Change of format here, as I recognise that a lot of the search engine indexing relys on positional text. Not that I want this blog really ranked, just that I want the content to be pertinent to my Multiple Sclerosis journey as a log. The symptom log is a big part of that, but I also need to chronicle the journey itself as equally important. So, to bring things up to date....
The big news is the consult we had with Dr. Freedman on Friday. He took over an hour with me to understand what I was feeling, my view of the history, and to review the diagnostics to date. I was impressed with his empathy. At one point he said, "You've been feeling like crap for half a year." That said it all to me about how this relationship would go. At the end of the session, he discussed making anxiety meds available (I don't want them), he gave me a prescription for pain meds (for my uppoer back), and he prescribed Avonex. It will be a weekly shot, to delay exacerbations, and to reduce the inflammation. I guess the Avonex is very expensive (more on that later), and it takes a couple of weeks to get insurance approval, get the meds and have the instructional class by a visiting nurse. (talk about waste of resources... Wifey can do it. but there's a system you know - for payment!)
The formal diagnosis is a relief. Having a treatment plan is a relief. My big worry in this was further permanent neurolgic loss, and I feel that being on Avonex gives me half a shot of maintaining where I am, while dealing with the attacks or relapses. In general, I hate meds, but I hate the idea of having further losses more. BTW, the psyche/cognitive testing showed organizational problems, some memory problems and that I "was not overly crazy". I have to ask Dr. Jones to read a copy of it.
But knowing I have to maintain the medical insurance, lets move on to where we are in the business..... I bailed on the charity project. No time in the schedule between now and the event, and the guy I'm working with isn't taking it seriously. The paid programming project is going OK, but there are a lot of features left to code and only a few days left. I have to be on-site with them on Monday the 9th to set everything up. I think I'll only be there for 3 days so it shouldn't be so bad. The local software installation went well last Thursday, and I have to hard code the printing for him, with a tentative date of delivery of Thursday of this week. I don't koow if that will happen. Worked an old client for 3 hours yesterday, but no revenue. I think my take for January was around $2.7k. But I have the new computer, web hosting and other outstanding things to pay for this month. My gut tells me that it was a standard month's bleed.
Physically, it feels like I'm slipping a bit. Still battling back pain, fatigue, full head and tinitus. I'm thinking that the recent problems are at some level weather related. The temp and humidity have been swinging quite a bit. 45 and clear Saturday, 65 and clear Sunday, 50 and clear yesterday but 40 and damp this morning. The only thing I can do is keep pressing on...but I've reset my work goal to 45 horus per week only. I think that more than that wears me out for the next week.
So, for the first time, I'm optomistic about my future with MS. Hopefully, I'll get some benefit from the Avonex, and can continue to move forward on developing the business. The problems is that I have lots of ideas, but not enough stamina / energy.
Scale - 10 is worst
Weather - 40's and light rain
Weather - 40's and light rain
Shaking - 5
Neck Pain - 1
Upper Back Pain - 6
Upper Back Pain - 6
Fatigue - 4
Foggy Head - 4
Foggy Head - 4
Tinitus - 3
Ears Full - 4
Hand Numb - 0
Ears Full - 4
Hand Numb - 0
Spatial Orientation - 4
Gastro - 5
Insomnia = 0
Eye Focus - 3
Sleep Kick - 0
Pain Meds - No
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