Sunday, September 24, 2006

Bouncing Back

Slowly. But I am getting better. My hands are still having their MS thing going on, which will just take time to pass. I rested some more yesterday and today and every time I've awoke I've felt a little better. I've had to rest a lot, though. Even today, I wasn't able to make it through church. I made it through Sunday school, but had to go home after that and rest. This cold/flu is killing me. But it is getting better. My sinuses have cleared, my throat is coating itself again, still itches but not as irritating. Yeah! for getting better!
I need prayers for a meeting tomorrow... for a change in wind. Love you all!

Saturday, September 23, 2006

The Day After

Yesterday was my shot day. And I was sick. The cold/flu/whatever was aweful yesterday. I could only work half a day, and barely that. My body ached and my sinuses killed. I slept most of the day. In the evening Chris gave me my shot and I took him out to eat at Red Lobster... It was his birthday!!!
We didn't stay out long, but he's such a great guy that he was so happy just to sit on the couch and watch TV for his birthday.
Anyway, yesterday I noticed my hands feeling a little tight... they still do somewhat today, but my left hand is worse. The tips of my fingers have no feeling and tingle at the scond digit. Today I don't feel as bad, but at the same time I do. I can tell I'm getting better because I can breate through both sides of my nose! Yeah! (you gotta celebrate the little things) I still ache, and earlier this morning I couldn't breathe but couldn't stop coughing. Now I'm up and eating a little... but I'm gonna head back to bed for a little bit too. I'm just so tired.
Anyway, the shot went well. The needle burned, and for no more than 20 min. after. It wasn't like the other time. Other than that, it went really well. He's an expert at giving the shots now.
Okay... I tell you these things not for you to worry, but because I'm trying to log things someplace and keep you updated. Remember, don't worry. Be happy.Love you guys.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Ickie Sickie

Sick today. Yesterday I was a bit achie. Today it fell into an all-out sinus thing. My nose runs and is stuffed up. My ears itch. My throat burns sometimes. I'm taking stuff for it, so... it should clear up. Yeah! for weak immune systems!

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Recovery Day

So, the shot hurt, and I had a burning. I spent a good hour and a half (close to two hours actually) trying to find someone to explain to me what was going on. I called the hospital, non emergency. they told me to call the pharmacy, so I did, they told me to call my doctor. The doctor's answering service told me to call the hospital. So I decided another route: I called the Avonex people. They told me to go to sleep and the burning would go away.
I did, and it did. Now, all I have is the pain of a bruise. It's not as much pain as it is anoyance most of the time. It's cool though, because one of my MS buddies online (through facebook) told me she goes through this normally and to put ice on it and take benedryll... and that it lasts a week. Yucky, but at least it doesn't burn any more.
Thank you guys. I know that this is kind of a boring read, but I just want to make sure nobody's worrying about me. It's all good. Love ya!

Friday, September 15, 2006

Friday 9-15-06

Alright, tonight was shot night. Chris gave it to me in the hip. The needle was fine, but after that split second, I felt a burning sinsation... I guess when the liquid was going in. But since then that burning hasn't gone away. It's too late to call the Avonex people, but I'm going to call them tomorrow. This is the first time I've felt something like this... the burning. It's not comfortable.
But the shot itself went well. Quick.
Otherwise, the rest of the week has been pretty normal. I'm trying to keep a list of what's going on. Wednesday: the lower half of my body tingled when I sat. On Thrusday: I had a huge migrane which just made my body drag.
Today was great, though. Lots of energy, etc... minus the burning.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

CPAP and Apnea

Okay, for those of you that are curious in the CPAP and sleep apnea I've gathered some information from the web for you. Basically (so you don't have to read the whole thing) sleep apnea is what happens when I wake up constantly because my muscles relax so much I don't breathe anymore. To correct this I use a CPAP. CPAP stands for "continuous positive airway pressure." Basically it's a machine that pushes a constant passage of air through your system (nose). The American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) recomends the use of a CPAP machine for people with sleep apnea so that their airway can't collapse.
From here on out, it's web information so read when you have time:

CPAP is a treatment that uses slightly pressurized air throughout the breathing cycle. This makes it easier to breathe and get more air. CPAP can be used by mouth, by nose, or through ventilation tubes. Nasal CPAP is given through a mask that is placed and secured over the person's nose or nose and mouth. Slight positive pressure is used to increase the amount of air breathed in without increasing the work of breathing.
Sleep apnea: A temporary suspension of breathing occurring repeatedly during sleep that often affects overweight people or those having an obstruction in the breathing tract, an abnormally small throat opening, or a neurological disorder.
Symptoms of central sleep apnea include cessation of breathing during sleep, often causing frequent awakenings and complaints of insomnia. In central sleep apnea, breathing patterns may also be disrupted during wakefulness. Other symptoms may relate to the underlying neurological condition affecting the brainstem, and may include difficulty swallowing, change in voice, or limb weakness and numbness.
Normally, muscles in the upper throat keep this part of the airway open, allowing air to enter the lungs. Although these muscles relax somewhat during sleep, they retain enough tone to keep the passage open. If the passage is narrow, relaxation of throat muscles during sleep can obstruct, or block, the passage and hinder or prevent air from flowing into the lungs.
Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea may have airway obstruction because of excessive relaxation of throat muscles or because of an already narrowed passage.
Because many patients with obstructive sleep apnea have no major structural defects in the airway and are not obese, other factors such as disordered control of ventilation and changes in lung volume during sleep may play a role in causing the condition.
Soon after falling asleep, the patient with obstructive sleep apnea typically begins snoring heavily. The snoring continues for some time and may become louder before the apnea, during which breathing stops for 10–60 seconds. A loud snort or gasp ends the apnea, followed by more snoring in a recurrent pattern. Decreased oxygen level in the blood during the apneas may cause decreased alertness and other symptoms, while disturbance of the sleep pattern at night may cause daytime drowsiness.

Fri-Sat

This is just an update for everyone. Friday was shot day, and the shot went really well. Chris administered it to me again. He's getting really good at it, I only felt the needle go in, and he warmed it for me, so I couldn't even tell when he took it out or pressed the liquid in. I bled a bit more than normal, but that's fine.
On Saturday, I woke early to find my symptoms well on their way past where I had been getting used to them. Lately my Saturdays have been relatively easy to bare with, and had minimal side effects (which was really nice). But this Saturday, today, I had full blown side effects at 5am. And yes, I did take all the other medication at shot time, so that was no different. I guess I usually sleep through the effects, but today I woke to go to the restroom and felt pain and aches all over. I hurt. So, I took some more alieve and went back to bed. When I woke back up I didn't ache any more, but my head swam most of the day in a weird "overmedicated" feeling. Kind of like when you take dymatap or nyquil during the day, even though it's for nighttime. So I wasn't drowsy, but my balance was off and I felt like I was in a fog most of the day... still kind of do.
So I'm off to bed. Again, nothing to worry about or anything. I just figure you'all ask how the shot went and everything about how I felt the next day, so I thought I'd document it for you guys so you wouldn't have to ask (I'm not saying I mind, I just know that I'm not always that coherant when people call on Saturdays).