Tag: MS

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I’m sorry, but there’s nothing for you…

Tracy2 Comments

What do you do when there is nothing for your type of illness? Yes there is a medication now for primary progressive, Ocrevus, but is it really for us. Most of the studies I see have been done on people with relapsing remitting or secondary progressive. They already had medications. LOL what do you do when there’s nothing for you? It’s too dangerous for me to take any of the DMD medications. So how do you live your life knowing nothing, and let’s face it, no one can help you. How do you fight when there are no tools to help you fight? The only way to slow or stop the progression of multiple sclerosis, any type, is to be on one of the disease modifying drugs. So, please, tell me how do I fight? There are people out there that won’t take those medications because they feel the side effects are too dangerous. I would give my right arm to be on one because I can tell you MS will fuck you up a lot more than any of the side effects from the medications. MS is always working in the background and I don’t care how great your diet is or that you exercise 24 hours a day, 😂 that will not slow or stop the progression of multiple sclerosis! So if you are not on one of those medications, I’m so sorry, but you are a special kind of stupid!

I really don’t mean to sound like a bitch, but I have nothing to help me and it angers me. How do you go on with your life knowing that you  can do absolutely nothing to help yourself. Yes I can watch what I eat and shimmey in my bed to keep movement going but that’s not slowing or stopping my progression. I am so fucking angry. I hate the fucking holidays because I cannot physically do anything for anybody not even myself. I don’t know if people really grasp the concept of being bedridden. Someone told me they were bedridden but that they could get in their wheelchair and cruise around whenever they needed to, that they could still transfer and things on their own. 🤯 UMMM  then you’re not fucking bedridden if you can get up all by yourself and get in n out of your wheelchair on your own.  What the actual fuck! I’m so glad I wasn’t near that person because I would’ve seriously opened up a can of whoop ass on them. LMAO when you’re bedridden you can’t get up out of your bed whenever you feel like it. Then you wouldn’t be bedridden! DUH I cannot even sit up on my own. I can’t even roll over on my own. I am stuck lying on my back for however long I stay in this universe. It’s a whole production getting me dressed and out of my bed and that is probably why I don’t do it very often. And it’s very painful… so there you have it.

Yes I’m angry!!

And every now and then you hear of a new celebrity just diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and they make it sound like they are some sort of martyr. For any chronic illness money talks. Granted it sucks that they are also struggling with this illness but they are able to get the resources that the majority of us sorely need but cannot afford.  I would love to have someone at my home helping me every day. Then I could get out of my bed and I could maybe maybe one day get better. I don’t mean get rid of the MS but physically get stronger and mentally having someone to help me could change my life. But unfortunately the majority of us cannot afford Caregivers nor can we afford to handicap accessorize our homes.  So while I feel sad for the celebrity, I would trade places with them in a heartbeat. I don’t even know where I’m going with this blog today. I can just feel that I’m not in a good place so I just needed to get shit out. As always I’ll be OK but sometimes I wonder how I’m going to be OK.

Have courage… And be kind

anger · confession · dehumanization · Depression · Fear · FUCK · health · health insurance · healthcare · HELL · hope · lonliness · medical · multiple sclerosis · Pain · primary progressive MS · Quotes · Ramblings · RANDOM · strength · Wheelchair

Fear!

Tracy3 Comments

I try to live my life minute by minute because anything else is overwhelming. I know that every living person wonders about their future and what it will bring. Unfortunately when you live with chronic illness that wonder many times turns into fear. Every night I go to bed knowing that when I wake in the morning nothing will be different and it may possibly be worse. 😢 I will still be trapped in this bed, I will still have pain, and I will still have sorrow.  But, I will still wake up and try to get through my day as best as I can.

I am human and I can’t stop thinking about what may happen. Statistically I know exactly what it’s going to happen to me. I have an aggressive form of primary progressive MS and it isn’t going to get better. I have now been bedridden for four years and eight months and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon. Unfortunately, for me, rehab aggravated my back fracture that I never knew I had. With that has come so many problems. Whenever my hips are put into the proper aligned position the pain that comes with that seriously makes me not want to move at all or even try to  make it through the day. The pain has been going on for a few months now and it is taking over my life. The pain in my lower back is also  excruciating to the point where I can’t even sit up straight for a period of time without becoming nauseous. We discussed a facet block but I’m not sure even that will help with my lower hip pain. My husband needs a facet block but unfortunately our crappy insurance has denied it. Even though he’s had them before. So now we must fight the appeals process. I cannot do mine until he gets his done, so I think we’re both shit out of luck.

Again, I know everyone’s future is unsure.  Hell the minute we are born we start to die. But most people can look ahead in their future talk about wonderful vacations they may be going on family get together’s etc. I cannot do that because at any given time I may not feel well enough to do anything. Unless they can figure out something with my pain I really have no life to speak of. All my future has in it is this bed in this room surrounded by these four walls. When you’ve been bedridden for as long as I have been you can’t just get up get into a wheelchair and go about your day.

It’s an adventure trying to out to get me dressed, in the Hoyer lift, and then into my wheelchair. After that I’m already down for the count. Just doing that pretty much takes away all my spoons for the day. 🥄🥄.  And the pain comes with doing that is like Michelle Pfeiffer in the movie witches of Eastwick. 😳 It’s hitting me hard today because I had a shower  Saturday night,  two fucking nights ago and it completely wiped me out. The pain was worse than it’s ever been and the nausea was off the charts. So I’m trying to find something and some reason to keep holding on. How do you come to terms with the fact that your future may include you being always trapped in a body that doesn’t work and left in a bed?  Lately when I watch movies all I can do is cry.  I cried for what might’ve been and what should have been. I also try very hard to understand and live with my new ‘normal’. I’m not trying to get pity or be a Debbie downer, but sometimes this shit just really gets to me. I don’t understand what the fuck I did to deserve such an aggressive form of this disgusting disease. When I was diagnosed I had three babies under three and my life was torn apart.

Fuck you multiple sclerosis

I’m just so tired. Even Warriors fall apart at times. I’m just not sure how to put myself back together this time. It was just a fucking shower and my whole body feels like it just wants to curl up and die. And the doctors don’t listen. They don’t seem to care about my back fracture, they act like it’s not a big deal. It’s almost as if they feel like, hey she has multiple sclerosis she’s bedridden there’s nothing to do. The way the pain is affecting my life I may just have to do their morphine drops under the tongue. Sadly cannabis isn’t even helping me now. So what, they’re just gonna throw morphine under my tongue and leave me to die in a bed. The worst part is if I wasn’t stricken with multiple sclerosis they would be able to fix my knees, fix my hips, fix my back. But because of my disease it’s not worth it to anyone.  Regarding the back fracture, my God, maybe that’s the reason my legs completely stopped working in November 2013. Maybe it wasn’t the MS. But they have no answers for me about that. They basically just said possibly but there’s never any way to tell.  So now I am stuck wondering and really wondering what am I gonna do for my future.  Have no worries, I will get through this and I will continue to fight. Hell, I’m a fucking MS Warrior! 🖤

Have courage and be kind

family · friendship · hope · love · multiple sclerosis · primary progressive MS · Ramblings · strength

There are signs everywhere

Tracy14 Comments

When I feel like I can’t go on and I’m at my worst, things happen that pick me back up from the depths of my own hell.

On June 18, 2017 I joined an MS support group on Facebook. After a few months I was asked to be a part of the amazing administration team. 🤗 If not for this group I don’t think I would be holding on to hope or to life. I have met the most amazing MS warriors on the planet in this group which is now over 10,300 members strong.

Today wasn’t starting out to be very good. #Understatement 😉  When I came online I was greeted with wonderful comments to a post on Facebook by some amazing people that I met through the group. Another beautiful warrior messaged me regarding a gift she is sending me. ♥️ And then when I went in to the group, another amazing warrior sister posted a few memes and one of them resonated with me directly to my soul. I felt the need to come here and blog. I really can’t stress enough how this group and all of the amazing MS warrior brothers and sisters help me through every day! Now there are some days where I wish I could jump through the computer screen and junk punch a few of them 😂  But overall 99% of the members are absolutely wonderful. The group makes me feel like I am home.

And now without any further ado the meme…

Now if only I could have her hair. ☺️

Have courage and be kind!

anger · Darkness · Depression · Fear · FUCK · health · health insurance · healthcare · HELL · hope · lonliness · medical · medications · mindless-thoughts · multiple sclerosis · Pain · primary progressive MS · Quotes · Ramblings · RANDOM · sadness · strength · Wheelchair

Too Disabled…

Tracy12 Comments

Well those are not the words that were used, but that’s exactly what was meant. I’m too disabled for the DMD’s. That unfortunately in my current situation I am more susceptible to the side effects. Because of my bedridden status my body is at higher-risk of infection. With my constant bladder infections it could easily lead to sepsis. Because of the cancer that runs in my family I’m more apt to the cancer side effect of Ocrevus. And, in a nutshell, it’s not really meant for the primary progressive form of multiple sclerosis. I hate being right. I knew that the big hype that this was the first medication for the progressive forms would not mean primary progressive. If I want to be on the medication they will classify me as secondary progressive… and that’s not happening. I’m numb right now and I’m trying to come to terms with this. I’m angry too. There are people out there going med free thinking that they’re beating the monster that is MS. In the background MS is still progressing and doing its MS thing. I’m scared for them because when the relapse hits, and it will hit, it will be too late for them. They are blessed to be able to be on one of the many medications out there now, and they’re not doing it. I understand it’s a personal choice, I get that. But MS is not stopping because they’re eating right and exercising. That’s not going to slow or stop the progression. That’s not opinion, that is fact! I’m angry because I want to be on one of the medications and I am not able to take one. And for me the side effects aren’t nearly as awful as the MS. I’ve had to be med free, I’ve done the good healthy eating, I do the exercise as much as I can, and I still progressed to being bedridden. I’ll trade anyone of you people to be on those medications. Do you want to trade your MS for mine? Yeah I didn’t think so.

Before anyone says get a second opinion, this is the second neurologist opinion. He did say to keep doing what I’m doing regarding exercise and eating properly. But he also explained that I shouldn’t get my hopes up because I probably will not get back the use of my legs to transfer etc.. The good thing is with exercising I’m getting what’s called muscle memory. That’s pretty awesome because it’s much better than atrophy. But it really is kind of a second gut punch to me. I know in my intelligent brain that I can’t really get back everything I’ve lost, but in my hopeful mind I wanted to believe I could. So I will keep exercising the best I can and continue on. I have to, there is no other option. I will not fall back into my negative mind. I will keep my new positive outlook going and fight through this as I have fought through everything for the last two decades.

The main thing I have to do now is to let go of the what ifs. What if I had gotten into a physical therapy straightaway when I fell November 2013?  What if my doctors had been more proactive with me? I can’t go back and change any of it and I need to let it go. I need to move on from here and continue doing what I’m doing.

On in a bit of a positive note I did finally get my x-rays done. That fiasco is for another blog. LOL I’m hopeful this will give them some more information in combating my pain. Right now that’s my focus. If we can figure out what’s causing my pain and get it under control I may be able to be in my wheelchair more. So that will be my next journey, the journey for pain relief.

If you’re able, go out and seize the day, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Have courage and be kind…

Animals · boredom · confession · Depression · FUNNY · health · health insurance · hope · medical · mindless-thoughts · multiple sclerosis · primary progressive MS · Ramblings · strength · stupid_stuff · Wheelchair

Some days…

TracyLeave a comment

Seriously, some days I wonder why the hell I even bother waking up. No, I don’t mean the alternative. It just gets harder and harder it seems, to be trapped in this bed. Three months ago I was at the point where I didn’t care anymore. I kept my self medicated so I didn’t have to think about being in this prison. But then, I got help. My mind set changed and I saw that there was some hope left.  In a perfect world I would’ve been able to remain there until I could actually get up on my own. And no, I don’t mean up being a dancing fool, just able to transfer myself from my bed to my wheelchair.  In this world, insurance would have none of that. 😳

So I’ve been lying here for the last two days, angry and a little bit lost. It seems that since I had a glimpse of what might happen, I am not handling being trapped very well anymore. Hell, without the help I need, nothing is going to change. I feel like I’m fooling myself in a sense when I say that I can do this on my own. I want to keep that positive facade going so everyone thinks everything’s great… but it’s not. And no, I’m not giving up, but I am looking for alternatives. 🤔

I’ve been mindlessly watching movies for the last two days. Anything to keep my mind off of everything that I cannot do anymore. As I’m watching I constantly wiggle my butt 😏 move my arms 💪🏻 and try and strengthen myself. But in all honesty, that’s not going to change very much for me.  Right now while I’m talk typing, I’m wiggling my hips back-and-forth. Just keep moving is my new motto, and moving is what I will keep doing as much as I can. If only my dogs 🐶 had opposable thumbs and could understand me and be able to talk  and be strong enough to lift me up, everything would be aces. 😂  It could happen.

Okay, back to the real world. I think the worst part for me is that in my mind I can see myself moving my legs enough to be able to get transferred to my wheelchair. I can’t explain it properly. Sometimes as I’m lying here I can almost feel my body move on its own. I know that sounds like some crazy  psychotic shit. LOL  I wish I had the proper words for it. But I am literally drawing a blank. It’s like I can see myself outside of myself. Okay, now I’m  really going in to the realms of crazy psycho woman. 🤣  And I think I just said back to the real world. Welcome to my mind. 😳

I am now going to bid you farewell for the night.  You can thank me later. 💋

Have courage and be kind 🖤

 

Angels-Among-Us · confession · Craziness · Darkness · Depression · dreams · Faith · family · Fear · FUCK · health insurance · healthcare · HELL · hope · lonliness · love · medical · mindless-thoughts · multiple sclerosis · Pain · primary progressive MS · Quotes · Ramblings · RANDOM · sadness · sarcasm · strength

Positively unsure…

Tracy7 Comments

I’m positive that I’m unsure about everything right now. Day in and day out I lie in this bed and wonder if things are really going to change. When I say being positive is new to me, it’s a true story. I never realized that it’s very hard to keep a positive attitude. And when your life takes a turn like mine took two decades ago, it’s fucking hard. When I found help on February 23, I believed my life was going to change for the better. I’m still hopeful, but it’s much harder than I thought it would be. While I can move my legs and feet a little bit, I still am unable roll on to my side. I cannot sit up without something supporting my back. As I sit/lie here all I have this time. I’m looking at this blank page before me with tears in my eyes not even sure what to say. I miss the girl I was. I’m so angry at everything and everyone and at nothing and no one. Half the time I don’t even know what I’m saying or thinking anymore. I’m alone and I’m lonely but I don’t want anybody around me.

Most days I just want to scream at the top of my lungs for no apparent reason. The highlight of my day is watching the hummingbirds drinking the glorious nectar that keeps them going. Sugar water, go figure. I can stare at them and keep staring praying that they won’t fly away too quickly…

Is it so wrong two want to escape from this prison that is my body? I don’t want to sound negative or sad but nothing really is changing. We can’t afford a caregiver and I can expect my family to spend every free minute they have aside from what they’re already doing to help me. The whole physical therapy aftercare is a fucking joke. I can only call so many times without a return call. And in reality, if they do call I have no way to get there… So does it really matter. My husband cannot keep taking off as much work as he already does take care of me. My kids work and they shouldn’t have to take care of me. They have done that their whole lives already. And then there’s the pain… the pain that never goes away. The physical and the mental pain Is exhausting. I’m trying so hard to stay strong to keep that positive light flowing.

No one understands that when just sitting like a normal person causes so much pain, it makes a person not want to get out of the bed. The minute my hips go to the proper sitting position the pain latches on and won’t go away. My legs have plopped the side [frog legs] for over four years [11/2013] and when my hips rotate it’s excruciating. Pain meds, muscle relaxants, cannabis, CBD, nothing stops it. I’ve l earned to grit my teeth, quietly let the tears flow, bare it, and warrior on because I have to! I have orders to get ultrasounds on my legs to check for clots, an order to have x-rays of my hips and lower back to check for arthritis aside from my degenerative disc, an order for a mammogram that I’ve put off for the last 2 1/2 three years. Breast cancer took my sister from me I miss her so much…

And I digress. So as I said, I have all of those things I need to get taken care but have no way to get there. I know that my husband will take another day off work to get me to these appointments and that is why I don’t want to make them. It’s also going to suck big hairy donkey balls because of the pain that’s going to happen when trying to get me out of my wheelchair to lie flat for the x-rays. I hope they have some strong men working that day and maybe even a chaser of morphine.

On the outside looking in people probably think I’m lazy. Although I don’t know how I can do much more from my bed. I fought for the last two decades against MS and it didn’t change a thing. I Just kept progressing to where I’m now. But don’t worry, I’m still going to fight and do what I can from this bed to keep going.

I’m going to put my arm weights on every day and do my exercises. I’m going to have my family help me move my legs when they get a free moment. I’m going to keep moving my legs as much as I can even if it is only a little. I know right now I can’t move them very much, but with hard work it can only get better. Or it won’t. But even in the dreary depressed mood I am in at this moment, I will never quit. I will never end up in the hospital again after trying to take my life. [2/2017] I will never end up in the hospital again contemplating taking my life. [2/2018] Because what that month of physical therapy DID give to me was a glimpse in to what might be. I know now I was just a body in bed but while I was there I learned the tools to better myself. I have all the paperwork showing the specific exercises; I know what to do. And even if nothing changes, no one can say I didn’t fight and fight hard! One thing I learned and I’m still learning is there truly is something beautiful in every. I didn’t see that before. That’s how I make it through now. As I’m reading through this I’m not even sure what I’m trying to say. But, I’m in here and I’m saying it and that alone is strength.

Have courage and be kind.