Helping Mommy Decorate? Or helping herself to "Undecorate" Ok, so it's time for my update since I've started my Copaxone injections a little over a week ago.  They really aren't bad. I mean, it's tough when I think about the fact that most likely I will have to go through the process of giving myself a shot EVERY day for the rest of my life...but as long as that ends up being a VERY long life, I'm ok with it. The auto injector that the company sends you is great. It makes it really very easy to do and I don't have to see the needle when doing it. It doesn't hurt to use and the needle is so small that most of the time I do not even feel it going in. One little click and it's over. The worst part is afterwards. After the injection it usually feels like a bee sting. Sometimes like I've been punched (so a bruise like feeling). Sometimes it swells up, once about as big as a large tangerine. Sometimes it's just red...and once it bruised.

Abigail at 8.5 Months I know I've said this a million times, but I really can't get over how many wonderful friends/family/customers I have been blessed with. So again, to all of you I say "Thank you!". :)    I still have no feeling in my fingers. They are completely numb and tingly. At least it is not painful or completely debilitating. It is mostly just annoying and makes doing certain things more complicated, but it's an easier thing to learn to deal with. Hopefully it will come back eventually. Most people I have spoken to say that one day I may wake up and the feeling will be back! I also still have the tightness around my midsection...that is something I wish would go away it's pretty uncomfortable. But some days are better than others. The last two days have been pretty crappy weather-wise, dreary and rainy. A friend mentioned something about feeling weaker during rainy weather and I realized that perhaps that is what has been happening with me. The

Mommy & Abigail  What exactly is Multiple Sclerosis? I've had many people telling me that they are glad I am all better and other people telling me that they are sure I will beat this. While I appreciate all of these warm wishes, I want to be sure that everyone understands how serious this really is. I've had a few customers that have acted as though I had a case of the flu and was now on the mend, and one even told me not to bother with the medicine the doctor prescribed but to just drink sugar water with lemon because that will fix me.  MS is not something that you can overcome or beat. It isnt going anywhere. Like other diseases such as cancer, my MS could go into remission and there could be months or maybe even years where I remain relatively symptom free, but this crazy thing will always be lurking. I myself am still trying to come to terms with that overwhelming information. It is not just a temporary hiccup, but a lifestyle changer. I will not let it define me, b

Happy Turkey Day From Abigail!  Typing is still pretty tough for me because I don't have the control in my right hand that I need, and my left gets really worn out from having to do all the work, especially when it's not operating at 100% either, but I really want to get an update post done.   So I spent 3.5 days in the hospital getting 3000mg of Solu-Medrol & a Prednisone pack in my system. They drew blood 3 times a day, leaving my arms scattered with hideous bruises, they injected stuff into my stomach to prevent clots, and told me I was the least demanding patient they had. They told me to get lots of rest, but then woke me up every couple hours to poke and prod me for one reason or another. The doctor said that I was showing some improvement, but of course I wanted more. Monday I had my lumbar puncture. I was really nervous about getting a headache from it, but my family brought me a giant iced coffee and I spent a few hours lying down, and thankfully I was ok. Tues

So while I am sitting in my 85 degree hospital room turning 12 shades of red and waiting for the fan that was ordered an hour ago to arrive I started thinking about all the symptoms I've had the last several months and I realize now that my MS started while I was pregnant, not after. When I was pregnant I remember having some strange sensations in various parts of my  body, mainly my left arm and  thigh. I remember it tingling and being numb and hypersnsitive. Being the stubborn person I am, I chalked it up to some weird pregnancy symptoms. And then once Abigail was born I chalked my strange back, neck, feet and hypersensitivity up to back and neck strain from the new lifestyle of raising a baby. All the while more and more lesions were forming. Perhaps if I was not so stubborn and looked into my symptoms sooner I would not be where I am today. Sitting in this bed with 1000mg of steroids dripping painfully into my completely useless arm. I wanted to post this because hindsight is a

Super old picture-didn't have much on my laptop, but it does the trick!       So I still have absolutely no use of my right hand but I'm going to attempt an update.   After the MRI I expected to have to wait until Tuesday for the results. Thursday AM my mother called and said she was flying in. While I was really trying to deal with this without help, it was starting to take its toll. I was feeling progressively worse and it was getting harder to do anything at all. My left arm had been getting numb and my right just keeps getting worse. We picked her up Thursday afternoon. Shortly after we got home the neurologists office called and said my results were back and my doctor didn't want me to wait until Tuesday so he asked another doctor to squeeze me in. My appointment was for Friday at 12:45. I arrived with my own personal support army: My hubby, daughter, mother, and amazing friends Cheryl and Renee. I was nervous though certain I knew the findings.  Once we all packe

Already working on her Karaoke!  Today was MRI Day. I'm feeling quite a bit worse today. My right arm feels like it weighs 50 lbs, and is pretty much useless. My left arm is tingling quite a bit and seems to be losing some of its control. Taking a bowl down from the top shelf of the cupboard this morning I hit myself square in the face  with the bowl from lack of arm control.  Shortly before the MRI I was in quite a bit of pain from my right arm and was extremely uncomfortable. I had no appetite and was feeling slightly sick to my stomach. Luckily Aleve seems to help a little with the pain.     I got to the MRI office at 2:00. I had Kel wait out in the car with the baby and I hobbled in alone. During my wait inside it appeared that everyone there was with a parent. Only trouble is, the children were all at least 20 yrs  older than me and the other patients were all at least 45 years older.  Of course anyone can need an MRI for various things, it was just a little disheartening

First Shot of Abigail crawling with her tummy off the Ground I started off today pretty excited--I had lifted my right leg off the ground by itself before I went to bed last night. And this morning my right arm was tingling some which I thought was good since I couldn't feel anything before. Shortly after I started my day I began to feel severely numb and "strange" in my whole torso. I feel like I am being squeezed by a snake, and am becoming short of breath very easily. Just when you think you might be able to deal with a symptom, a new one arises!   Kel, myself and Abigail made our way to the neurologist at 2:00. The doctor was a really nice older gentleman who I had fun joking with. He told my husband that at least I had a good sense of humor about all this. He did a bunch of neurological tests..."follow my finger with your eyes", poking me with a pin all over the darn place--which might I add feels like being stabbed when your skin is super sensitive. Wh

My hubby & favorite bald Beauty!   Today started off a good day! I've been "training" my hand to start working again and I have managed to make it so that I could pull my hair in a halfway decent ponytail, something I previously couldn't come close to doing. I got Abigail dressed with a little less trouble and have even been able to type a little better using both hands.     First thing I called the Neurologist fully expecting to be told they wouldn't see me or that they couldn't see me for 3 weeks and I would have to pay $300 up front. After filling the receptionist in on what was going on and giving her my info, she told me she had an opening tomorrow @ 2:15! I was ecstatic. I told the nurse that she had just made me so happy! (Who would have thought going to a neurologist could make someone excited.) She did tell me I had to pay $141, but since I was prepared for hundreds, $141 was not so bad.  Shortly after my mother informed me that my dad was abl

   I originally wanted to start this blog as a way to chronicle my journey as a mother to my eight month old daughter as she grows...as I sit here at 2:37am, I fear that may have somewhat changed. For about four or five months now I have been having some strange symptoms that I have always attributed to my back or neck being out of whack due to having a new baby, to my dismay I am not so certain that that is the case any longer. On and off for months I have had trouble with my feet and calves going numb. At first they felt like I was standing in a pile of snow barefoot. I could never get them warm. Eventually that went away and my left leg was no longer numb, but the right remained. I would see my chiropractor on and off trying to get this corrected. Occasionally I would find myself with another symptom one a bit more difficult to explain to people...My skin hurt. And hurt badly. Various parts of my body would become extremely hypersensitive. The slightest touch would send me crying in