What is My MS Toolset? I have assembled a set of tools to help manage my MS. Tips, tricks, apps, checklists – anything that can make it easier to stay prepared for the unpredictable life with MS.
Before I was diagnosed with MS, I thought I did a good job of handling my life. Everything was so uncomplicated – just my wonderful husband, our adorable house, and my satisfying job. I was juggling a few plates, but I could handle it thankyouverymuch.
Then I found out I had a disease that could impact my ability to take care of myself in the future. Did I start to simplify my life? Nope. Tim and I had two little boys. So between MS and parenthood, I had officially put too many balls in the air. We had an appointment? Sorry, that reminder card must have fallen to the bottom of my overstuffed purse. The meeting is in a different room? Wow, I must have dropped that post-it. Wait a minute, you can’t pick up the boys? And you told me that three days ago? You actually expect me to remember things that you tell me?
Clearly, I needed to make a change. I couldn’t stop scheduling appointments. I had to parent those children I had brought into the world. And my husband had this crazy notion that I was supposed to be involved in family matters. It was time to say goodbye to the post-its, cards, and my addled brain as the source of my reminders. But what to do instead?
I needed a calendar.
I started with paper, but I couldn’t make it work. I have big sloppy handwriting, so I couldn’t fit my information in a teeny tiny square. If I got a calendar where I could fit more than three letters, it was too big to carry around. I’d carry a small one with me and have a big one at home, but then I’d forget to reconcile the two. The post-its came back with a vengeance.
So, how about an electronic calendar? I searched online and in my mobile app store, and quickly realized that picking a calendar was like picking a brand of shampoo. So many choices! So many options! So many prices!
Here are some questions to ask when considering an online calendar:
- How much are you willing to pay?
There are premium apps, and premium versions of apps, that you could pay to use. I would recommend starting with a free app. There are so many free apps to try that it’s worth saving some money while figuring out what features really matter to you. If you think you’re going to want all of the bells and whistles of a premium calendar, then I suggest starting with a free app that offers a premium upgrade, such as aCalendar. That way, you can try out the basic features and figure out whether you like them or not. If so, you can then decide whether the premium features would help you. If you don’t like the basic features, then you can switch to another app without wasting money.
- Will you use multiple devices?
My left hand clenches up sometimes because of my MS. I can enter information directly on my smartphone, but I’d rather use my laptop since the keys are bigger. If you want to update your calendar from someone else’s computer or access the calendar when your phone battery’s drained, then using an app that synchs with an online site is the way to go. Many of the apps sync with Google Calendar, so you could use Google Calendar on your computer to sync with many phone apps.
- Do you need to keep up with multiple schedules?
I need to keep up with a lot of schedules. I need to easily see my appointments and meetings. Tim’s teaching and performance schedule means he has an unpredictable schedule which could include weeks out of the country. Next year, J will be in middle school with trimesters, while D is finishing up elementary school with a year-round calendar. Add in different bell schedules and transportation options, and it’s a mess. Even if I didn’t have MS, my head would be spinning.
Fortunately, there are apps that can handle multiple schedules. Cozi will color code schedules to distinguish between them. Google Calendar color codes and lets you pick how many and which particular schedules are shown.
So, what did I pick?
I’m a plain and simple Google Calendar girl. After playing with a lot of apps, I realized that my biggest priority was being able to easily handle multiple schedules. I started with Cozi, but I was stuck seeing all of the schedules, including Tim’s incredibly complicated teaching schedule. With Google Calendar, Tim uses a day schedule for his work and puts his evening/weekend/out of town on a family schedule. I can look at as many schedules I want, or just limit my view to just show the schedules I need to at the time. And even though I don’t type well on my phone, it’s still easy to add a quick reminder or appointment to a calendar.
My advice? Figure out what you really need from your calendar, and use trial and error to decide which app best meets those needs.
