I live with a disease that worsens with stress. I 'lean out' when I can, but I can't avoid it all.

The author says stress often worsens symptoms that have been at bay for months.

Courtesy of Lindsay Karp I have multiple sclerosis, and unfortunately, my symptoms worsen with stress.

Whether acute or persistent, the effect stress has on my body is undeniable.

While I try to avoid it, it's impossible to eliminate altogether.

In 2019, when my son's preschool director called and said, "I think you need to take him to the ER," the phone slid through my limp hands before I caught it.

"Is he OK?" I asked frantically, my voice equally as shaky as the rest of my body.

"He's bleeding.

You should come now." Worsening under stress when I need to function most is a cruel consequence of living with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Sitting is the only way to relieve my shaky legs, but I had no time to rest.

Getting into the car, ignoring the flare that had already begun spreading through my body like wildfire, adrenaline was my only hope.

Over the next hour — through picking up my injured 4-year-old, witnessing the deep gash in his forehead, and driving to the hospital with legs devoid of energy — my nervous system collapsed from the weight of fear.

My symptoms worsen with stress Stress can flare symptoms that have been at bay for months in mere moments, and it can take days or weeks to return to baseline.

Sometimes, persistent stress causes a more gradual decline.

In December of 2015, my husband and I scheduled a much-needed vacation without our children.