Thursday, October 27, 2011
Really?! You Have Got To Be Kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!
SNOW?!?!?! I am tired of precipitation. I am so tired of rain! I even stopped carrying an umbrella. It seems like wet hair, wet jackets, wet clothes and wet shoes have become an everyday reality for MONTHS! Now the weather forecasters are calling for SNOW! Ugh! I give up! I can honestly say.....I look forward to a nice drought year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Wow! It's Been Awhile! This Might Be Why.......
Wow! It has been over a year since I last posted. It's honestly hard to believe it has been that long! When I think about it, it makes sense. I last posted in August 2010. The end of summer ran directly into the chaos of school starting which was followed by an ill Fall for myself.
The beginning of September my world began to feel, well....crooked. An extremely odd feeling of motion (when nothing was moving) along with a feeling of constantly being on my side (even when standing) became a constant for me. It was a bizarre feeling which created a sense of panic. The doctors thought it was vertigo due to a possible disturbance in my inner ear. The thought was it should pass within two weeks. Two weeks later the same feeling remained. A follow-up appointment led me to an MRI which found lesions on my brain which matched the pattern of MS (Multiple Sclerosis). A spinal-tap backed-up the finding of the MRI. A second MRI, 3 months after the first, found new lesions. On December 29, 2010 I received a positive diagnosis of MS.
I've stumbled over my right foot multiple times over the years. I just assumed it was because I'm not exactly a coordinated person. The tingling sensation in my right leg, located ONLY on the inner, front side ONLY from my knee to my ankle....a pinched nerve.....right? Occasional weakness in my hands? I'm a busy mom of 3. I'm TIRED. No......all signs of MS that I overlooked and excused away. Then again, as I stated before......I'm BUSY! I never gave these "symptoms" much thought, it was just the normal life of a busy, working mom.
After diagnosis came the treatment decisions. I chose Avonex. It's a once a week inter-muscular (IM) injection. I chose Avonex due to it's proven 15+ years on the market, I had the ability to speak with patients who have used this drug and "liked" it and it only needs administered once-a-week. The downside to all MS medications.......side effects and injections. I learned how to inject the medication myself. Almost a year later I still DREAD the task. I inject on Friday evenings so the flu-like symptom side effects do not interfere with working. Unfortunately, that means FUN Friday nights are out and Saturday AM is spent in a fog. Ugh!
So......it has been a year since the "craziness" began, 10 months since the diagnosis and 9 months since treatment began. Here is what I have learned.....
Needles, no matter how many times you use them, are NEVER fun.
Just the sight of a sharps container can bring on sudden nausea.
I have an AMAZING support system in my family and friends...they are there to back me up when the world gets a little *ahem* sideways.
As a mom of 3.....I HAVE NO TIME FOR MS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The beginning of September my world began to feel, well....crooked. An extremely odd feeling of motion (when nothing was moving) along with a feeling of constantly being on my side (even when standing) became a constant for me. It was a bizarre feeling which created a sense of panic. The doctors thought it was vertigo due to a possible disturbance in my inner ear. The thought was it should pass within two weeks. Two weeks later the same feeling remained. A follow-up appointment led me to an MRI which found lesions on my brain which matched the pattern of MS (Multiple Sclerosis). A spinal-tap backed-up the finding of the MRI. A second MRI, 3 months after the first, found new lesions. On December 29, 2010 I received a positive diagnosis of MS.
I've stumbled over my right foot multiple times over the years. I just assumed it was because I'm not exactly a coordinated person. The tingling sensation in my right leg, located ONLY on the inner, front side ONLY from my knee to my ankle....a pinched nerve.....right? Occasional weakness in my hands? I'm a busy mom of 3. I'm TIRED. No......all signs of MS that I overlooked and excused away. Then again, as I stated before......I'm BUSY! I never gave these "symptoms" much thought, it was just the normal life of a busy, working mom.
After diagnosis came the treatment decisions. I chose Avonex. It's a once a week inter-muscular (IM) injection. I chose Avonex due to it's proven 15+ years on the market, I had the ability to speak with patients who have used this drug and "liked" it and it only needs administered once-a-week. The downside to all MS medications.......side effects and injections. I learned how to inject the medication myself. Almost a year later I still DREAD the task. I inject on Friday evenings so the flu-like symptom side effects do not interfere with working. Unfortunately, that means FUN Friday nights are out and Saturday AM is spent in a fog. Ugh!
So......it has been a year since the "craziness" began, 10 months since the diagnosis and 9 months since treatment began. Here is what I have learned.....
Needles, no matter how many times you use them, are NEVER fun.
Just the sight of a sharps container can bring on sudden nausea.
I have an AMAZING support system in my family and friends...they are there to back me up when the world gets a little *ahem* sideways.
As a mom of 3.....I HAVE NO TIME FOR MS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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