My first dose of Avonex

Last week we went to the MS conference. I was really inspiring to hear how someone else was dealing with MS. It definitely made me feel better about having the disease. The woman who spoke was on the drug Tysabari which is a once a month IV.
It was great getting to see LeAndra. We had a lot of fun. On Saturday we went shopping a LeAndra got her haircut. We all went to Sushi that night, it was really fun. Sunday I wasn't feeling very well I had a really bad headache so LeAndra and I were watching TV while Heath made Lasagna. I love it when Heath cooks, all his food tastes so good. Later we rented 2 movies. LeAndra left on Monday but I will see her in November when Heath and I go back to Oregon to see my family.
The week went pretty good, I was really tired on Tuesday but overall the rest of the week wasn't to bad. I spent most of the week trying to get my medicine to me before Saturday. I spent a lot of time on the phone with various people from MedCo and Avonex. For some reason they didn't have all the paperwork in order until Thursday, it was extremely frustrating. I got everything worked out so the medicine would be delivered on Friday. Well for some reason the FedEx driver could not read the package correctly. (He was suppose to drop the package off at the leasing office if I wasn't home.) It even said on the package leave at leasing office. So I got home around 5:30pm and the package wasn't there and neither was any proof that FedEx had been there. I called Avonex and they told me FedEx would try delivering it on Monday. Well that wasn't going to work, so Heath and I went to the FedEx office to pick the package up. Needless to say the driver didn't even get back until the office was closed. The office closed at 7:00pm and the driver didn't show up until 7:30pm; we had to wait around for over an hour. I didn't have the best attitude and I got irritated at the guy at the counter and yelled at him. I apologized later but I still shouldn't have done that since it wasn't his fault.
After getting the medicine Heath and I went to dinner at Applebee's which ended up being free because we ended up waiting over and hour for our food. After that we went to the movie Saw 4. It was gory but the storyline was topnotch once again. It ended where you know there will be another one. I love those movies, they may be gory but the storyline is so twisted that you never know what's going on until the end. Very good movie.
Saturday I went to the library to study for my midterm on Thursday with a friend. We studied for awhile and then went to lunch at this great cafe. When I got home I watched the Avonex DVD. Then waited for the nurse to show up to show Heath and I how to give me the shot of Avonex. She got there about 8:15pm. She was really funny and helpful. She told me I needed to give myself the shot so she knew I could do it on my own. I procrastinated for awhile by talking about my head injury and my first idiot neurologist. Finally I just did it I gave myself the shot!Now for people who don't know me I am not afraid of needles but I do not like them. Every time I've had my blood drawn if I look at the needle or the blood I will feel faint. I am fine with other people's blood just not my own. It wasn't as bad as I thought. After you get past the needle going through the top part of the skin it didn't even really hurt. I am not sure I could do it every week, but now I know I could do it if Heath has to go out of town. Well the nurse left about 10pm. I ate dinner and fell asleep on the couch around 11pm.
Woke up today with some muscle aches and a headache but I feel pretty good. The side effects aren't too bad, its definitely worth it if I am going to start feeling better. Well I think that's enough for now.

Another day in the life of MS

I got up today and went to work. I was feeling OK at first, but then I felt completely drained. It's been such a long week. I finished what I was doing and told my boss I would probably not come back after I went to class. Oh yeah I am in inorganic chemistry at the University of Utah. I am really trying to finish the class because I am over half way through. I went to class but I was so tired during it I was beginning to fall asleep. After class I went home. I pretty much slept the rest of the afternoon. I feel much better now. I am going to go to work tomorrow for half the day, I need to keep my life as normal as I can. My best friend from Oregon will be here tomorrow I can't wait to see her. She is always so positive so I know she will make me feel better.
We are going to go to an MS conference that my doctor is speaking at. Its about new developments in MS. I think it will be a good conference. Heath made reservations at the hotel its at so we are going to stay there for the night. I think it will be really nice. Well I am getting tired again so I am going to go for now.

My First Week of Having MS

I was just diagnosed with Multipls Sclerosis on October 10, 2007. This was a big shock to me since my Mother died of it 4 years ago. I had my first treatment yesterday and today of IV steroids (Solu-medrol). Both sessions were about 2 hours long.

I am suppose to start the Avenex in the next week. Yea a weekly shot can't wait for that and the side effects of it. The side effects are usually flu-like symptoms the day after the injection. I get to be sick more! I am really so mad I have this disease it has changed my life dramatically. Everything I was planning to do in my life has changed. I wanted to have children, but I am not going to do that. Yes they say you can have children with this disease but I absolutely hated it when my mother got sick and I was 18 years old. I can't imagine having a child and from the day they were born they will know they have a sick mother. I don't want to put a child through that. Also you can't be on any of the medicine when you are pregnant and since the lesions are in my spinal cord not having treatment for 10 months is not a good idea. I just went with out treatment for 10 months and I already have weakness in my left side and have lost some dexterity in my fingers.

I HATE THIS DISEASE!!!

I just can't understand how God could do this to me and my family, they went through so much with my Mother and now they get to watch me go through it also. Yes I am light years ahead since I have been diagnosed 20 years before my Mother but it still doesn't change the fact that they haven't found a cure for this disease. Well I think I have written enough for today.