baby steps 'back to the gym'

after a successful infusion I awoke bright and early on friday ready to "conquer" the gym. It's key for me to get to the gym early enough as I'll further explain, I belong to one of those "no judgement" bargain gyms that prides itself as being a lunk free zone which in and of itself is kind of ironic in my local gym because a lot of my fellow gym goers are just what the gym tries to avoid, sweaty dudes grunting and not wiping down machines after they use them. The low price is the only reason I stay, that and my father is my workout buddy and he comes along with me. .... I'm veering off course here, I had to keep in mind my original goals from when I was going to out-patient physical therapy, you're not going there to bulk up just trying to reverse atrophy. you're not there to impress others just because someone else is doing a Usain Bolt impression nearby doesn't mean I have to feel inadequate. Always work within my comfort level, it's ok to be slow on a treadmill, after all I use a cane

ongoing adventures

kind of a continuance on my last posting, I had stayed home rather than go to the gym because I've been having some joint pain due to my .... impromptu 2 mile hike last week. to make matters worse for me my specialty pharmacy was switching and there was a delay in my tysabri being sent to the infusion center. After making alot of phone calls to shake peoples cages a bit I had finally managed to schedule infusion #19 a full eight days after the 28-35 days window between infusions. I was really starting to freak out but I feel greatly alleviated today, I feel a psychosomatic sense of strength once I finish up with the infusion. I say it's psychosomatic because that isn't the way that tysabri works but darn it, I do feel like Popeye once I'm done and I'm resting at home.   Remember to never give up when you are being given the run around by the drug companies or in this case specialty pharmacy.

Further adventures in the cog-fog realm

Last Thursday while I was preparing to leave for this month's MS Support meeting I twisted the doorknob lock as I was walking out the door, as soon (LITERALLY as soon) as the door shut my brain did a silent scream of NOOOOOOO My keys both house and car were in a bowl inside in the hallway. I quickly alerted my father who carries a second set of my keys, my dad lives about two miles away from me so he told me to stay still because he was going to walk over. I may have RRMS and use a cane but my father is almost 72 years old and has his own health issues (beside that my neighbors dogs are unruly and loud and I didn't want to sit in the humidity listening to them bark at me) I had the excellent  idea of at least trying to meet him half way. About sixty feet from my driveway I tripped over a plastic reflector fastened into the ground. Luckily I was able to stand up and I continued on my mission.

that's about one mile, not bad for a guy with a cane and an A.F.O 

I was almost there when the amount of walking added to the heat added to the stress of not wanting to fall again my optic neuritis seemed to dance a bit (my eye would temporarily cross) I met up with my dad and I made my way back home. The way back was uneventful, aside from being a bit sweaty my eye returned to normal and I made my way to my support meeting forty minutes late. What have I learned? I need to keep extra set of keys around.

RIP Don Cornelius

I only mention the passing of Don Cornelius because according to the LA County Coroners office Mr. Cornelius had an apparent self inflicted gun shot wound. I only mention this because I like to bring awareness to depression and suicide awareness. Please note that the official report hasn't been released and I'm only using the incident to cast light on a serious matter, my condolences to his friends, family and fellow fans

                                                   Don Cornelius September 27, 1936
                                                                              February 1, 2012
latimesblogs.      HELP

December and January were too dark

toward the end of December I made my pilgrimage to go to Ohio to see the inlaws with my wife, after being there for a few days I received  word that my uncle passed away. It was unexpected, he passed away in his sleep, and being a thousand miles away from my family really didn't make me feel too great. I started the new year quietly with my wife and trying to adjust my on-line presence (per my NY Resolutions). And I can't help but feel that I really haven't done much regarding making any changes to what I do when I come online. Last August I started a second profile on Facebook to set apart what I do. I guess I'm amending that resolution to be that I will be online less, I'm not really a "guru" (or as I have proclaimed myself at times) MSNinja. and when I sign onto Facebook it just seems that all I do is say Happy Birthday to twenty people and poke at others. I'm not really quitting per se, I'm just going to try to focus more on me.  

I don't celebrate

Just as the title suggests I won't be celebrating my latest anniversary, it has been two years since I was officially diagnosed as having Multiple Sclerosis. I can remember it as it were yesterday, I was in the hospital because I was I kept falling at home and I was completely zapped of strength to stand back up not to mention if I were to manage standing up, it was doubtful I could keep my balance. My wife and I were still a little clueless as to what could be wrong, but the day after being admitted I was alone in bed when the attending neurologist, and might I add the Dr with the WORST bedside manner in the world, she waited till I was alone and half asleep and just came out and said Yeah, It's MS. The next day in front of my wife she started going on about the possibility that it could be HIV. Thankfully it wasn't and thankfully I now have a neurologist that minored in Tact and bedside manner. In the past two years I have tried my darnedest to get educated about MS and try to share info (as is seen here)

So in a way I guess I've just lied, I should celebrate the fact that I'm alive and the fact that the MS hasn't really progressed, I had optic neuritis that went from a minor brown  obstruction in vision to just one eye being a tad crossed, or rather a bit off center (as you see in most MSers).

Awkward MS

One thing I have learned to appreciate from reading Blogs or Facebook posts from other MSers is the tendency for some MSers to be self deprecating. I can REALLY identify with that mindset and that type of humor and that  is what attracted me to "Awkward Bitch", it is the tale of fashionista and chanteuse Marlo Donato, her life here in the states and the challenge of moving abroad only to find out that she has "incurable autoimmune disease". There were points in the story that I laughed out loud, points that I could sympathize with Marlo cause I too have had a "dead toe". Without saying too much more I wholeheartedly recommend this book to my fellow MSers and anyone interested in an MS book that isn't just going to throw medical jargon at you.