Well, I have an MRI scheduled for Saturday morning, bright and early.
My neurologist was very kind and immediately got the ball rolling to get it scheduled, which I really appreciate considering the fact that he has only met me one time and he wasn't my diagnosing physician.
That being said, I am still hopeful that I am somehow very wrong and this is due to my pregnancy - but according to him, that usually happens because of weight gain and water retention, and neither of those things have really happened to me yet.
I am not gaining enough weight for my pregnancy. I know I am very stressed out, and I am worried about what that might do to the baby. I read that it can cause behavioral abnormalities and even possibly autism - it's just terrifying to think that even without smoking or drinking I could mess my kid up before they even get here.
Le sigh. But a doppler is coming tomorrow in the mail, so when I get to bug my squishy and hear the heartbeat, I will try to upload a quick mp3 file!
I did a lot of reading today on what drugs might be viable during pregnancy. I know Copaxone is, but I am not at all wanting something I have to inject if I don't absolutely have to. I know Solumedrol is a viable treatment for relapses during pregnancy, but it makes me feel so damned lousy; my neurologist said that many pregnant women decide not to be treated if they have a relapse. I don't know what that might mean, considering the last time I was treated during a relapse, my lesions still tripled in size, I had terrible issues with word finding, optic neuritis, dizziness, and L'Hermitte's Sign.
For kicks, I read about Acthar, as that seemed to do the trick last time, but read that it is known to be "Embryocidal." WOW. What a freakin' word. Definitely not doing that one while I'm pregnant.
I will give another update if I get my doppler tomorrow, otherwise probably not until after my MRI on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed that I'm wrong and the MS is still sleeping!
MSloan
'I may have a chronic illness, but I am not sick. My brain just has a self-destruct button.' A young woman with MS.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
And it goes around and around and around -
Labels:
acthar,
dealing with it,
demyelination,
doctors,
embryocidal,
freaking out,
I think I have MS,
infusion,
lesion growth,
lhermittes sign,
MS,
ms and pregnancy,
multiple sclerosis,
side effects,
tingling,
toes
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
T Minus...
I'm giving it until Friday to see if things improve. T
here is no way this is just pregnancy; it feels too much like the first time, though less severe, which is a good thing I think. I can still walk, but I definitely feel more unsteady, despite the fact that my legs feel fairly normal. The numbness is moving around my feet throughout the day; at night, it's the worst, waking me up and making me panic. In the morning, after walking around, I feel ok and barely notice the numbness. By noon, it's starting to bother me again, ebbing and flowing.
Now it's about 8:15, I have had a very rough day at work, my crazy mother was set off again today and I'm getting hate mail, and my feet feel very funny.
Here's to hoping I can feel them by Friday. If I can't, I will have no choice but to call my neurologist.
And I knew when I went to bed on Monday that my toe felt funny.
MSloan
here is no way this is just pregnancy; it feels too much like the first time, though less severe, which is a good thing I think. I can still walk, but I definitely feel more unsteady, despite the fact that my legs feel fairly normal. The numbness is moving around my feet throughout the day; at night, it's the worst, waking me up and making me panic. In the morning, after walking around, I feel ok and barely notice the numbness. By noon, it's starting to bother me again, ebbing and flowing.
Now it's about 8:15, I have had a very rough day at work, my crazy mother was set off again today and I'm getting hate mail, and my feet feel very funny.
Here's to hoping I can feel them by Friday. If I can't, I will have no choice but to call my neurologist.
And I knew when I went to bed on Monday that my toe felt funny.
MSloan
Labels:
anxiety,
dealing with it,
I think I have MS,
intravenous medication,
MS,
ms medications,
MS symptoms,
multiple sclerosis,
nervous as hell,
pregnancy,
tingling,
toes,
treatment options,
weird,
what to do
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Relapse?
Hey all. Today has been an interesting day.
After making such a big, stinking deal of being happy that being pregnant reduces MS relapses, I seem to have forgotten the operative word:
REDUCES.
It doesn't eliminate relapses, and I woke up this morning with no feeling in my left toes, and none in my right big toe. I don't know if this is my MS or if it's somehow related to my pregnancy, but I feel like an idiot!
More updates to come - Love all!
After making such a big, stinking deal of being happy that being pregnant reduces MS relapses, I seem to have forgotten the operative word:
REDUCES.
It doesn't eliminate relapses, and I woke up this morning with no feeling in my left toes, and none in my right big toe. I don't know if this is my MS or if it's somehow related to my pregnancy, but I feel like an idiot!
More updates to come - Love all!
Monday, October 19, 2015
Chat MS: October 19th, 2015
Hello, readers!
I have really enjoyed participating in Twitter's "Chat MS," happening on Monday nights at 7 EST. Because I am on the West coast, this is going to become increasingly difficult for me, as it begins while I am still at work and it was only by chance that I could participate this evening. So, to keep the conversation going, I am going to make it a weekly regiment to post the questions from Chat MS every Monday evening and welcome anyone to answer them in the comments. By talking about the issues, we can make progress!
Let's get started! This week's theme was Women with MS.
Q1: For approximately every 1 male, 3 females get diagnosed with MS. How does this make you feel?
I have always known that multiple sclerosis was more common in women, but it really does feel like a woman's disease. I have met many women with MS and only a handful of men, and that is likely because I am a healthcare provider. Though despite the higher numbers of women with the disease, it seems to be much more severe in men. No disease is truly sexually exclusive, but it would not surprise me if one day we only considered MS a women's ailment, as it is more likely we would find the genetic markers that make those few men more susceptible.
Q2: 86% of women are diagnosed with MS b/w the ages of 16 and 40. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
I was officially diagnosed with MS at 25, after I woke up one morning and my left leg was completely numb, and my right toes were as well. Though this major problem forced me to come into the emergency room and finally get an answer, I had been dealing with symptoms as early as December of 2009. I describe this time in my life as, 'when I got sick.' I went into remission for several years until the episode that brought me to the hospital, though in retrospect I had warnings something was happening in January with frequent MS hugs that I thought was persistent food poisoning; the leg went numb at the end of February.
Q3: When you were diagnosed, did you have children? If yes, what were the challenges you faced?
I did not - and I was terrified that it might me I couldn't have children. I am in a religious union with my husband, who comes from a large family and always wanted kids. I was always on the fence. But now, I had a choice to make. I had always intended that a year after I graduated with my doctorate, that I would secretly go off the pill and let nature take its course. That was no longer an option with my MS, since the medications I was taking to stay in remission were not pregnancy safe. We were very fortunate, however, that when I stopped the Gilenya I didn't relapse, and we got pregnant just outside of the 2 month safety window of stopping the drug. I am 13 weeks pregnant, and so far things are going well!
Q4: If you do not have children, do you wish to have any in the future? What are your fears being a mom with MS?
Can't take it back now :), but of course there are fears. I am afraid I will not have the energy to keep up with my children. I am afraid I will have a flare and my children will end up taking care of me before my time, and that has always been my reservation about having kids; I am in general a sick person, always have been, first as a child and now as an adult with this chronic illness. It is not impossible that I could wake up one day and have a major problem, or lose my ability to do something I used to take for granted - like walking, running, staying balanced, doing yoga, or even feeling my appendages. I worry I could lose my sight. I worry about my cognition. But I don't worry that my kids might have MS - it is not highly likely to be passed down genetically, and think of it this way: If I chose to adopt instead, and then had a child who had MS, wouldn't that be a kick in the ass? Shit happens.
Q5: Studies suggest that being pregnant with MS relieves symptoms. Has anyone noticed this?
Yes, though part of that might be the placebo effect of being pregnant as well, because that's common MS knowledge - - I have to admit though, pregnancy comes with its own set of strange issues. I can't sleep, and am very tired, but not "MS Tired." I can't feel my arms and my fingers are tingly, but that might be because of the carpal tunnel and pinched nerves in my back because my breasts have gotten enormous. I have restless leg syndrome, but it doesn't feel like the weirdness of MS. Time will tell, I guess.
Q6: Women with MS say symptoms get worse around their periods. What symptoms worsen for you during that time of the month?
Hell. Yes. I hate that some people really don't think there's a connection. These are the same people who don't believe there is a connection between menstruation and migraines. STUPID. My first major flare happened in the middle of my period. To this day, my biggest symptoms that hit around my period are severe fatigue and nausea. Oh, the nausea. No one believed me that the nausea was because of my MS, but I never felt nausea like that until 2010. I was certain something was terribly wrong with me and no one listened. Nausea is not just a symptom because you get dizzy - I am certain this is tied to the same phenomenon that causes MS Hugs. Which are poorly named.
Q7: Do you take any meds to help you deal with symptoms during your menstrual cycle?
Dude. Chocolate. And Excedrin. I need the tylenol/aspirin/caffeine mix. But other than that, it's a wait it out system, and I pray I don't have a flare. I hadn't because I was on the Gilenya, but once baby comes, I am scared of what might happen.
Q8: Women say symptoms like fatigue and bladder issues feel worse during menopause. Have you experienced this?
Whoa there, nelly. I'm only 27. Let's take childbirth first, ok?
Alright, everyone! Your turn! Love to all, please comment, keep the conversation going - feel free to copy/paste the questions to your own blog and keep spreading the word!
Love all - Margo :)
I have really enjoyed participating in Twitter's "Chat MS," happening on Monday nights at 7 EST. Because I am on the West coast, this is going to become increasingly difficult for me, as it begins while I am still at work and it was only by chance that I could participate this evening. So, to keep the conversation going, I am going to make it a weekly regiment to post the questions from Chat MS every Monday evening and welcome anyone to answer them in the comments. By talking about the issues, we can make progress!
Let's get started! This week's theme was Women with MS.
Q1: For approximately every 1 male, 3 females get diagnosed with MS. How does this make you feel?
I have always known that multiple sclerosis was more common in women, but it really does feel like a woman's disease. I have met many women with MS and only a handful of men, and that is likely because I am a healthcare provider. Though despite the higher numbers of women with the disease, it seems to be much more severe in men. No disease is truly sexually exclusive, but it would not surprise me if one day we only considered MS a women's ailment, as it is more likely we would find the genetic markers that make those few men more susceptible.
Q2: 86% of women are diagnosed with MS b/w the ages of 16 and 40. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
I was officially diagnosed with MS at 25, after I woke up one morning and my left leg was completely numb, and my right toes were as well. Though this major problem forced me to come into the emergency room and finally get an answer, I had been dealing with symptoms as early as December of 2009. I describe this time in my life as, 'when I got sick.' I went into remission for several years until the episode that brought me to the hospital, though in retrospect I had warnings something was happening in January with frequent MS hugs that I thought was persistent food poisoning; the leg went numb at the end of February.
Q3: When you were diagnosed, did you have children? If yes, what were the challenges you faced?
I did not - and I was terrified that it might me I couldn't have children. I am in a religious union with my husband, who comes from a large family and always wanted kids. I was always on the fence. But now, I had a choice to make. I had always intended that a year after I graduated with my doctorate, that I would secretly go off the pill and let nature take its course. That was no longer an option with my MS, since the medications I was taking to stay in remission were not pregnancy safe. We were very fortunate, however, that when I stopped the Gilenya I didn't relapse, and we got pregnant just outside of the 2 month safety window of stopping the drug. I am 13 weeks pregnant, and so far things are going well!
Q4: If you do not have children, do you wish to have any in the future? What are your fears being a mom with MS?
Can't take it back now :), but of course there are fears. I am afraid I will not have the energy to keep up with my children. I am afraid I will have a flare and my children will end up taking care of me before my time, and that has always been my reservation about having kids; I am in general a sick person, always have been, first as a child and now as an adult with this chronic illness. It is not impossible that I could wake up one day and have a major problem, or lose my ability to do something I used to take for granted - like walking, running, staying balanced, doing yoga, or even feeling my appendages. I worry I could lose my sight. I worry about my cognition. But I don't worry that my kids might have MS - it is not highly likely to be passed down genetically, and think of it this way: If I chose to adopt instead, and then had a child who had MS, wouldn't that be a kick in the ass? Shit happens.
Q5: Studies suggest that being pregnant with MS relieves symptoms. Has anyone noticed this?
Yes, though part of that might be the placebo effect of being pregnant as well, because that's common MS knowledge - - I have to admit though, pregnancy comes with its own set of strange issues. I can't sleep, and am very tired, but not "MS Tired." I can't feel my arms and my fingers are tingly, but that might be because of the carpal tunnel and pinched nerves in my back because my breasts have gotten enormous. I have restless leg syndrome, but it doesn't feel like the weirdness of MS. Time will tell, I guess.
Q6: Women with MS say symptoms get worse around their periods. What symptoms worsen for you during that time of the month?
Hell. Yes. I hate that some people really don't think there's a connection. These are the same people who don't believe there is a connection between menstruation and migraines. STUPID. My first major flare happened in the middle of my period. To this day, my biggest symptoms that hit around my period are severe fatigue and nausea. Oh, the nausea. No one believed me that the nausea was because of my MS, but I never felt nausea like that until 2010. I was certain something was terribly wrong with me and no one listened. Nausea is not just a symptom because you get dizzy - I am certain this is tied to the same phenomenon that causes MS Hugs. Which are poorly named.
Q7: Do you take any meds to help you deal with symptoms during your menstrual cycle?
Dude. Chocolate. And Excedrin. I need the tylenol/aspirin/caffeine mix. But other than that, it's a wait it out system, and I pray I don't have a flare. I hadn't because I was on the Gilenya, but once baby comes, I am scared of what might happen.
Q8: Women say symptoms like fatigue and bladder issues feel worse during menopause. Have you experienced this?
Whoa there, nelly. I'm only 27. Let's take childbirth first, ok?
Alright, everyone! Your turn! Love to all, please comment, keep the conversation going - feel free to copy/paste the questions to your own blog and keep spreading the word!
Love all - Margo :)
Labels:
chatMS,
dealing with it,
diagnosis,
first trimester,
freaking out,
I think I have MS,
lesions,
MS,
MS symptoms,
multiple sclerosis,
nervous as hell,
pregnancy,
questions,
real life experience,
twitter
Monday, October 12, 2015
#ChatMS
I just participated in my first Twitter #ChatMS - it was excellent! I feel so much more connected to the blogosphere/intersphere of people who have MS across the country and around the world. It's so great getting to know all of you as we share in this journey together.
I haven't had much reason to post lately because my MS is essentially on hiatus while I go through pregnancy - - SO why not post things about pregnancy? WHY NOT, I SAY!
So the next post will be the progress on Squishy thus far. Love to all! And thank you for participating, you make me brave!
Miss Sloan :)
twitter.com/revelwoman
I haven't had much reason to post lately because my MS is essentially on hiatus while I go through pregnancy - - SO why not post things about pregnancy? WHY NOT, I SAY!
So the next post will be the progress on Squishy thus far. Love to all! And thank you for participating, you make me brave!
Miss Sloan :)
twitter.com/revelwoman
Thursday, August 27, 2015
My, how things have changed...
It has been a strange last few months.
Can you all keep a secret?
In May, I went off my medications. I stopped taking Gilenya, the Lexapro. I didn't have side effects coming off the Gilenya - so that's great news for any users out there, no withdrawal symptoms. The Lexapro was another story. As a seratonin uptake inhibitor, it can really affect a number of systems all at once because of withdrawal alone. So I weaned.
Oh.. but weaning is so hard. I broke my pills in half and took then every other day for weeks. When I finally stopped taking them, I got bad sweats, terrible dizziness, disorientation, overall feeling of 'ickiness' and felt my anxiety coming back like a freight train. It's worse now than it's been since I started the pills, which I guess is a great sign that they were working, but in any case it's important to note that side effects with certain drugs only happen when you stop the medications (that is, unless my high cholesterol really was from the Lexapro to begin with).
I went off the Lexapro for a few reasons, and I want to see what happens to my cholesterol when I take another blood test next week. I have been spending so much time at the lab in Kaiser that they all know me there. It's that sad, haha, but I would rather be known in the lab than in the infusion center for MS steroids. GROSS SOLLY HEADACHE.
Well, I might as well get to the point then, shall we?
A little over a week ago, I took a few days off work. I was staying at home to get some mental health time in as I was continually feeling exhausted at work and was worrying that I might be on the precipice of a flare. I really needed some time to myself and to think. But on my first day of my little vacation, I took a pregnancy test.
:)
It turns out that we are expecting, though the whole experience so far has been more than a little nerve-wracking. I have been spotting for a coupe of weeks and was very concerned - this is why I keep going to the lab. Nothing at this point is certain. Well, except for the fact that my B cup breasts have doubled in size and I've gained 10 pounds - and the exhaustion and hot flashes are just nightmarish, let me tell ya. However I feel immune to a lot of the nausea because of my MS, and otherwise am feeling well enough to go to work and get things done as usual. The biggest disruption thus far has been my hormones making me super touchy - the strained relationship I have with mom is only that much worse with this kind of news.
I really want to tell her - but I'm worried at the same time, because I need her to be supportive and happy and I am not sure she is capable of that. Which is such a sad thought. I have worked so hard to make my family happy and have not succeeded.
I am tired and she is, of course, berating me over email about the same old thing. I guess she won't find out today that she will (most likely) be a grandmother in April.
Love to all, please send prayers and good thoughts, and keep it to yourself :)
Margo
Can you all keep a secret?
In May, I went off my medications. I stopped taking Gilenya, the Lexapro. I didn't have side effects coming off the Gilenya - so that's great news for any users out there, no withdrawal symptoms. The Lexapro was another story. As a seratonin uptake inhibitor, it can really affect a number of systems all at once because of withdrawal alone. So I weaned.
Oh.. but weaning is so hard. I broke my pills in half and took then every other day for weeks. When I finally stopped taking them, I got bad sweats, terrible dizziness, disorientation, overall feeling of 'ickiness' and felt my anxiety coming back like a freight train. It's worse now than it's been since I started the pills, which I guess is a great sign that they were working, but in any case it's important to note that side effects with certain drugs only happen when you stop the medications (that is, unless my high cholesterol really was from the Lexapro to begin with).
I went off the Lexapro for a few reasons, and I want to see what happens to my cholesterol when I take another blood test next week. I have been spending so much time at the lab in Kaiser that they all know me there. It's that sad, haha, but I would rather be known in the lab than in the infusion center for MS steroids. GROSS SOLLY HEADACHE.
Well, I might as well get to the point then, shall we?
A little over a week ago, I took a few days off work. I was staying at home to get some mental health time in as I was continually feeling exhausted at work and was worrying that I might be on the precipice of a flare. I really needed some time to myself and to think. But on my first day of my little vacation, I took a pregnancy test.
:)
It turns out that we are expecting, though the whole experience so far has been more than a little nerve-wracking. I have been spotting for a coupe of weeks and was very concerned - this is why I keep going to the lab. Nothing at this point is certain. Well, except for the fact that my B cup breasts have doubled in size and I've gained 10 pounds - and the exhaustion and hot flashes are just nightmarish, let me tell ya. However I feel immune to a lot of the nausea because of my MS, and otherwise am feeling well enough to go to work and get things done as usual. The biggest disruption thus far has been my hormones making me super touchy - the strained relationship I have with mom is only that much worse with this kind of news.
I really want to tell her - but I'm worried at the same time, because I need her to be supportive and happy and I am not sure she is capable of that. Which is such a sad thought. I have worked so hard to make my family happy and have not succeeded.
I am tired and she is, of course, berating me over email about the same old thing. I guess she won't find out today that she will (most likely) be a grandmother in April.
Love to all, please send prayers and good thoughts, and keep it to yourself :)
Margo
Friday, June 5, 2015
A Changing World
Hello again, all. I hope this finds you all well!
In a blog like this, one that follows my medical progress, I don't find it necessary to continuously post when nothing exciting is happening. But, since I do have so much experience with the medical aspect of the disease, I should contribute when I can.
I recently had a string of blood tests done to check in on my overall health. Knock on wood, unlike a few months ago, I do not have constant stomach pain which might just mean the "MS hug hell" that I was experiencing daily might be finally subsiding. I know a surgeon just couldn't WAIT to rip out my gall bladder for being a few points below par, but as there were no gallstones, I didn't understand why he would want to remove it. He said there is no cure or treatment for the problem that he found - but if that really were true, why did a small diet change make such a big difference?
Hmm, my brain tells me, hmm indeed!
The blood tests showed that my cholesterol was absolutely through the ROOF and my iron was through the FLOOR. Aye-yay-yay. Tons of fun. I believe that my cholesterol shot up with my anti-depressant; my doctor told me that hyperlipidemia only occurs in about 1% of people - I wanted to tell her, "Come on, lady, I have a disease only 2.5 million people worldwide have, and you think I'm concerned about your measly statistical 1%? Clearly with my activity level, body type, genetics and diet I should not have a cholesterol reading of 244!"
The point I'm making is: I wish my doctors were worried about my symptoms like I was. When Kaiser kicks back a test result to my email address and I check it, and it clearly is shown as an abnormal finding, why don't you address that with me? Why not tell me why you are NOT concerned about it, for the love of Pete? I don't know if my doctor knows that I can see all those results before she does, but it makes me crazy.
As a medical provider, I do whatever I can to relieve my patient's concerns by expressing to them everything I am looking at and why, so if I find something abnormal, I can tell them why it might be worth looking out for or worth ignoring. I am a firm believer that people are in charge of their OWN health care - and therefore have to be informed enough to know what's going on where. I met someone recently who has had symptoms of chronic Lyme Disease for almost 20 years (and yes, it does exist, morons out there who think it doesn't) and never understood why everything sounded crazy loud all of a sudden. No one even bothered trying to explain what the disease might do to her over time and why.
I mean, I know I can call my neurologist for answers if I really get scared, but doctors are not omnipotent. Really, they aren't. Every doctor is different. You know what they call the last guy in the class in graduate school? Doctor. Idiots can get through credentialing, too. I feel like I shouldn't have to pull teeth to get answers and comfort. My PA at the neurologist's office as well as the head nurse gave me so much more than the doctor ever did - it's ludicrous how hard it can be to understand our own conditions.
The truth is, the future of MS scares the pants off me. I don't know what to expect when I wake up in the morning. Am I going to be dizzy today? Am I going to be able to taste? Will I be able to feel all my appendages, or will the third toe on my left foot be numb again today? Hard to say, because it changes all the time.
I know that it is as likely as not that I will never have a major flare again. It's a great dream. But I also know that my luck is just not that good when it comes to my health (bummer!) and I often learn things through my own health experiences that allow me to understand and be a more empathetic person in general. It is my own form of service.
With that in mind, I am going to post a great video about service - and a woman who has had MS for some time and how she relies on those around her to do the simple task of getting her in bed every night.
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-05-003-lift?lang=eng
Love to all -
In a blog like this, one that follows my medical progress, I don't find it necessary to continuously post when nothing exciting is happening. But, since I do have so much experience with the medical aspect of the disease, I should contribute when I can.
I recently had a string of blood tests done to check in on my overall health. Knock on wood, unlike a few months ago, I do not have constant stomach pain which might just mean the "MS hug hell" that I was experiencing daily might be finally subsiding. I know a surgeon just couldn't WAIT to rip out my gall bladder for being a few points below par, but as there were no gallstones, I didn't understand why he would want to remove it. He said there is no cure or treatment for the problem that he found - but if that really were true, why did a small diet change make such a big difference?
Hmm, my brain tells me, hmm indeed!
The blood tests showed that my cholesterol was absolutely through the ROOF and my iron was through the FLOOR. Aye-yay-yay. Tons of fun. I believe that my cholesterol shot up with my anti-depressant; my doctor told me that hyperlipidemia only occurs in about 1% of people - I wanted to tell her, "Come on, lady, I have a disease only 2.5 million people worldwide have, and you think I'm concerned about your measly statistical 1%? Clearly with my activity level, body type, genetics and diet I should not have a cholesterol reading of 244!"
The point I'm making is: I wish my doctors were worried about my symptoms like I was. When Kaiser kicks back a test result to my email address and I check it, and it clearly is shown as an abnormal finding, why don't you address that with me? Why not tell me why you are NOT concerned about it, for the love of Pete? I don't know if my doctor knows that I can see all those results before she does, but it makes me crazy.
As a medical provider, I do whatever I can to relieve my patient's concerns by expressing to them everything I am looking at and why, so if I find something abnormal, I can tell them why it might be worth looking out for or worth ignoring. I am a firm believer that people are in charge of their OWN health care - and therefore have to be informed enough to know what's going on where. I met someone recently who has had symptoms of chronic Lyme Disease for almost 20 years (and yes, it does exist, morons out there who think it doesn't) and never understood why everything sounded crazy loud all of a sudden. No one even bothered trying to explain what the disease might do to her over time and why.
I mean, I know I can call my neurologist for answers if I really get scared, but doctors are not omnipotent. Really, they aren't. Every doctor is different. You know what they call the last guy in the class in graduate school? Doctor. Idiots can get through credentialing, too. I feel like I shouldn't have to pull teeth to get answers and comfort. My PA at the neurologist's office as well as the head nurse gave me so much more than the doctor ever did - it's ludicrous how hard it can be to understand our own conditions.
The truth is, the future of MS scares the pants off me. I don't know what to expect when I wake up in the morning. Am I going to be dizzy today? Am I going to be able to taste? Will I be able to feel all my appendages, or will the third toe on my left foot be numb again today? Hard to say, because it changes all the time.
I know that it is as likely as not that I will never have a major flare again. It's a great dream. But I also know that my luck is just not that good when it comes to my health (bummer!) and I often learn things through my own health experiences that allow me to understand and be a more empathetic person in general. It is my own form of service.
With that in mind, I am going to post a great video about service - and a woman who has had MS for some time and how she relies on those around her to do the simple task of getting her in bed every night.
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-05-003-lift?lang=eng
Love to all -
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)