Today, something odd happened, hence the title. I began this morning by zoning out more than usual. I couldn't manage to stay focused on anything, and I felt very dizzy. I was stumbling everywhere, so I decided to lay down and take a nap. Usually a nap always helps me feel better.
Well, taking a nap wasn't easy, because in the beginning, my youngest ferret, Boogie was attacking my head, and when he was finished, and I finally could relax, it felt as if the bed was spinning, and I was sinking into the mattress. I feel as though I passed out finally, into a dead sleep.
I woke up an hour later, fully refreshed, but when I began to walk, I noticed something odd. My legs wouldn't move properly. They work the same as they did before, but it's as if my brain has forgotten how to command my legs to walk. I am now taking small, shaky steps. I hope this passes soon. It has me feeling a bit worried.
This is just a random picture that I took this past year.
Today, as a project to promote handicapped awareness, I thought I would share my collection of bad handicapped accessable ramps from around the world. I can't believe people are actually supposed to use these. It just makes me wonder what the people who designed these were thinking.
I took this picture with my cellphone today of my tree. I thought it looked sort of like a greeting card.
Today was my last day of steroids following a flair that hit me over the Christmas holiday. It began with numbness in my left leg and tiredness, and progressed to having no use of my left leg at all, and my hands have gone numb.
So far, the steroids haven't helped many of the symptoms, other than the fatigue, which they did wonders for. I hear it takes some time for them to work, so I'm just waiting patiently to see what happens next. Hopefully good things.
Today was Christmas day, and I got some wonderful gifts. One of my favourites was this frog prince egg box.
I also got some new pandora beads for my bracelet. I love beads, and these mean a great deal to me because they came from some amazing people who I consider family.
I had a great day and when I was done opening my gifts and eating dinner, I got to visit my 104 year old grandad. He is an amazing man, who builds clocks and musical instruments. He plays several musical instruments, and did a small show for us all on his violin this year. Being near him has always made me happy, and seeing him makes me smile. He is so wise, and kind. I am not sure I will ever meet another person like him. He has taught me so much.
This is how my grandad had his house decorated.
Here he is fixing, and then playing a violin. It was go good to hear him play again. I hadn't heard his violin in years as he's been playing the banjo more lately.
I had a wonderful time. The holidays have always been magic at his house. He never seems to age. He's been the same since I was a baby.
I got really sick while I was there tonight. I tried to hide it. My leg has been going numb for two days, and the room began spinning while I was there. I lost sight for awhile in my left eye, but it returned. I hadn't been feeling too well all weekend, but wasn't missing christmas at my grandad's for anything. I didn't care if I had to be taken in on a streacher. Fortunately I made it through the night with only a few minor tears of pain. The joy far outweighed the pain, and I had a fabulous evening.
Merry Christmas Everyone
Today I woke up with a numb right leg. I'm not sure if I'm flairing up for sure or not yet, because the symptoms are supposed to last 48 hours before it's considered a flair. I've also been vomiting today, which is often a problem for me when my MS acts up. A little klonipin fixes that part up fortunately. I promised myself that I would keep this blog updated no matter how I feel, so todays entry will be short.
My brain feels all foggy, and I'm having dizzy spells, so it's hard to think to come up with a good topic. I think I'm just going to post one of my photographs and do a much better update tomorrow.
I, like many with multiple sclerosis, have swallowing problems. Sometimes they are pretty serious, and other times they are mild. When they get serious, I have been known to aspirate food, which leads to aspiration pneumonia, which is very bad. Aspiration pneumonia feels like a very heavy, and painful feeling in my chest. I get lightheaded, and dizzy when I stand, and have trouble catching my breath. If you have ms, and start experiencing any of those symptoms especially after some difficulty swallowing, you should see a medical doctor immediately. When I go to see my doctor, he usually listens to my chest, and when he suspects that I have pneumonia, he orders an xray of my chest.
For a long time, when I tried to swallow food, it would get stuck in my throat, and water would come shooting out of my nose. I became very dehydrated and hopeless. Finally at Winchester Medical Center, where I did a barium swallow study, one of the nurses taught me some tricks to help me swallow and be able to eat normally again.
1. Tilt your chin toward your chest when swallowing food. This really did help me
2. There is something called "thick it" that most pharmacies sell. It can be mixed with water, milk, or juice. The thicker texture helps prevent choking on thinner liquids. This also helped me quite a bit with the aspiration problem.
3. If you have trouble swallowing your pills or vitamins, check with your doctor to see which ones are safe to crush up and put in applesauce to swallow. This has saved me several times when my medications simply would not go down my throat.
4. Drinking from a straw really helps. I always use a straw now, and forgot to add it to this blog at first, but one of my friends reminded me. Thanks Mike!
5. Another thing that Mike reminded me of: you see if your medications come in liquid form. Many do.
I hope I was able to help anyone out there going through some of the same problems.
Today's random picture from my gallery. I took this one in my garden
For those who are still able to work, that must sound luxurious.
For me, it's become a sort of meloncholy hazy hamster cage-like hell.
I think it's just the repetition of days, turning into weeks of the same routine in the same house. I do things to keep myself busy such as artwork and photography. It helps me to stay active, and the internet has been a key component of keeping me at least half sane. I love people, but hate leaving my house. I have talked to other m.s. patients who feel the same way. It's hard to describe how I feel.
I try to go out and the panic sets in. The lights in stores are bright and hurt my eyes. I usually end up with a headache, and people look at me funny if I wear sunglasses indoors. I've tried it believe it or not. They look at me funny with my cane anyway, so I'm use to getting stares. That part doesn't bother me. It's how my body feels that starts getting the best of me. My legs get heavy, as if my shoes are increasing in weight little by little as I walk. It gets difficult to breathe and my lungs get tingly. My head feels like a bowling ball on my neck. I don't mean to complain. I'm just explaining what it's like, because the hard part is going out and being able to enjoy myself when I feel that way. It's just easier to stay at home and not feel so bad.
Perhaps a little symptom control will give me some of my life back. I'm not sure what can be done about that heavy feeling in my legs. After about 50 ft of walking, my muscles tense up and ache, and my legs collapse. It makes going to the mall difficult. A wheelchair does help a great deal, and allows me to enjoy shopping so much more. I just try not to use one for as long as I am able to walk at all. Sometimes I have no choice, especially at large department stores, malls, and wal mart.
I do crave going out once in awhile, but what use to be a minor trip now feels like a big day out to me. I have three ferrets already but maybe I need more pets. Hmm.
The photo is a picture that I took of my own feet back in the year 2000. It is part of a series on my facebook called walking in my shoes.
Well, taking a nap wasn't easy, because in the beginning, my youngest ferret, Boogie was attacking my head, and when he was finished, and I finally could relax, it felt as if the bed was spinning, and I was sinking into the mattress. I feel as though I passed out finally, into a dead sleep. 
