezza Haddaway
Hold Onto
The latest photo from my MS Journey - The Pain Behind The Beauty Project
MS had always sneaked up on me, slowly messing with my life. The bladder issues started early before my diagnosis. I would go to the bathroom and sit there waiting. I didn't understand what was happening to my body. Years after my diagnosis it really started bothering me. I wasn't just waiting longer for my bladder to work, it wasn't emptying completely. The sensation that I wanted to pee was always there. It's a pretty inconvenient thing to deal with all the time. Everywhere I went I was checking where the bathroom was before anything else. The thoughts of "what if I need to go?" or "what am I going to do?" were always there. I was living under a mental torture. Holding my pee became a burden.
My husband is an artist and we're always doing art shows or visiting art galleries. My first question to him every time we're participating in an art show is "is there a bathroom close to where we'll be?" In one of our visits to a local gallery I saw this goldfish series of paintings by the talented artist Amanda Outcalt. I knew immediately that It would be perfect to create the image I had in mind for this symptom. The fish outside of water represent how I feel while I navigate my journey. I always try to keep doing what I love, to enjoy the little moments, the mundane life and also the adventures that life brings. I want to be there for all of it and I will do anything within my power to not let MS stop me.
I used the balloon as a metaphor to represent my bladder and the idea that no matter where I go or what I'm doing I was always "holding" it.
Thankfully nowadays my bladder issue is stable. I did physical therapy and It was a life changer. Also I take medicine that helps to empty my bladder and I always do an annual check up with my Urologist.
Hold Onto
The latest photo from my MS Journey - The Pain Behind The Beauty Project
MS had always sneaked up on me, slowly messing with my life. The bladder issues started early before my diagnosis. I would go to the bathroom and sit there waiting. I didn't understand what was happening to my body. Years after my diagnosis it really started bothering me. I wasn't just waiting longer for my bladder to work, it wasn't emptying completely. The sensation that I wanted to pee was always there. It's a pretty inconvenient thing to deal with all the time. Everywhere I went I was checking where the bathroom was before anything else. The thoughts of "what if I need to go?" or "what am I going to do?" were always there. I was living under a mental torture. Holding my pee became a burden.
My husband is an artist and we're always doing art shows or visiting art galleries. My first question to him every time we're participating in an art show is "is there a bathroom close to where we'll be?" In one of our visits to a local gallery I saw this goldfish series of paintings by the talented artist Amanda Outcalt. I knew immediately that It would be perfect to create the image I had in mind for this symptom. The fish outside of water represent how I feel while I navigate my journey. I always try to keep doing what I love, to enjoy the little moments, the mundane life and also the adventures that life brings. I want to be there for all of it and I will do anything within my power to not let MS stop me.
I used the balloon as a metaphor to represent my bladder and the idea that no matter where I go or what I'm doing I was always "holding" it.
Thankfully nowadays my bladder issue is stable. I did physical therapy and It was a life changer. Also I take medicine that helps to empty my bladder and I always do an annual check up with my Urologist.