Moving Fast – Recovery and New “Friends”

It’s a little after 1:00 p.m., and I’ve just finished talking with the head neurologist on the floor.  She’s thrilled with the progress I’ve shown with the first steroid treatment.  However, the headache lingers, and I’ve found new friends.

It seems the Copaxone lowered my immune system, so my usually tough as nails antibodies did not fight off the urinary tract infection forming in my body.  It also caused a perfect habitat for yeast in my body (not to gross anyone out, but yeast is not just related to “that” area.)  When I started the steroids, it ramped up cell production in my body – muscle cells, the cells necessary for reparation to my eye, and yep, bacterial UTI and fungal yeast cells.  The steroids also cause my blood sugar to spike.  So, I have gone from being on painkillers for my headache and steroids for the optic damage to a laundry list of drugs.  Oral antibiotics, anti-fungal pills, steroids, my daily copaxone injection and now an insulin shot.  Oy vey!

There is good news.  Because I’ve done so well with the steroids, I may get to go home after treatment number two tonight.  A home health nurse would come to my house tomorrow and hang the IV bag for me.  My port would stay in until that third treatment is finished.  After that, I will do a step-down steroid treatment, using oral prednisone to gradually decrease the steroids in my body.

For my newly developed, non-neurological symptoms, I would see my primary doctor asap.  But I can’t make an appointment with him until I know I’m getting out of here tonight.  Nothing’s ever easy.

I did have two wonderful visits today.  One from someone who has become a dear friend quickly, who is also diagnosed with MS. This is one awesome chick who I admire – for her knowledge of the illness and her refusal to give into it.  I draw my strength from her.

Oscar the Therapy Dog is part of a volunteer group visiting hospital rooms at CHOP, U of Penn and Jefferson

The second visit was from Oscar the Therapy Dog.  He is such a cutie!  (And much better behaved than my dogs!)  His handler sat, and we talked for about 45 minutes.  A delightful lady, an oncology nurse, who also volunteers her time visiting patients with her trained pup.  Ends up, we know many of the same people.  Philadelphia really can be a small place!

So, an upswing to my day that will hopefully have me sleeping in my own comfy bed tonight, with my own snuggly pups and kittens.  All I have to do is promise to rest and to limit my sugar intake until I’m off the IV steroids.  Doable.