Getting Horizontal

 Last night was going well. A Friday night sitting around with a friend, talking..playing on the lap tops. After he left I got on the phone with a friend. All was going good.. that was until I decided to shut off the fan. getting off the couch and walking over and hitting the switch..making a turn I went over like a tree, coming down on my cane and my left shoulder. Being on the phone at the same time, I never lost the call either!
The fall bent the cane to the point where it's unstable to use now, the light to the left also fell. It could be worse, my shoulder could of ended up like the light bulb...broke.



So that ended up with a trip to the ER the next morning just to make sure things are alright. After X-rays it was found no fractures or broken bones, just soreness. It feels fine..but trying to lift my arm hurts like hell!
So in the ER, they gave me a Motrin and a Vicodin. Its to bad Vicodin isnt sold over the counter. This stuff works great! Sure it put me sleep once I got home, but what else is there to do on a rainy, cold October day in Ohio

 I would guess the 5 beers I had didn't help matters much either.

Fatigue

My kinda place..so I thought.

So this weekend I went along for a ride in a big truck to Somerset PA to pick up a trailer and meet some friends. Leaving early afternoon there was no chance of fatigue setting in, because for one, the passanger side seat is not air ride, and bob tailing (truck with out a trailer) makes the ride even bumpier! Fatigue didnt stand a chance!
Through the weekend I never felt the fatigue I usually feel, sure there were bouts of yawning hard, but no signs of shutting my eyes and having that peaceful feeling and just drifting off.

Lisa Driving

Now come Saturday night, everything was fine, I still felt no fatigue. Even being up till 3:30 am watching for meteors. Sunday was another day of not feeling fatigue. Sleep Sunday night was normal as ever.  

Monday though, sitting around it hit me, like 3 times thru the day. Sitting outside I felt slight dizzy, laid my head back and closed my eyes. Didn't sleep though. Still sitting outside talking to someone now, I caught myself falling asleep. Couple hours later after being up and playing in the kitchen, Sitting at the kitchen table I dozed off. After dinner, sitting on the couch on the lap top, it happened twice! I was worried I was having another relapse. Jump to Tuesday, no fatigue, no nap's
The double vision makes me close one eye quite often to see straight, and next thing I know the other is shut and I'm out like a light. Fatigue is no fun when it just comes on like it does. At least no one puts shaving cream on my hands and tickles my nose. Not that I know how that works.

Visit to the eye doc..

So on the way to the Cole Eye Institute we decided to swing down W. 11 and pay a visit to this house since we were in the area and had time to kill. You can almost picture Ralphie and Randy running down the sidewalk. Or another neighbor helping deliver another wooden crate marked "Fragile"
Or the Bumpass's dogs running through the neighborhood. My cousin asked me whats so special about this house? She didn't know..Yeah, I'm talking about the house that A Christmas story was filmed. Well at least the exterior shots, the rest was filled in Canada.

It was then onto the Cleveland Clinic for the eye appointment. It was scheduled for 1:30 pm and the technician got me in rather quick. Through all the questions and tests I thought this was going to be a fast visit. 2.5 hours later and they call me back in a room and finally the doctor shows up..with a rather cute Asian girl..and up and coming ophthalmologist who was shadowing her. Honestly I wouldn't mind her being my shadow! Anyhow through a few questions and small exam she places these glass's on me with removable lenses. Everything is always much clearer with these on, But I wouldn't be caught dead going out in public with these Jetsons glass's on.
She finally concluded that maybe my current glass's have to much prism in them, that maybe the Gilenya has helped my optic nerve. So now there is a prescription for yet another pair of glass's. That makes 4 pair in 5 years. I also found out, by her definition I don't have nor did I ever have optic neuritis. According to her optic neuritis is a change in vision of one eye...well here my eyes aren't seeing in stereo. Double vision sucks!

Latest Update

So had my latest MRI and there were no changes from the one 6 months prior.

Of course the day couldn't start off easy, seeing there was an accident and the right lanes were blocked and traffic was tied up.Nothing like going from 75 mph (in a 60 zone) to 35 mph!  I was 20 min late but they still got me in on time. The machine is nice. 6 minutes in, slide out for the contrast injection then back in for another 6 minutes and your done. Its nice but no time to sleep. Sure beats the 2 hour long MRI's I was used to






Afterwards was the meeting with the doctor. Just the normal check up and questions. Then the review of the MRI.
Here are some of the images taken by camera off the doctors computer scree.

 

The white areas are the lesions on my brain. 

 

Vitamin D levels are always low in MS patients. In March blood was drawn for tests and my vitamin D level was at 12.0 The acceptable range is 31.0 - 80.0 Unusually low. So I started taking vitamin D3supplements and went on a two week,  weekly prescription of vitamin D. As of September5th and another blood test, the levels have increased to 78.0. The supplements and laying out napping in the sun seem to be paying off, though I'm still not walking the best...but better and have a nice tan to!

I found out why I have Louisiana on my mind so much !

Shattered Time

Today was just a normal PT visit. Start off on the Nu Step machine for 8 minutes, then came the 25 foot timed walk with the cane. I shattered my old record! Well actually my only record since I have only had 1 visit. But it was timed then and I shattered it this time!
My previous time was 17.81 seconds in 25 feet. This time I did it in 12.91. I was hoping for a 15 - 16 second time. Not quiet Olympic times, but I'll take the 12.91.

 Next came the usual exorcises. One being stepping up on a 8 inch step using the cane, then off the other side. To step up your supposed to use your good leg followed by your bad one, coming down its just the opposite. I do it the other way around. Its what feels comfortable. Its like my (right) bad leg is a bit more stronger at the knee, but more unstable, while my (left) good leg is a bit more stable but weaker in the knee.

After all that it was time to take a walk outside on the concrete and try the curb. Which I did pretty good with. Then it was back inside for another timed walk just to se how I do after working the leg muscles. This time I can only do it in 16.85 seconds, Which is still quicker then my original time.

I'm supposed to use the cane to get into stores. something small like a gas station, or something larger where a scooter is, which reminds me I need gas and to pick up a prescription.. C-ya!

More PT

So today (June 13) was the first visit with my new wide based quad cane. Of course I had the base set for the wrong side at first, but that was easily fixed.

I started off on the Nu Step machine. She wanted 5 minutes, I gave her 8.5 and could of kept going but it was time to practice walking with the cane.


Straight line walking was good, but had balance issues turning around. So out come the orange cones. Now I need to walk circles around each one which wasn't as hard as the turnarounds I was doing before. A wider radius helped.

Then came a walk outside on concrete and stepping off and back on a 6" curb. Wasn't the easiest, but I got it done.Since my truck was right there I changed into my sandles, since thats all I wear now. Watching me walk she noticed I wasnt walking heel to toe like I would wearing my AFO. With concentration I can overcome that.

My walking speed with the walker was timed at 9.3 seconds with the cane 17.81 seconds in a 25 foot distance.  Next week I'm shooting for 16.75 seconds..at least.

I let her borrow a book on hamburger places throughout the United States, to bad none listed are local, or I'd suggest one for our lunch date after 7-6, but any place will do.

Checked up

So today (June 7) was yet another check up. Something I haven't seen before was a nearly full parking lot. Today all the MSers must of had appointments.  I've never seen a line like this since Bon Jovi tickets went on sale in 1989!

Optical Coherence Tomography machine

After finally checking in, I went for my Optical Coherence Tomography test, or OCT. Its more like an MRI for the eyes. I wouldn't have a clue as to how to read the pictures the machine printed out, but they were colorful to say the least.

Next up was seeing the neurologist. No biggie. Just your normal exam...touch your nose, test arm strength, hand strength..wiggle your fingers stuff. This visit was the first one where he seen me in shorts, and noticed my tattoo on my left leg. 
 That sparked off conversation about Louisiana. I think we talked more about that then we did about how I was doing since the last time I seen him! Originally he thought I was a Saints fan, but I told him the reason for the tattoo and he thought it was cool.

In 3 months I go back for more pictures of the brain, yeah another MRI. I'm not looking forward to it at all. Oh the MRI isn't bad, its just in 3 months it'll be September. Summer will be about over. 


I'm coping with the heat this year better then I did last year. The hotter the better I say! Temperatures in the 80's or over and I'm laying out collecting vitamin D and turning a nice color of brown to. Most of the time at home, weekends at my favorite certain camp ground.


*** Attention, any new readers, The first few pages tell of my early experiences with MS, be sure to check them out. 
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