b'Life with MSMMyyFFiivveeWWaayyssttooFFiigguurraattiivveellyyMMaasstteerrYYoouurrMMSSKKeeyyttaakkeeaawwaayyssffrroommggrraadduuaatteesscchhoooollt ohheellppmmaannaaggeeyyoouurrddiisseeaasseetoBy Dan DigmannThere are 58 words in my graduate schoolI have kept track of these ve key takeaways. application that still make me pause and takeIn true school fashion, I will let you take a a deep breath.look at my notes from class so you can copy If I am admitted to the Master of Arts inthem down for yourself. Feel free to refer to Leadership Program, begin classes in Augustthem any time MS tests you, and think of 2023, and keep pace with the targeted completionthosetryingmomentsasbeingmorelike time of two years, I will receive my graduateopen notes kinds of quizzes. degree from Wartburg College exactly 30 years1. There is always more to learn. I already after I crossed the stage in front of Old Mainhave my masters, but the one I have was more to receive my Bachelor of Arts in 1995.for personal enrichment. What Im pursuing Everything got real when I received myis focused on professional development. acceptance letter on July 21, and it really gotLikewise, the MS landscape is ever-evolving, in my face when I received word that my rstwhether its the types of treatments available online class was scheduled to start on Aug. 28.or the way the disease is affecting our bodies, Yes, I have multiple sclerosis, but for the nextminds, emotions, and mental health. Stay two years, my MS will need to take a backseatinformed, in tune, and up-to-date. for my graduate degree. 2. All sleep matters. Getting seven to eight It has to. hours of sleep each night is recommended, I didnt let MS stand in my way when I earnedbut it doesnt always happen. My wife, Jennifer, my graduate degree in Humanities from Centraland I actually started our graduate degrees Michigan University in 2015, and I have everyin Humanities together. For the rst paper intention of working past anything MS throwswe each had to write, of course we pulled at me these next 24 months. the proverbial all-nighter. With each page As ironic as it sounds, there actually werewritten, we meticulously monitored the clock lessons I gleaned from my rst time aroundto determine whether we still could get any in graduate school that have helped me tosleep. When the final page was printed, better manage my life with MS. Seriously. we found we had 28 minutes to lay in bed msfocusmagazine.org 18'