So this week my new neurologist referred me to Biogen Idec (Avonex manufacturers). I received a phone call and plenty of useful information. Once I feel out the consent forms and send my w-2's for financial assistance I will began treatment. I am very nervous about this but I have a wonderful support system and I know I will be fine :D
Yesterday I hung out with of my girlies whom as well has MS. we walked along the park and she gave me alot of insight from her own personal experience with Avonex and pointers for when I start treatment. I have to say though after the walk...My legs were beginning to get weak on me and I was just ooo no. However, I kept pushing, and with the thought of seeing my wonderful boyfriend I gathered the strength to drive home.
Last night I cried, the pain. What was even worst was bad thoughts of what if the meds don't work or this how things will be for the rest of my life? Instead of driving myself crazy I prayed and continuously ask God for strength. Once I relaxed and took deep breaths, I drifted off to dream world :D.
This morning was a good day. I had a few minor off sets but I managed :)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Long Island girl too slow for Busy Brooklyn Job
Hey beauties!
This blog is going to be documenting my story of choosing happiness and living life even though I'm being diagnosed for Multiple Sclerosis. For those who do not know what MS is I am pasting the description from the National MS Society website :
Multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. See nationalmssociety.org for more info :D
Ok so in April 2009 I was working in dtown brooklyn as a caseworker for a foster care unit(started march). I was under alot of stress and please believe ask any caseworker/social worker about burn-outs and being emotionally drained, its so serious. As I got used to my new schedule for work, I noticed that my legs would get weak and numb on me. I just thought maybe the city atmosphere was too hectic for me especially since I'm from long island.
These symptoms continued until the saturday before mother's day, My boyfriend and I went to the movies. I felt so off balanced and my legs were giving me troubles. It got so bad that when the movie was over I need assistance from him to walk. My boyfriend then took me to the emergency room and they said it was possibly vertigo. I thought hmmm that makes sense and the er doc did recommend me seeing a neurologist but I never went. However I ended up leaving the caseworker job and returned to my old job.
My legs continued to bother me and I would just brush it off as "o my vertigo is acting up" and I would take the mecclazine (sp?) to sleep it off. This cycle of my every day experience continued through the summer, fall and winter and early spring but then another episode happened. At the end of March I was watching tv and I went to reach for my cup of juice when I notice I never grasped the cup I thought it was because I was grabbing in the wrong direction not true. I was holding the cup the whole time and I couldnt feel it. My hand and arm was weak and numb which scared the heck out of me. So a week later one of my co-workers gave me info about her neurologist and I went to see her. I explained everything that happened to me and I also explained that I didn't have insurance. A radiology office Zwanger-Pesiri here in Long Island have a program they call "give back sundays" which the radiologist give their services at no cost. I was able to get 4 mri's done.
I say about a week later the neurologist called me and told me that they found 9 lesions on my brain. A week later I saw her in the office and she told me that it was MS. I kinda knew because I had been researching on webmd and alot of the issues I was experiencing were associated with MS and once I found out about the lesions I learned that the lesions are apart of it. My mother was there along with me and she was very strong. The hardest part was when we got home telling my Daddy and my boyfriend. My best friends were all devastated and upset and angry. I told them I need them to be strong because I too will break.
So since finding out in April I notice the difference in my body during the hot weather. I'm experiencing pain. I'm experiencing issues with other body parts such as my fingers,arms, and toes. I've also learned that this twitch in my eye that I had for years is associated with ms, its called tremors :( and I am learning how important it is to keep my body cool and to keep the stress level down.
Well that is what is going on in a nut shell. I have another blog svrbrownsuga.blogspot.com where I also mentioned the symptoms and my daily experiences but I want this chapter of life to have it's own attention.
*Smile* Nikki
This blog is going to be documenting my story of choosing happiness and living life even though I'm being diagnosed for Multiple Sclerosis. For those who do not know what MS is I am pasting the description from the National MS Society website :
Multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. See nationalmssociety.org for more info :D
Ok so in April 2009 I was working in dtown brooklyn as a caseworker for a foster care unit(started march). I was under alot of stress and please believe ask any caseworker/social worker about burn-outs and being emotionally drained, its so serious. As I got used to my new schedule for work, I noticed that my legs would get weak and numb on me. I just thought maybe the city atmosphere was too hectic for me especially since I'm from long island.
These symptoms continued until the saturday before mother's day, My boyfriend and I went to the movies. I felt so off balanced and my legs were giving me troubles. It got so bad that when the movie was over I need assistance from him to walk. My boyfriend then took me to the emergency room and they said it was possibly vertigo. I thought hmmm that makes sense and the er doc did recommend me seeing a neurologist but I never went. However I ended up leaving the caseworker job and returned to my old job.
My legs continued to bother me and I would just brush it off as "o my vertigo is acting up" and I would take the mecclazine (sp?) to sleep it off. This cycle of my every day experience continued through the summer, fall and winter and early spring but then another episode happened. At the end of March I was watching tv and I went to reach for my cup of juice when I notice I never grasped the cup I thought it was because I was grabbing in the wrong direction not true. I was holding the cup the whole time and I couldnt feel it. My hand and arm was weak and numb which scared the heck out of me. So a week later one of my co-workers gave me info about her neurologist and I went to see her. I explained everything that happened to me and I also explained that I didn't have insurance. A radiology office Zwanger-Pesiri here in Long Island have a program they call "give back sundays" which the radiologist give their services at no cost. I was able to get 4 mri's done.
I say about a week later the neurologist called me and told me that they found 9 lesions on my brain. A week later I saw her in the office and she told me that it was MS. I kinda knew because I had been researching on webmd and alot of the issues I was experiencing were associated with MS and once I found out about the lesions I learned that the lesions are apart of it. My mother was there along with me and she was very strong. The hardest part was when we got home telling my Daddy and my boyfriend. My best friends were all devastated and upset and angry. I told them I need them to be strong because I too will break.
So since finding out in April I notice the difference in my body during the hot weather. I'm experiencing pain. I'm experiencing issues with other body parts such as my fingers,arms, and toes. I've also learned that this twitch in my eye that I had for years is associated with ms, its called tremors :( and I am learning how important it is to keep my body cool and to keep the stress level down.
Well that is what is going on in a nut shell. I have another blog svrbrownsuga.blogspot.com where I also mentioned the symptoms and my daily experiences but I want this chapter of life to have it's own attention.
*Smile* Nikki
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