MS Symptoms: Severe, Subtle, Annoying, Expensive. They Come in all Shapes and Sizes.

This may be too information fro some. I know. But the whole idea of this is that if anyone, newly diagnosed or soon-to-be, they can Google "MS Blog" and see different experiences of the disease. The more the better - good and bad. When I was first starting to go through my 2nd bout of MRIs I starting Googling and I came across such a mixture of personal stories. The negative ones scared me - but took me into the world I was soon to visit. The positive ones reminded me no matter what it was my decision how I reacted.

My decision has led me to openly discuss the anxiety and panic of the first flare up and learning how to take my medicine - but shows the transition back into myself: Loud, abrasive, blunt, yet funny and friendly. Without having a second major flare up I feel both lucky and as if I've dropped my guard - that one summer night this year I will fall asleep to heavy legs and wake up unable to walk. As I should. It will happen again. But for not - that is not the case. For now I have small, minor, annoying symptoms: my 3 stupid left fingers come and go with numbness... I have been constantly tired for 3 days now (though it has enabled me to watch almost a full season of The X Files - so it's not all bad)... and I think my bladder control may be weak. I'm not in the Depends aisle - but last week Friday I counted that I had gone to the bathroom 7 times before lunch with only one cup of coffee. This isn't new - but it's becoming more persistent and a pain in my side.

Of course 3 weeks ago I saw my doctors - both my physician and my neurologist. My physician said, "Don't forget to tell your neurologist about that," and I said, "Ok!" What did I do? Forgot. Not entirely my fault - he likes to be direct and fast and talks over me even when he asks me questions. Don't get me wrong - I feel very confident in his hands... but I can't say that I don't feel rushed. So I forgot to tell him that I have to "tinkle" a tiny bit every 20 minutes most of the time. I even know there's a medicine for it... so I should have called him back at least when I'd finally remembered. But here I am considering the options: Calling back, asked to come back in - spend another $25 on a co-pay - for another prescription - another co-pay - for something should end on it's own within a reasonable amount of time - hopefully.

I should spend the next day or so researching this and really call back - or at least utilize some home remedies... but let me tell you this there are many reasons to love my job and work 14 feet from the bathroom is right up near the top!