Well, as I say, I don’t follow the advice anyway! I certainly wouldn’t be without caffeine, so although I’ve made some effort to cut down, especially in the evenings, as I’m usually wakened at night by the need to go, I can’t and won’t cut it out altogether.
I feel I have few vices, and few small treats in life. Coffee is one of them, so I’m determined MS is not going to rob me of it!
The advice is not absolute - obviously, it depends on the person. Most of us still want to live as normal a life as possible, and not give up every small indulgence, so we have to learn the gentle art of compromise.
I think the advice generally is to try cutting down, to see if it makes a difference. If it does, then some people might want to go the whole hog, and eliminate caffeine altogether, but that’s very much a personal choice. It depends which is the greater sacrifice - foregoing the coffee, or living with the consequences! I’m sure I will never succeed in giving up completely, and I wouldn’t want to. I’ve tried decaf, and hate it. Alcohol is also unlikely to go, whether it’s bad for me or not - I don’t want to spend the rest of my life avoiding things I’ve always enjoyed, as it chips away at morale.
So I think moderation is the key. Continue to have what you can get away with, but cut down if you know it’s making you worse. Nobody can force you.
I’m sure you will be fine telling the doctor! If you’ve already had a baby, there can’t be very many secrets left!
I don’t have children, so when I first started having symptoms, I’d barely if ever undressed in front of a doctor (don’t worry - it’s unlikely you’ll have to undress for this), and never had so much as a blood test in my life.
Next minute, I’ve lost count of the blood tests, and am having to explain to a strange man (from another culture, too, as it happens) that I can’t feel my vagina!
So really, you get used to just blurting it out. They are professionals - they shouldn’t have a problem. IF they do, it’s exactly that - their problem. Never feel bad about telling a doctor something isn’t working right.
Tina
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