MS, Sushi and Heating Pads

I just want to thank everyone who reached out to me after my last blog post where I talked about the discomfort I have been feeling lately. Learning to trust my body again Hearing people who have experienced the same symptoms share their stories with me is so comforting.

Another thank you to those who reached out with words of comfort, or just letting me know they are sending good vibes and prayers my way. All of these things are like medicine for my soul!

MS can feel really lonely at times. I know that I am very newly diagnosed, but I already have felt the loneliness and loss that comes along with the diagnosis. I’ve felt it when I have been too sick or too fatigued to attend a social outing with friends, I have felt it when I have to leave a dinner or hanging out with friends and family earlier than everyone else because the room is spinning and I am afraid of getting sick in someone else’s home. I am afraid that some day the invitations will stop coming. Just because I don’t end up going out doesn’t mean that I don’t want to. I truly appreciate the invitation. It means you haven’t forgotten me, that you still want me around (even though I might not be my usually bubbly, outgoing self some days), it means you haven’t gotten bored with me always being sick. So thank you.

Today I went out for lunch with my sister and two good friends for her birthday. We had sushi and it was lovely. I have a lot of food allergies (wheat, soy, nuts, sesame, dairy) but praise the lord, I can still eat rice, seaweed and fish! Yes, my options are a bit limited and I have to make sure the restaurant can accommodate my sesame allergies before ordering, but I still get to enjoy a good salmon roll every now and then!

It was great to catch up with my sister and our friends. It was one of those moments where I forgot I had MS and was just enjoying myself. I also treated myself to a manicure today as my husband and I are getting photos taken together tomorrow! I can’t wait! I’ve never had professional photo shoot like this and it’s not supposed to be too hot tomorrow, so it should be a blast. Lastly, I stopped at the local Chuck & Dons and got my dog a new bone. He’s a 100lb german shepherd/husky mix and it’s been raining for a whole day so I figured I would do us both a favor and get him a rainy day treat 😉

I am still experiencing some issues with muscle pain and tightness (I think I’m receiving a nice little “hug” from MS) but I went to Target yesterday and got myself an electric heating pad for my back and that thing is a miracle worker! My issue now is that I am in a constant battle of giving my back some relief from the pain and getting too hot and making myself feel fatigued and loopy. So I am alternating between the two. I can’t complain, at least I found some temporary relief for my back pain! Now I just need an ice pack to cool myself down!

Now for the stuff that really matters: Sparrow Mom and her babies have taken the great leap of faith and flow from the nest. It’s so touching watching my little fluff babies grow up and fly off to live lives of their own! I have put a “for sale” sign in the African Daisy’s and am currently accepting applicants for a new tenant. Rent free, just no eating my succulents!

 

 

-A

 

 

 

 

 

Birthday Weekend: Day 1

First things first, today marks the completion of my first week of Glatiramer Acetate injections. It was also a rough injection day. Maybe I wasn’t paying as much attention to what I was doing because ‘hey, this is my third time doing this in five days. I’m an old pro at this right?’ No, I am not.

I injected into my upper thigh today, as was planned in my “injection rotation planner”, but I must have had the depth setting too high because I ended up injecting into my muscle. Glatiramer Acetate is meant to be injected into the fatty layer before the muscle, and let me tell you, there is a reason why! It hurt like a mother trucker.

It didn’t help that I could not, for the life of me, find my heating pad this morning. My brain fog has me getting seriously forgetful over the past month or so. The other week I put ice cream in the fridge and didn’t know until I looked for it the next day only to discover that my ridiculously overpriced $4.99 gluten free, dairy free, soy free, nut free “ice cream” was now a lumpy sludge in the fridge. Shame. But this thing is LOST. My husband and I spent a good half hour scouring every corner (and yes, I looked in the fridge) for the hot pack and is nowhere to be found. And I literally used it two days ago!  I’m sure I’ll find it in some random place eventually

…unless it was stolen…I am looking at you Sparrow Mom.

Luckily, my husband was there to carry me to the couch and help me apply pressure and ice on my leg until the pain subsided enough for me to be able to crack a smile at some silly joke he was saying to try to distract me. And it worked, with his comfort, terrible jokes, and instant and caring reactions we got through my first injection stumble. I’m a lucky wife.

In other news, turn 25 on Sunday! I am so excited for this weekend. I have always loved birthdays. I love looking back at the past year and seeing how I have grown, how my life has changed, and the lessons I have learned. I love looking forward and the excitement and wonder of what another year will hold. Birthdays just make me happy. They celebrate life and all that comes with it!

My life has changed A LOT in this past year, and I can already tell that this weekend will not just be a regular birthday. This year I feel like I am feeling everything a little bit more. More love, more joy, more nostalgia, more gratitude for what I have; an amazing family and friends, my husband and even the medicine that I have access to that is giving me a chance at my new “normal”. My heart is dancing with all of the good vibes I am feeling today.

To start out my birthday weekend I would like to share some things I am thankful for in this past year.

• I am thankful that my husband and I found a perfect neighborhood and home to establish our roots in.
• I am thankful that even in the darkest times, just after my initial diagnosis, I learned an extremely powerful lesson. That no matter how much darkness is thrown at you the light of love will always shine through brighter.
• I am thankful that the man of my dreams finally asked me to marry him 😉
• I am thankful that I have been able to focus so much of my recent time and energy on getting healthier both physically and mentally.
• I am thankful for the immense amount of support and love my family and friends, and even strangers, have shown me since my diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. Every single person who has reached out, prayed, walked in this years Walk MS: Twin Cities with “Dumbledore’s Army”, donated, sent good vibes or shared my story and MS awareness with others. I am thankful for you!

 

-A