The Wait Is Finally Over

My Cervical Spine


I can now breathe a sigh of relief; I was putting off going for an MRI of my cervical post-spine and thoracic-spine because I did not want to know if lesions formed on my spine. I received the results of my and MRI and I ecstatic that I do not have any lesions and I have no sign of arthritis.

The right half of my body is slowly connecting back to the left half of my body. I am convinced my body split in half because of the stress behind the death of my mother-in-law and the extreme heat. Although I believed stress and heat was the cause of my body splitting in half. My doctor did the right thing having me take an MRI to rule out the possibility of my MS advancing to my spine. I now have a peace of mind when I suffer pain surrounding my spine area that I do not have any lesions and it is just the symptoms of MS kicking my ass for not keeping my stress in check and being in the heat too long.

My Thoracic-Spine

A Butler and A Chauffeur

Sitting in the back of a cab this morning on the way to the hospital, I thought if I ever have a big huge pile of money, I will hire a butler and chauffeur (with car) for each and every person I know with MS. OK even for people I don't know.

Wouldn't it be the answer ? Wake up in the morning to a lovely breakfast on a tray,the morning paper next to it, and a vase with a single rose. The mail on a silver tray presented by Jeeves, the butler, ( what else would he be called) .
Have an MRI that day ? No problem. The chauffeur has the car ready at the front of the house ready to go at a moment's notice. While at the hospital, all the errands are done, chores completed, and a meal prepared. Feeling hot and tired on arriving home? No worries, as a bath has been drawn and fresh clothes laid out on the bed. I could go on and on .

In fact why couldn't the insurance pay for an arrangement like that? What with all the money spent on nurses , carers, wheel trans, drugs, and doctors etc. I'm sure everybody would need less drugs and less medical care if they didn't wear out, struggling to keep themselves and their household in order . I bet if a cost comparison were done, my arrangement would be equal or even less than the current system we have, which is certainly inefficient, not to mention frustrating.

Yeah, Butler and Chauffeur is the way to go . Now if I could just win the lottery or be appointed health minister.

The MRI was a breeze I only needed to be in the machine for twenty minutes. It was a good one too with a mirror inside and music. Even though that crazy MRI is very loud it was nice to hear some Beatles playing in the background. The mirror gives the illusion of being less confined and I'm all for illusions if they help me get through a medical.

I went home after wards as I was still not feeling that good. That's the reason I splurged on a cab, to make sure I kept the appointment no matter how lousy I was feeling.

This evening I'm better so it's work for me tomorrow. If my work situation would only improve there , things would be fine. No doubt, the uncertainty only aggravates my symptoms . It's a Friday before a long weekend, so I'm hoping most of the jerks will be off.
Not much to do this evening and it's way too hot to go out . After the barbecue is done, I'm going to waste some time playing the Sims 2.

Here's a link to that show about brain trauma and the DTI scan.

Split In Half

Daughter: “Mom are you okay.”

Me: “Yes, I am okay why you ask.”

Daughter: “You do not look well and you are walking funny.”

Me: “To be honest, I feel as if I am split in half.” “I have been trying to ignore I am having problems with my right leg, but now the entire right side of my body feels different from my left.”
My daughter looks at me very hard then she says, “You know the right side of your face does look weaker than the left.” I gasp, “You are kidding me” with a straight face she said, “No I am not, that is why I asked if you are okay because you looked off to me today and you are moving around the house like you are okay, but I can tell you are not. Sit down and tell me what needs to be done, I will take care of it.”

A relief came over me because I could now tell my family how I have been feeling since we been home from Texas. I been going acting like all is well, but deep down I knew my body was going through changes. I came home from Texas anxious to get back to blogging and visiting my virtual MS blogging buddies site and my other favorite non MS blog sites that I push what was going on with my body out of my mind.

When I was in Texas during the first two weeks in July, I blamed Texas HEAT and HUMIDITY on the new affliction my body was experiencing. Not only did I have to deal with a summer cold that flared my MS, I quietly suffered with a debilitating pain that hit me in on my right side. When I would step on my right leg, a lightening bolt pain would hit me directly in the small of my back on the right side and forcibly radiate down my right leg that knocked me off balance. I could not walk, I tried to take a step again and the same thing happened. Instead of alarming my family I tearfully went to bed and prayed to God, “Please do not let MS rob me of my mobility NOW, not NOW with all that is going on with “E” he would not be able to handle this NOW. I am aware of what MS can take from me, but this is not the time. Please take what is afflicting my body right now away and while you are at it take this cold with you.”

I could not reveal what was happening to me because my family was grieving the lost of Moma Nora. I was able to hide what was happening because everyone already knew I was feeling bad from my summer cold. Fortunately, my prayer was answered the temporary lost of the use of my right leg was brief. I was happy to leave the Texas HEAT and HUMIDTY behind, but a heat wave was waiting for me when we returned to Tennessee. My summer cold and MS flare was better when I returned home and I did not experience that new affliction I experienced in Texas. I thought to myself, “It must have been the heat that caused the right side of my body to do what it did in Texas.”

Sadly, that was not the case. I cannot get angry that the new affliction my body was feeling returned because at the end of the day my prayer was answered God took it away while I was in Texas. I tried to go about my day by ignoring how painful and weak the right side of my body felt. I literally felt like two people and I still feel that way as I type this blog post. The left side of my body feels normal, I cannot say the same for my right side...imagine this:

On the right side of my body I have a headache, my eye feels lazy, my arm have a lightning bolt pain striking me above my elbow, and my back have radiating pain shooting through it. My hip has a standing sharp pain in the joint that connects my hip and leg bone, and to make matters worse, my leg feels numb as if it is being weighed down by a ton of bricks.

I start feeling this way on the third day upon my returned from Texas, I thought if I was still wearing the Fentanyl patch I probably would not be feeling none of this. That is what I LOVED about the Fentanyl patch, I did not felt ANYTHING, and I was PAIN FREE. I have been tempted to call my doctor for a prescription, but instead I have been taking Lortab 10mg to get some relief from the pain when I could no longer tolerate it.

If the networks ever have a game show on who could tolerate pain the longest before taking something for it I would probably win.

I went to see my neurologist yesterday and I am scheduled to have a MRI Tuesday of my C-Spine and T-Spine to check and see if I developed lesions on the spine. I am optimistic that my MRI will be negative and I am mentally prepared to accept the worse case scenario.

I am holding on to the belief it is the HEAT that is causing my body to temporarily split in half and the two sides will unite in harmony once this heat wave is over.

Three Strikes , You're Out !

These trees remind me of pineapples. Put them on here just to cheer me up. As I'm writing this there's a show on about DTR imaging, which can see white matter in the brain. They use it for people with concussions. I'll have to go to the website later to find out more as it seems like it might be something they could use for MS ?

I tried three times to get to work today. Got up at 6:00 a.m. and wobbled over to the bathroom, nearly fell off the toilet. Decide to go back to bed. Got up again at 7:15 still feeling odd, so I went back to bed. I must have fallen asleep because I woke from a dream around 8:30 . Got up, managed to get washed, and partly dressed. Went down to the kitchen to make tea and breakfast. Couldn't manage eating and flopped on the couch. Sipped a bit of tea and realized there was no way I was fit for work. Called up my new boss ( yeah another one) and took a sick day. I wasn't happy about it, in fact I was really down. Vegetated on the couch watching the news till my son got up. Normally when he's around I try hard to rally and cover up how lousy I feel. Couldn't do it this morning, I was so weak. I smiled at him and mentioned that there was tea. He made a couple of comments about me being home , saying it was turning into another wanker week for me( he's joking) . We sat and chatted for awhile . I stayed there all morning like that, sort of watched a movie .

Later I remembered that I had an appointment with the lawyer at 4:30 to wrap up the mortgage stuff. Spent the rest of the day trying to psyche myself to go. I did make it, yet it was touch and go and I couldn't wait to get back home. At least I did manage to make dinner . There was left over raspberry cake for dessert, which finished off the meal nicely.

Well I'm sure not off to a good start working again. Am I ?

Tomorrow is MRI day . I booked a cab as I have to be at the hospital by 7:15 a.m and considering the way I feel right now, it's the only way I'll be able to make it there.
Not looking forward to a new hospital and a different machine. If I ever get this mess sorted at work that will be it for me .No more messing around with MRI's or any other tests. I don't see the point. The question is: When will it be sorted ?

Doctor Love

Oh ! I think I'm in love with my new doctor. Well maybe it's a crush, although when he asked what could he do for me I was tempted to suggest the two of us run off together. No, instead I asked him to help me with my work situation. He agreed that a medical accommodation would be right and he will prepare a letter stating that. I'm sure my boss will hum and haw about it not being on official forms, but at least it's a start.

What a difference compared to the other neurologist who was always so rushed and preoccupied. This doctor listened to me and actually seemed interested in what I had to say. It didn't even bother me when he talked about more tests , injections, and symptoms. I even let him touch my feet and I hate having my feet touched !

No injections for me yet. I have to go for another MRI, blood tests, and another EVP. The doctor did mention that the response in my legs when he did a test was not as good as he would have liked, but said not to worry. OK doc I won't worry because I have faith in you and I love you .
Got to the lab too late for blood tests so I'm going to the hospital tomorrow to get that done
Won't the lab vampires be happy. I feel pretty good so I don't mind. Ain't love grand ?

I Am Saying No To Tysabri

I have been contemplated on trying the multiple sclerosis therapy Tysabri. I actually convinced myself I was going to have my first Tysabri infusion in September. While I was in the MRI machine August 22, I thought about how miserable I felt with the severe nausea and vomiting I've been experiencing from trying a new drug. I was also frustrated when the MRI technicians couldn’t get the IV in my veins to shoot the dye in my system for the second part of my MRI test. That was a first, they had to call a phlebotomist to insert the IV and she had trouble. My motto is if you do not get it on the second try leave me the hell alone.

My veins are gone in my arms, the surviving very small vein in my right arm is hiding and running when a needle approaches it now. The veins in my hands had start running and the ones that didn’t run when I had to have an IV inserted became inflamed to the point were I can not be stuck there again. Call me a coward, but I am not ready to have an IV needle inserted in my chest wall to receive a Tysabri infusion on a monthly basis. I am also not ready to risk possibly contracting PML and suffer the side effects that come with taking Tysabri.



Today I am saying hello to Copaxone again. My MRI’s shows stability in the scarring of my T1 and T2 area. That tells me Copaxone has been slowing the progressing of brain lesions for me. I have been taking daily shots of Copaxone for years and had become accustom to the pain and the sometime injection site reaction after taking a shot. Although some days are worse than others I prefer to stick to a MS therapy treatment that I know is working for me. My stomach, arms, thighs, and hips have enjoyed not being stuck everyday for the last thirty days, but a girl has to do what girl has to do.