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Today I received the Kreativ Blogger Award from Herrad who continues to inspire and uplift me in our processes of living with this disease. Thank you so much, Herrad. I'm so glad you enjoy reading my Blog. [note - is blog supposed to be capitalized? I have no idea.] I was supposed to have my cath changed today, but they had two people call in sick and were very backed up so we rescheduled for Thursday. Instead I went to Fransiscan Medical Group (after calling them on my new cell phone! to make sure they had every thing in stock). I went across the street to pick up some supplies, then I went to Sound Medical to get an estimate for repairing my right side walker brake which is not working at. all. Turns out they don't have anyone there who does repairs, but referred me elsewhere. HOWEVER, right next door was this nice looking coffee shop called, um .... Forza..... which was just what the doctor ordered as I didn't get more than 2 1/2 hours sleep last night. I KNOW! What th...

I'm just letting the days float by without saying a thing. Truth is, I've been sleeping too much again. I know. I can't say I have insomnia, I just don't want to sleep at night. I sleep very well during the day, however. Grrr. I haven't been doing too much of anything since my lunch and visit to Big Lots and TJ's. I realized that I forgot to get crackers at TJ's, though. Oh well. I don't need more to snack on, that's for sure. Sorority installation is at the next meeting, May 7, and I've been asked to write a few things about our chapter president. Funny thing is, the social chairman asked me to come up with about five minutes to honor her at our Mother's Day luncheon which is May 9. So that's what I have been working on, and so far it has some good bones, I just need to fill it in a bit. Naturally, I will leave that until the last minute as I seem to like to work under deadline pressure. (Isn't that what all procrastinators say?) S...

Even though I got just six hours sleep last night, when I woke up I was steady and feeling okay. Not great, but okay. We converged on El Toro at pretty much the same time and had a lovely lunch. Then we ambled over to Big Lots (actually one of them pushed my walker while I reparked my car at the entrance), whereupon we went in to stimulate the economy a bit. I found a lovely cat bed which, so for, hasn't gone over too well - but that may be because the door to my bedroom is open and it's quieter in there on my bed. Damned cats. I also got a big multicolored sunflower whirlygig for the patio - the first bit of whimsy added this year. Big Lots has lots of that kind of stuff. Who knew? Big pots, too. But this month;s budget is just about shot. I then went to Trader Joe's as everyone else went their seperate ways, and got my COFFEE. Oh happy, Oh joy. Now I can make a pot of coffee for DH. HA, The irony is (if you can read the fine print) that HE is the one who prepares MY m...

I'll just cut to the chase. I feel like crap today for some unknown reason. Oh, wait, I DO know. I have MS. I was just getting used to the idea that the Solumedrol helped, then I wake up to this ... weakness. Oh well, tomorrow had better be a better day because I have things to do: lunch with the girls at El Toro followed by a trip to Trader Joe's for, you guessed it, COFFEE. We're almost out, which can only inspire this reaction: Sorry it's a little blurry, I resized it manually rather than go back to reload it properly. So SUE ME! (or just go on wondering if your ON is acting up - haha) Weather got up to a balmy 71F. today, not that I bore witness to it. Nope, went to bed at 8 AM and got up at 4 PM. I actually kicked the cats out of my room last night and slept pretty well. Maybe that's what's wrong with me. I've finished my blogroll, and yesterday's paper. I still have two sections of Friday's paper and then there's today's. I have minutes...

I know it's not Sunday, but I'm going to start this entry with a meme from Sunday Stealing. Lazy of me, I know, but it will probably get me through until my baclofen takes effect on my painful and jumpy legs. Sunday Stealing: The Green Meme 1. What is your current obsession? Waiting for Spring! 2. What’s a good coffee place? Bertolino's Coffee, either on 23rd/Union, or on 40th/Orchard in Tacoma. 3. Who was the last person that you hugged? DH, of course. But before that, it was my SIL last Saturday. 4. Do you nap a lot? Depends. In the summer when it's warm - yes. When I go and do too much - yes. Otherwise, not so much. 5. Tonight, what’s for dinner? Lentil and vegetable soup with rice that DH made awhile ago. (Frozen leftovers.) Yummy. 6. What was the last thing that you bought? A box of a dozen bars of sandalwood soap for $4.50 in Chinatown on Saturday. 7. What is your favorite weather? Oh, Sunny and 73 degrees with a very light breeze. 8. Tell us something about one...

This non-morning person had to get up an hour earlier than planned as my friend needed to stop off at work for a few minutes which was no problem. The problem was Thursday night when I COULD NOT fall asleep! I had to meet my friend at Radio Shack at 10:45, and didn't drop off to sleep until just past 6:00. Operating on three hours of sleep, I got a new cell phone (!), bought dinner rolls for Easter and some cold fried chicken for me, went to the bank and deposited a check and got cash, then I filled my tank with gas. And that exhausted me - so when I got home I crashed with a nap, woke to watch some TV, then slept well Thursday PM. So, I woke up at 7:40, to leave at 8:30 - ran late because everything seems to take longer that it should - but left the garage at 9:00; I went through the Starbuck's drive-thru to get a tall latte with three sugars, and I was on my way to Seattle. Gosh, I haven't done any freeway driving in what seems like years! I can see why it freaks some ...

Why is it that these days, if I am to go anywhere, I have to think of my day and plan it out in detail? Tomorrow, I am finally meeting up with my sorority sister to get that cell phone I was talking about. I also have to buy the rolls for Easter dinner, deposit a couple of checks, buy cat food - obviously I need to make a list. Sigh. Nothing stays in my brain anymore. Saturday I am going to Seattle, as I said, and will be having dim sum somewhere, before going to the W.L. Asian Museum family room dedication ceremony. I know that my sister-in-law will appreciate that I made the effort to be present. She has been so helpful to me in the past, I can't imagine blowing this off. I'm a little pissed at DH for showing no interest, but he has redeemed himself. You see, my back tires were bald. Nearly shiny bald, and he worries about me and my safety, so he took care of that by getting two new tires yesterday, and having them rotated and balanced and all that so the car will be safe fo...

I have made plans to get together with my dear friend in Seattle on Saturday. First to go to a family thing at the Wing Luke Asian Museum that my sister-in-law invited me to, and which my brother, cousin and husband aren't interested in attending. So I finally was able to connect with a friend in Seattle, and we will go to a dim sum brunch before this reception starts. See, the thing is, I can't do it alone - because parking is iffy in Chinatown (or the International District, to be PC), and I don't know if I will park close enough to use the walker, and I am not strong enough to pull my w/c out of the car, and, well, etc. etc. etc. MS requires planning, and often, help. My friend can not only deal with the w/c, but she will be interested in the Museum goings-on, and the final temptation is the brunch, which will give us time to talk. I also have to ask her a favor: will she be willing/able to come over to help me organize my room? When we talked last night she told me sh...

I am one week out, and I feel slightly better than before I started, so I have determined that I nipped something in the bud. I wish I could report better results, but these results are not bad. I can get up easier, I have to pay attention where balance is concerned, and the steroids didn't have me eating everything in sight. Actually, that was probably because there wasn't anything in sight to eat. Note to self - always do 'roids at the end of the month when the snack cupboard is bare. I had one lousy side effect this time - and that was diarrhea - a direct result of all that water retention behind a slight case of constipation. I was going to tell you about it, but upon reading the paragraph, I decided against it. Let's just say that I'm just now getting back to an equilibrium where that issue is concerned. A line to separate that section from the next, that's all, just a line to indicate a change of subject. I was talking to my cousin, and we are invited to ...

One week after I started my four-day run of IV Solu-Medrol and the results are not stellar. My balance is so-so, but I find it easier to get up from my glider chair. Around the house, my aid of choice is a single forearm crutch as it leaves me with one hand free to carry stuff, but it also doesn't give me much real support -- sure, I can catch myself if I start to tip, but it's, right now, not feeling like it's enough. My house is friggin' tiny - 960 sf - so a walker would work, but furniture might have to be rearranged in spots. A w/c is out of the question. That little voice in my head is telling me to prepare for changes. Changes that will probably come with the heat of summer. I need to get my proverbial ducks in a row so that I am ready. You know, the "plan for the worst, hope for the best" mantra I've been chanting for lo, these 27 years. That works like a charm - because once you have addressed all the contingencies, you don't have to give the...

Today, that is the question. I don't feel bad, per se, I just feel - off. It's probably due to the rapid withdrawal off the meds, combined with my so very odd sleep UNschedule. Remember, the night before last I slept very well, and felt good all day. Last night I slept almost too well, and, perhaps because it was Sunday and I was listening to KUOW (NPR), that I stayed in bed long after I should have arisen. Besides, it seemed cold, grey, and rainy. I could be wrong about that, I was after all, still in bed! But that's how I envisioned the outside. Once I got up I took a nice shower, and had a cup of coffee. A good way to start the day - along with the Sunday paper which is 85% ads. Over the weekend I have lost all the water weight I gained - which is a big plus, because the steroid bloat sucks. Besides which, I am always amused that I can lose seven pounds overnight -- whether it means anything or not! My brain feels foggy today, and that most assuredly is due to staying in...

Today I felt good. No muscle spasms (ah my favorite benefit from the 'roids). I got a good night's sleep without a pill. I missed a phone call from my friend who is going to buy me an emergency cell phone, and when I called her back it was all rainy and sleeting outside so we will get together later next week and get it. I have been able to get up from my glider chair with less trouble than I've had in weeks. I let the dog out, twice, and fed her. Yay, me. But other than that, I didn't do much at all, [please note that the following is my DH's one and only contribution to this Blog: "except that my husband and I went at it like crazed rabbits!!!"]. No explanation forthcoming, I'll leave it in for your reading pleasure. We participated in the hour of light's out America, or whatever it was called by setting out several ca ndles and turning out the lights, and I read your Blogs by the light of the laptop. I was actually quite pleasant, and quiete...

Today was the fourth and final infusion of SoluMedrol for me. The results, so far at least, have not been outstanding, but even my husband mentioned today he thought I was walking a little better. He doesn't talk about my MS very much. He's not big into allopathic medicine, and prefers natural remedies or ayurvedic medicine. Hey whatever rocks your boat. But his ways are not my way, and I after all have to be the one who is in charge of my body. So he went with me today, and didn't have to witness any pokes as my site remained viable. They were booked up, so it took about 45 minutes longer than I had anticipated, but no big deal. Just before I left, a good friend of mine called. She wants to buy me a cell phone with a prepaid card to have for emergencies. I saw an ad in a Radio Shack flyer and told her about it, and apparently she went over and checked them out and thought it was a good deal, so we may go over tomorrow (I think the last day of the sale - not sure) so I can...

This has been a busy week for me. As I said, I saw my neuro last Friday, and we decided to give 4 days of SoluMedrol a try, just for shits and grins. I went to a different infusion center which is actually just three floors above my urologist's office. It's kind of like a get well soon people assembly line They have eight recliners lined up with a small table and the med pole between them; their are three nurses there except at lunchtime (but other nurses are around to assist if needed). They have a coffeepot that is usually empty by 11:30, and envelopes of Swiss Miss, and some peanuts and Ritz crackers for a snack. It's sort of a no frill place, but seems to operate quite efficiently. Apparently, the reason I couldn't get into St. Joe's is because they are in the process of moving that wing over to the new outpatient building. One thing that was different is I was briefly screened by the Doctor who started up this whole department, and who is an internist who speci...

Tomorrow I have a cath. change at 11:45, followed by my first Solumedrol infusion at this new clinic, which I believe is in the same building at 1:40. I have a friend who is spending a few days with me who will go with me just so she has something to do. I'm sure it will make it go faster. So that's what's up with me, and now I am actually going to go to bed at 1:15 AM. I mean, I'll start to get ready as soon as I sign off here, but I should be in bed and, hopefully, asleep, by 2 AM. Good Night and all that.

I went to see my neuro yesterday for my quarterly appointment. I wasn't doing as well as I thought, I guess. On my way out to the garage, I could not lift my left leg up the second step! DH saw me through the kitchen window and came to my rescue. (Then decided to come along to take me to my appointment!) Could this be a result of the exhaustion I felt last weekend? I doubt it. History tells me that rest always saves me from exhaustion, and I got plenty of rest this week. But this might explain why I ended up missing my meeting Thursday night. I, and a few others, went to the wrong address for the meeting, and while I was at the wrong building I went to the bathroom which was down two short halls. The door must have weighed 40 pounds! and with a walker, it was very tough to get in. Then the toilet seat was on the low side, which made getting up very tough. To say I was wiped by the time I was done is not just a pun, it was a disappointing reality. I told one of my sisters, who wait...

Upon reflection, everything that happened over the weekend that was onerous could have been prevented , except for the LONG HALL FROM HELL. Instead of going out for dinner when I was admittedly exhausted , I could easily have eaten at the hotel. Hell, I could even have paid a little extra and called for room service and really rested - but I'm too cheap (broke) for that, so realistically that wasn't an option. But taking that little jaunt to Freighthouse Square was a mistake I shouldn't have made. Then, when I awoke and found that I was overheated, I could have , instead of getting up to turn down the thermostat, just flipped back all the covers and cool off enough that way. When I did get up, and turned down the heat and noticed I was having trouble walking, I thought about sitting on the foot of the bed - but I didn't. I tried to tough it out. And I fell. So, this was my first experience with a fire department rescue, and I have to say that though it should have ...

I'm back from my weekend away. It started Friday night with a shower at midnight and going to sleep around 2 AM, and getting up at 6:15 AM. Argh! I had already packed and had DH put my bag in the car. I remembered my props for the Desperate Housewives skit: a twisted halo made from wrapping wire with stars on it, and a real rope noose. I was the narrator - the dead Mary Alice who had hanged herself. I left the house early enough to stop at the McD's drive-through for a much needed Egg McMuffin for breakfast. I got to the hotel and parked in the garage, even though I wasn't checked-in yet. Made sure at the front desk that they were okay with that. Went to the complimentary breakfast and sat with some sisters who got me some coffee to go with my McM. Then I went back down the three stairs - yes the complimentary breakfast was located on a raised area! If there was a ramp it was all the way on the other side, and too much trouble to find. Oh well - I dealt with it with a litt...

This is a little snippet I wrote a long, long, long time ago (circa 1983) regarding support groups. Heidi, newly diagnosed with probable MS, had never met anyone else with MS before she came in to do a project for school which entailed volunteering at the MS office. We were preparing the monthly newsletter for a bulk mailing. It was manual work - labeling and sorting and bundling. There were several of us gathered at a large table chatting away as we worked. Once there she met the three of us -- all with different personalities and levels of disability. The scooter one of us used didn't seem so frightening with a real person in it -- someone who was married, happily, and who talked about her family as she worked. The crutches another used lay unnoticed on the floor. Heidi would see beyond the disease to the individuals, and the MS became, somehow, less powerful. Later, when previewing a video from the chapter's library, she was struck by the fact that everyone in it had M...

I'm just trying to help her demographics. It's a really quick survey. Go ahead, just do it. "Hey, guys! Help a student out? It’ll just take a few minutes of your time, and you could win an Amazon gift card! My name is Lanna Lee Maheux-Quinn, and I am a Sociology and Mathematics student from the University of Southern Maine. I am conducting an anonymous survey about happiness and subjective well-being with adults 18 years or older. Would you help me spread the word? The survey is located here: http://www.gotthink.com/survey/ This anonymous, online survey is voluntary and will take 5-10 minutes to complete. It will be open until Thursday, March 26th, 2009. There are no known benefits to participating in this survey; nor are there any known risks for participating in this survey. As a special incentive, those who complete this survey have an opportunity to participate in a sweepstakes for one of two $25 Amazon.com gift certificates. Those who wish to participate, ...