These aren’t new symptoms they come and go. I just wish I knew why. I guess I wish I knew why with a lot of MS related things. Spasticity has been bad this week. I woke up Monday morning, or I should say didn’t sleep well Sunday night from pain. I always describe the spasticity in my back as if someone was twisting my tendons and muscles like you would spaghetti onto a fork, that’s how it feels. I ended up taking a Gabapentin pill in the morning. Not sure why, another pill I’ve taken for years, but if I take it in the morning it makes me loopy. My aide gave me a massage before heading into my shower and amazingly it helped, until today. Was up all night in pain again. I can get this one in my legs or my back, but it’s normally my back. It is my only symptom of MS that causes me pain. In all honesty it is the tightness that causes a headache more then pain. It’s uncomfortable would be a better statement.

My other symptom is Spasms. I’ve had spasms in my legs when driving in traffic but that has stopped since I stopped working. I have back spasms. Another crazy symptom. I just move a certain way and it’s like a rush of heat passes through the middle of my back and then disappears. My neurologist calls it a back seizure. Sometimes when I get them it would extend to my hands and literally paralyze them for a second and then they’d release. The frequency of the spasms is what can be difficult. Luckily this week I’ve only had a few a day. Some times I could have as many as 7 an hour so you can image how disruptive that can become. It also isn’t the same movement that causes them. I have no idea what brings them on. Today it might be when I reach forward with my left hand, tomorrow may be when I bend my neck down. This week the spasms have not extended to my hands so I’m grateful for that reprieve.

I ended up not participating in any activities this week, which is ok. I know when not to push my body. Plus I’m having dinner with a friend tonight and it was more important for me to rest than push it and cancel or not feel well. I’m waiting for the MS schedule to come out telling me not to plan anything the week of October 8 because you’ll have weaknesses and spasms that week but you’ll be good on October 15th. Is that too much to ask for?