For Every Positive There Is A Negative

Post coming later today

The Good Nurse

I did not have a complete closed mind when the Shared Solution nurse arrived today. To be honest I tried to call her off, but she was already in route to my house. I am glad she came because she was a breath of fresh air; she has been living with multiple sclerosis since 1993 and I learned today I was injecting myself in the wrong area in the arms and hips. I enjoyed trading MS war stories and if felt good to talk to someone face to face who could relate living with MS.

MEN...It Is Your Day

A SPECIAL Message to EGS...

The first man I ever loved was my Father

The second men I loved was my maternal and paternal Grandfathers

I did not think I could ever LOVE any man as much as I love the first three men in my life until you came into my life. I cherish every day I have with you and I am the luckiest woman in the world to have you as my soul mate. You are the epitome of what a Man and a Father should be.

Today is your day...ENJOY!

One of the Best

There are not many journalist average Americans can trust to report the news with integrity. Tim Russert was in the league of Walter Cronkite and Dan Rathers in my book. Meet The Press will never be the same without Tim Russert.

Rest in Peace

What To Do If You Pan Is On Fire

My neighbor had a grease fire and did not know what to do. She sent her two young daughter over for advice…the following is what a person should do when they have a grease fire.






DO NOT THROW WATER ON IT:

The water, being heavier than oil, sinks to the bottom where it instantly becomes superheated. The explosive force of the steam blows the burning oil up and out. On the open field, it became a thirty foot high fireball that resembled a nuclear blast. Inside the confines of a kitchen, the fireball hits the ceiling and fills the entire room.

Also, DO NOT throw sugar or flour on a grease fire. One cup creates the explosive force of two sticks of dynamite.


">

Waste of Time

Today the Shared Solution nurse called to set up a time to come and give me injection training. It is going to be interesting to see what she is going to tell me or how I should be using my injector. IMO, there is nothing she can tell me that fellow MS'ers Diane, Julie, and Lauren had suggested me to try in my last post. The nurse is due to come out Monday, I think it is a waste of time, but I will not really know until Monday.

I Wish I Known Before This Happened

This has been a trying week, today marks the third week I have started back in giving myself Copaxone injections. I was told by the Shared Solution nurse to put my auto injector on number four instead of six when I am injecting my thighs and arms. Each time I had an IPIR it was when I injected my thighs and that is why the nurse suggested I put the dial on four.

It did not feel good injecting myself again after two months of being injection free. In the beginning, my injection site would swell and spread to the size of a quarter and leave a lump for days. I wanted to quit the injections, but I feel more secure of my disease progression slowed by taking Copaxone. I also know the worse that can happen to me while being on Copaxone. Hell, if my last IPIR did not kill me, I know I will not die if I get another one while being treated with Copaxone.

I noticed while being back on Copaxone how fatigue I was again. I did not have the energy to do much of nothing and I slept to the point I actually lost track of what day it was. That was the strangest feeling thinking it is Thursday, but it was actually Friday. I had better stop watching Twilight Zone because I felt I was in on when I literally lost track of my days.

When the above picture happened, I was mentally preparing myself to stop taking Copaxone again regardless of my belief that it was slowing the progression of my disease. The blue yarn marks how wide my injection site that night spread and every pore in that area was open where a pen tip could have fit into them. To make matters worse if you look closely I also had a hive form in that area.

I never experienced an injection reaction like that before and I began to think my body was rejecting Copaxone. I went in to see my neurologist Friday, two days after it happened, the area was slightly swollen, pores closed, hive gone, and I showed her the picture. She is reluctant to switch me on Betaseron or Rebif so soon after getting back on Copaxone and Tysabri is out of the question. She prescribed Provigil for my fatigue and a nurse will be coming out to give me another course on injecting myself. I really do not give two cents about a nurse coming to my home to give me injection training again. I want to know how I can make my injections tolerable.

A different Shared Solution nurse called me Friday evening to discuss my injection reaction and set up to inform me they will be sending out a nurse. He asked me what the dial of my auto injector was on when I inject myself and I told him four, he stated, “A four was not a good setting if my build was not large and he suggested I put it back on six.” He also stated, “In the past several years they found out that placing a warm compress on my injection site for five minutes before injection has made the injections tolerable with less reaction problems.”


The above could have been prevented had I known what the nurse told me Friday evening and I do not understand why I am the last to know a warm compress for five minutes before an injection would have made all the difference. My injection sites since Friday evening had been tolerable and the Provigil is doing its job with my fatigue. I am looking forward to a productive week Monday because I did not get squat done last week.

Nana's Little Man ...Potty Trained :)

His Mom is not the only one PROUD of him

The Healing Storm

This is dedicated to one of my virtual friends in the MS community...
Feel better soon