Today...

Well I woke up before Noon, good start. Not quite as numby feeling today, no weird pains yet so fingers are crossed.

and then...

So after about 5 hours sleep yesterday evening, went back to bed around 1:00AM, slept until 12:00PM (minus about an hour to feed da dogs). So thats about 15 hours of sleep. When I woke up, my right hip and top of my leg hurt like a mug, and from my middle front left side right below my chest, stretching back around my back is numb. I can feel pressure but thats about it, Selena was practically stabbing me with her nail to see if I felt it and I had no reaction. Friggin medicine should be working by now, getting frustrated...

Sleep

So one of the joys... Got home from work around 5:00, ate dinner, fell asleep, and just woke up. Its 11:00 PM now... Will probably sleep all night also

Symptom Updates

Today is just another day of the same. A little numbness in my left toes, more of an annoyance than anything. Only other thing is the stupid side hug that keeps on keeping on. I still can't complain though, it could always be worse.

I almost forgot

The fun thing today has been every time I kneel down, my knee hurts horribly for 5-10 minutes. It was worse this morning, I hope it quits asap. Rouch!

Today...

So now that you are up to date lol here is where I stand today. I want to update this daily, or as my symptoms change. I have been doing well for years other than stupid symptoms here and there which I will be sharing from now on. Up until a week or two ago things were good but I started to get very fatigued and could barely stay awake through the day at work or home. I started getting pain in my right knee, then burning in my left knee, then burning up and down my left leg, then side tightness ( The MS hug). I started on Prednisone again last Thursday and it is helping now. As of today, I still have the side tightness and some leg burning/numbness when I stretch my neck or tilt my head. No dizziness and nothing unbearable as I now have medicine in me. I had an appointment at the neurologist today and it seems to just be an inflammation and not a relapse, as long as it does not get worse or start new symptoms. I am being setup with another MRI on my brain and back in a few weeks so we will see how that goes. It is mainly to verify that the Avonex shot/treatment I am on is working correctly. For those of you not familiar with Avonex, it is an Intramuscular (IM) injection that I have to do once a week. The needle is 1 and 1/4 inches long, not a fun shot. All current MS treatments require shots BTW. I did it myself for quite some time but  thanks so much to a nurse at my wife's work I have it done for free now every week (Thank you Lord!).

I hope this does not freak or gross anyone out, but its life. Anyone who wishes to follow my symptoms and challenges feel free to follow this blog, otherwise don't. I will tell it how it is, whether good or bad, and hope that it not only benefits myself, but others who may have questions. Lastly, anyone who wants to know but is afraid to ask, here you go. Thank you so much for your support, and don't forget about joining www.ms365.org. 8-)

So it begins...

After much online research and constantly coming up with multiple sclerosis as a diagnosis for myself (everyone thought I was nuts) I began to get more and more concerned. In early September 2006 I was returning to Kent State to finish 3 needed classes for my Associate's in Computer Technology. I started feeling sick to my stomach a bit, and thought I was getting a head cold or something. The next day (a Sunday) I felt even worse. I had also noticed strange sensations once again in my legs and sides. By Monday the room was spinning, I was so dizzy and had to get to the doctor. It got to a point that I could not do anything but sit on the floor next to the toilet and vomit. Anything I did whether it be lie down, situp, stand, walk, whatever made me sick. I returned to the doctor the next day and they put me on Meclazine which helped a tiny bit with the sickness. At this point though an MRI was ordered on my brain, as nothing seemed to be causing the issue.

On September 14th in the morning I had my MRI. By that afternoon I had a message on the answering machine saying my results were in and the doctor wanted to see me ASAP Friday, and for my wife to join me. On September 15th, 2006 I was officially diagnosed with MS (my parents anniversary of all days). I missed the whole first week of college, and my sister was getting married the next day (I was in th ewedding party).

After weeks and weeks of fighting with symptoms, numerous tests and MRI's, a visit to the Cleveland Clinic, and some strange eye issues (it would take like 10 - 15 seconds for me to get both eyes focused in the same object not to mention a short spell of bright streaks). I did somehow manage to complete my degree that semester and survive running my business, although I lost several clients due to my lack of availability through my systems.

In the beginning...

This is a summary of what initially I was feeling before I was diagnosed in 2006. Sometime between around 2002 - 2004 I would have some light dizziness and always just assumed it was an ear issue or something. I visited doctors and always got the "all clear" on ear issues but it was never enough to worry about. In 2004 I started to get tingling/rubber band feelings in my legs. We had alot happening with moving and all at the time and it was again pushed off as a sprain or strain of some sort. Somewhere in this time frame through a routine blood test I found that my liver enzymes were higher than normal, acctually to a point of jaundice at a point where my eye balls were yellowish. This was much more of a worry to doctors than my other issues at the time and I spent about 2 years going through blood tests, CAT scans, etc.. with no outcome. It seems after all the liver enzyme issue is some warped symptom that MS patients can face, who knew.

Symptom Updates

Alot of people ask, and maybe don't want to ask, how I am feeling and what symptoms I have on a daily basis. I may go months with nothing and then boom, surprise. I felt this would be a good way to communicate with anyone who cares to know and also for me to track things myself. So here we go, I will be starting with the story of how and when, then bring it up to date...