I was talking this morning to my step sister about MS attacks or relapses if you choose. We were talking about someone undiagnosed for years therefore not on any MS disease modification medicine. I told her how lucky I was that I was quickly diagnosed but more so that way back then there was ANY medicine for MS. I strongly believe that if I wasn’t on some kind of medicine I would have been completely disabled within a window of…
I say this all the time, you can’t plan for things because you just don’t know. What doesn’t cause problems one day may be a gigantic obstacle the next day. One day you feel fine the next you can’t get out of bed. People around me always say it’s the weather or may say maybe you’re getting sick, I just know it’s the nature of the disease. A good example is when I was playing mahjong. I’ve had issues many…
Gabapentin is an anti-epileptic used to control some types of seizures in epilepsy. It is used in multiple sclerosis to control dysesthesias (pain caused by MS lesions) and the pain caused by spasticity. (As per the National Multiple Sclerosis Society) I’ve been taking this drug for years. I’ve had it in a wide range of dosages from 100mg to 600mg. Probably about 4 or more years ago my doctor started prescribing me 300mg to take daily. I took them every…
There are some days when I blog and I really have nothing to say and then there are some days, like last week, where I put up an embarrassing blog about my constipation issues with MS When the back door garbage chute isn’t working that I get a comment with a suggestion. Gary uses Nature’s Plus Oats n Honey Chewable wafers . What did I have to loose the chute wasnt working right. I placed an order for them. They…
I’ve been having such problems again going to the bathroom. This is an issue I’ve struggled with for years but continues to to get worse. Every time I think I found something that works it eventually stops working. My main problem is twofold. I can’t push and I can’t hold. Meaning I can’t get it out and if it’s coming out I can’t hold it in and I’m going to have an accident. Sorry to be so graphic but is…
So I was at my hairdresser yesterday, an appointment I never miss. I was alone with my van and wasn’t the least bit concerned. I knew I needed my walker not my scooter to go in so my aid and I had that in my car before I went. I was even prepared and got my other walker out of storage so I didn’t have to worry about bringing it back into my condo. I meet my mom at the…
I could have spent the day in bed. That’s the one thing two dogs and a nursing aid that comes early in the morning prevents. Not that my aid would mind or wouldn’t help me but my dogs would drive me crazy running between her and me. I can’t shake the exhaustion in the morning and the fatigue in the evening yet. I actually think this started from my rituxan infusion back in mid March, I believe I said I…
As the weather starts to get warmer I start to get more sluggish. It’s beautiful outside and I’m ready for a nap. Yesterday the temperature hit over 60 degrees for the first time, a gorgeous weather day but after physical therapy I was thrilled to be home. I was exhausted. Physical therapy was difficult. My therapist, knowing I hate this answer, said it’s weather changes as always the body has to adjust. Our symptoms get worse than hopefully level off…
It used to take me a long time to accept each stage of MS. Each relapse and each steroid treatment it would take time for my head to get on straight to get better. People use to tell me I was so brave but the truth is, I wasn’t, I was in denial. I tried to pretend it wasn’t happening to the outside world. To my immediate family, especially my mom, I cried and complained often. They heard it all….
I’ve been plagued with these migraines for years and years. I remember when they first started. I was driving home from a meeting and was in heavy traffic. I started to notice my right eye blocking out part of the license plate in front of me. Thankfully I was in traffic because I started freaking out. I didn’t know anything about auras at the time but I knew optic neuritis. I thought I was having the start of an MS…
