I'm watching the NCAA Tournament, and I'm watching a feature on Siena's Kenny Hansbrouck and his dad, who has MS. I was glad when they won their first round game, and I am going to be cheering like crazy for them in round 2.

Even though I'm doing a lot better than many people with MS, I still have to deal with the ugliness of this disease. Today's word is constipation. I warned you folks, this disease ain't pretty. It presents a cruel dilemma: on the one hand, drinking plenty of fluids can help you prevent dealing with constipation. But MS also likes to play with your bladder, too, which can make you hesistant to keep pouring liquids into this quirky body part. So which is better...wetting your pants or having cramps, noises, and smells?

So now the emergency kits has a new addition. I've got the spare pants for the bladder issues, and the laxatives for the bowel. Since it's a weekend, I read up on the MS Society site for ideas on which ones to try.

I know, I know - this is not a pleasant topic. But when you're talking about MS, not many topics are.

Having MS can make routine tests turn into a double-edged sword. I had a colonoscopy last week, and while one of the doctors was explaining the procedure to me, he mentioned that it could lead to a flare-up of my symptoms. I didn't think much about it at the time, but I did remember those words a few days later as I was dealing with some major fatigue. I had wondered why my right leg had been feeling bad, and I wondered why I was so tired even though I had a good night's sleep and a morning nap. When I remembered that doctor's words, I understood.

The colonoscopy is one of those tests you have to prep for, too. I was on a liquid diet the day before the test and had to chug a solution the night before and morning of so that I would practically live in the bathroom. But that part of the prep was a piece of cake. The worst part? No blood thinners for three days before the test, which meant no ibuprofen on one of my shot days. I had to deal with the side effects of the Rebif that night, which was not pleasant.