MS Comes to the BBQ

The BBQ Sunday in Edmonds was fun. It's always nice to see cousins and nieces and brothers you haven't seen in a year or so; the little ones grow so fast! Here is our family shot. From left are my nephew's significant other, my nephew, his Mom (my sister-in-law), my brother hiding behind our niece, in back of me is my other brother holding his grandson, Max, my other nephew, and my niece's husband holding his other son, Tyler. And, of course there's me, sitting on my walker. This is just one third of those who were there.


And here are some shots of my youngest great-nephew, Tyler.




Is there anything cuter than an almost two year-old eating an ice cream cone?

I think not.

(I notice they took his shirt off for the event.)


Hmmm, I guess I have outed myself.


MS reared its ugly head when I had to go to the bathroom. I get little warning, and the Port-a-John was uphill next to the play area. I asked one of my cousins to escort me in case I needed some help getting up the hill. Turns out I didn't, but needed his help coming down.

It also turns out I didn't make it in time.

Now, this could have been a total fucking crapfest disaster, but fortunately I was a little, shall we say, slowed down with my intestinal tract. I actually went before I got in and sat down, if you get what I mean. Luckily, there was no dearth of toilet paper as is often the case at these potty stops, so I managed to deal with the mess without much fuss. Big sigh.

There was nothing, nothing I tell you, to hang on to in there. The only handle was on the inside of the door, and all the surfaces were smooth. Plus, the door hinge was quite tight so the door would slam shut. It was so tight that, if my cousin was not there, I would not have been able to get out of there! Egads and gadzooks!

We took the "shortcut" down, saving steps but on a steeper, uneven slope over the grass. He was bracing the walker so I felt secure, but still it was dicey. I was very glad to make it back to the picnic tables and level ground. So, though it was a disaster, it was one I managed to keep to myself.

Later, we all went over to my nephew's house - "La Hacienda." That's what it looked like with its front courtyard and wrought iron gates, and though he's still landscaping it, (it's a work in progress), it is a lovely abode. I loved his house - except for the inaccessibility issues: there were two steps to get in, not steep, but narrow, which means the walker was at a sharp angle on the uptake; the carpets were low pile, but my shoes caught with every step, so I guess I was dragging my feet; he had nice thick mats inside every door which my walker bumped against; the study had a thick pile carpet and by the time I got there (so I could see the "back 40") I was glad to sit for a few minutes.

In the back, he has raised beds filled with vegetables, a raised pond, a small greenhouse, and room for more. I imagine fruit trees at the far reaches of the property - I'll have to ask him about that. When I went back through to see the rest of the house, I failed to notice a step down into his front room and, KABOOM, not only did the walker go down, but as I was tired and leaning on it heavily, I went down with it. Yes, I fell. and I couldn't get up.

It was my worst nightmare. I haven't fallen in over a year, and never away from home. But my sister in law saw me and came over, and pulled the walker out from under me, and I was able to straighten myself out a bit - but unable to move really. I had her round up two strong guys to lift me onto a chair where I could sit and take inventory. I was okay. Shaken, not stirred. After a few minutes I got up and with my nephew there to make sure the walker was stable, and got back up the step. I didn't even get a look at the front room, except to notice there was a fireplace.

After that, it was time to leave, and I drove with cousins back to Tacoma. All in all, the MS issues aside, it was a very good day. I stayed strong through it, and survived to greet another day. Monday I woke up with two purple medallions - one on my knee, and the other on my shin. And I'm a little sore.

*****

Just a recap of the bladder issues I was having last week -- it turns out the leakage problem was due to a mechanical failure with my belly bag. After three days on antibiotics, I should NOT have still been needing Depends. So I was testing everything else it could be, tubing, a clot clogging issue, whatever. Turns out the valve that prevents a reverse flow from the bag must have been inserted wrong, because when I finally changed bags, I was okay. I have not needed a Depends since then. Thank God. Let me say this, years ago, people with MS must've had it very rough when there was no such thing as Depends -- a descreet adult diaper. I can't imagine what it was like without them. Seriously.

Good Night, TTYL and Be Well