Another Relapse

Saturday, November 27th, Casey, the kids and I had just got home from being gone all day.  We had a great week hanging out with our parents (his and mine).  Thanksgiving and the next day were pretty difficult with Brooke getting the stomach virus, but she was a trooper.  Anyway, Casey and I got in bed and man, did it feel good!  I noticed that my feet were tingling, but we had been running around all day.  So, I didn't think anything of it.  Sunday morning when I woke up the feeling was still there and now my legs, especially the right one, were feeling that way too.  Throughout the day the tingling, pins and needle and numbness got worse.  I was having a relapse of my MS.  Monday I went through "fix it" mode.  I thought maybe I could take some steroid pills that I had at home and knock this out.  Then it came time for me to drive home from work.  I took my foot off the gas pedal to press the brake, but wait.....!!!!....my car isn't stopping!!!!  I looked down and I was pressing down on the floor!  I hurried and stomped on the brake with my left foot causing everything in my car, including myself, to be thrown forward.  Thankfully, there wasn't anyone behind me and I started the whole stopping process way before I got to the light in front of me.  My heart was racing and I was shaking.  That was my wake up call telling me that this was serious and that after I got home I wouldn't drive anymore until I was better. 

My legs and feet have been numb as if they have "fallen asleep".  It feels that way all the time and walking makes it worse.  Imagine the feeling you get when your foot falls asleep.  It tingles and when you step the pins and needles feel like they are going up through your feet into your legs.  My right leg has become weak making it difficult to walk.  Using a cane has helped pick up the slack in my right leg and in balancing me.  I also did a steroid pack and had an IV of steroids for 3 days.  I'm starting to notice that my walk is getting a little better.  It's been 3 weeks since this has started and a week since I've finished the steroids.  Give me a couple more weeks and I'm sure I'll be running around like normal! 

Through this experience I've had to learn to ask for help, which I don't like to do.  But, I have the most wonderful family and husband that have been there even before I've had to ask.  God has really blessed me and shown me that through Him I have strength!

2010: A year of significant progress

Here is just a small sample of many important, potentially high-impact research results that occurred this year, presented according to three research approaches: stopping MS, restoring function, and ending MS forever.

Click on this link below to learn more about what has been done in 2010:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/news/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=4327

My Strength

"Grant me patience to deal with my blessings".  Sometimes blessings in your life aren't always easy.  For me, having multiple sclerosis has been a blessing, although it has been like a roller coaster for the last 7 years.  During the high points, I feel and look "normal".  During the lows, I have to remember that God gave me MS and He will help me through it.  Your mind can be a very powerful thing and I've been known in the past to freak myself out to the point where I won't take my medicine.  There was a time when I struggled to the point that if I would end up taking my medicine, it would be at 2:00am because I fought myself so much.  But, I've learned to give it over to God.  Now, each week when I have to take my medicine, I pray that God gives me the strength to shove that needle into my leg.  And, He does!  What a blessing it is to see Him work in my life each and every week!  It's still not an easy thing for me, but the One that bore the pain for my sins, comforts me through the pain when I take my medicine.

Thank you, Jesus, for loving me and blessing me with MS.

Gilenya - What you should know

This video explains the first ever oral drug for Multiple Sclerosis!

How I Was Diagnosed

You know that feeling when something just isn't right with your body?  Trying to figure it out can sometimes be a long and frustrating process.  For me, it didn't take that long to finally have a doctor tell me, "You have MS". 


Flash back just over seven years ago.  I was about to turn 19 years old.  I was going to a community college, working for a real estate appraiser and just enjoying my life.  Headaches were a pretty common thing to me so I thought nothing of it when I would get one.  The only problem was this time the headache stayed for several days.  One Sunday night I also noticed that my left eye was blurry.  I assumed it was because of my contacts.  But, after I took them out and put on my glasses my vision was still blurry.  As the day progressed so did this issue with my vision.  The next morning I called my optometrist and went in for an appointment.  He said the inside of my eye looked fine and that I should go see my regular physician.  I made an appointment with him, but there wasn't an opening for three more days.  The day before my appointment my headaches were becoming unbearable and I could hardly see at all out of my left eye.  I again called my optometrist and went in to see a different doctor.  When I got there he held up a bottle of eye drops that had a red lid.  He told me to cover up my bad eye and tell him what color the cap was.  I said, "red" and was right.  He made me switch eyes.  This time the cap wasn't so red; it was more of an orange.  After that the doctor said "I think you have optic neuritis, but you will have to see a specialist to get that official diagnosis."  I left his office feeling better that I now knew what was probably wrong with me.  A couple days later I saw Dr. Foroozan.  I went through several tests and got the confirmation that it was optic neuritis.  He also said that based on some answers I had given him, he believed that I might have multiple sclerosis.  I had no idea what optic neuritis really was and I definitely didn't know what multiple sclerosis was.  So, instead of breaking down crying...I laughed!  I don't know what is wrong with me.  :)  Well, just as this first eye doctor said, I would have to see a specialist to get confirmation of that diagnosis.  The next day I had an MRI and saw Dr. George Hutton the following business day.  Dr. Hutton reviewed my MRI scans and with the diagnosis of optic neuritis, he said "you have MS".  Things after that seemed to rush by.  My parents were there and with the doctor we all decided that it was best to put me on Avonex asap. 

See Me on Anadarko's Website

www.anadarko.com/ms150

My Strength - Phil 4:13

My blog was started with this verse I have for my daily walk with Multiple Sclerosis, Philippians 4:13:

I can do all things through my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gives me Strength.

--- The same God that was, still is today.  He came and died for YOU!  You can read about God's amazing LOVE here:

John 3:16-21

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹ But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”