Another day, another rituxin treatment!  This will be my third one, I’m halfway there!  WOOHOO

Vitals are not as great as could be: 156/70BP, 96% pulse ox, 97.7 temp, 80bpm. I only had to be stuck twice,  she had it the first time but the vein blew! We had been talking insurance so that could be why blood pressure was up, that usually will cause that result every time.

Since last time, I have started getting my vaccinations on May 31st.  I had my polio and first round of hepatitis B.  Not much has changed on my symptoms but that is a good thing.  I have gone back to sleeping four hours at night before I have to go to the bathroom.  I took my last bactrim the middle of May and since then I am now working on my second yeast infection!  Dr. Gomez and all the girls say I look so much better and I feel better.  I just need to try to do more stuff around the house but it is so hard to do things in the chair, I know, that’s just an excuse!

Had an appointment with Dr. Mallard and he is ordering me a brace for my right knee to try and stop the hyperextension so my Bioness machine will work better for my drop foot q.  Their rep said that was my problem why my machine is not working properly.  I got a new grab bar to put at the window in the dining room so I can do my leg exercises and look out the window.  That should help with my balance and hopefully my walking.

I go Monday to see my neurologist, Dr. Chan, and I hope to get an MRI and it will show that my MS is in remission.  I think he will see that my strength in my hand and arms are so much better and leg strength is better also.

My appointment was at 8:30 and it is 9:30 now, still waiting for the blood results.  I have the I.V. in so it should be a matter of time. I see Dr. Gomez at 11:30 so thank goodness they are in the same building.  They have had a lady from Oklahoma call cto see if they can do her rituxin but they don’t know about her insurance.  I hope they can help her.

After my appointments, we are going to go to Dollar Tree, Walmart and eat lunch. As always, we make a day of it.  Poor Shadow looked so pitiful when we left but we told him we wouldn’t be gone all day! Do you think he believed us, probably not.

Well it is now 10:30 and I think they have lost my blood because I am still waiting for results. Dr. Gomez went ahead and saw me while waiting.  Both her and her nurse are amazed at how well I am getting around.  She says she is going to advertise blood disorders and MS treatment.  I think they are as happy as I am with my results.  Kristie asked about bleeding and I told her I was getting nosebleeds and they suggested l cut back on my Aleve, so I am going to go down to one every twelve hours. I sure don’t want to start having arthritis pain in my left thumb. 10:45 and my drop has started.  YAY!!!

My eyes are getting heavy so I am going to say adios and post again later on another day when I have some news.

I am 6 months post and had my eye exam yesterday where I received some very good news. He had me do the good old “follow my finger or pen”  and of course I can’t see for myself but he told me that my left eye was a little jerky following it. My eye use to be so slow that when it got to a certain point it would sling to catch up with the right!

This test was done on me in April 1992 at my first visit with a neurologist and to my surprise he gave me his ruling.  95% sure you have MS so the next week I had my first MRI and it showed the white plagues on my brain. I had gone to this appointment by myself thinking I needed a back doctor instead! Needless to say I walked out of his office thinking I had been dealt the death card.  I called Jimmy in tears and we met at the apartment and had a good teary-eyed talk.

After learning what MS was all about, we realized it wasn’t a death sentence but a life in prison sentence!  As the years went by and my movement slowly went downhill, normal life became a big pain in the butt but Jimmy and I stuck it out.  Two weeks after my diagnosis, I had my first bout of optic neuritis and we decided the my fate had sure enough been sealed.

With my treatment with HSCT, I think my life sentence might be coming to an end.  I can now turn my head to both sides and only see one thing that I am looking at instead of two! Maybe one of these days the doctors will let me drive again. Best decision I ever made going to Clinica Ruiz in Puebla City Mexico!

Here I am again at the Twin Rivers Cancer Center getting my second rituxin infusion. My vitals are 98.2 temp, 117/62 blood pressure, 93 pulse ox, 87 BPM. I know everyone finds these numbers exciting but it is a way for me to keep up with it.  As soon as my bloodwork gets back, we’ll have another set of numbers!

It has been two months since I have updated on my symptoms. They haven’t changed much since last time.  My signature is getting so much better and close to what it originally looked like.  I can actually use a stick pen at the cash registers instead of having to dig out my special pen from my purse.  My balance is slowly getting better as long as I stand still but my right foot drop sure causes me trouble in walking.

I have an appointment tomorrow at Hanger Clinic to be evaluated for a WalkAide. This unit works like my Bioness L300 but you don’t have to wear shoes or carry a handheld unit for control.  It has been three years since I have worn my Bioness machine and it shocks me but it is out of sync.  Since I bought my unit, the lab has quit selling them and working on them. Just like other medical equipment and suppliers, the first question they ask is “Did you get it from us?” You answer “no” and their answer is “Sorry, we only work on units we sell.”. GRRR!

It took me forever to get a rep from Bioness to contact me to look at it and I go see her in Jonesboro on April 28th at Health South.  We shall see then if it can me recalibrated. If it can’t, I’ll have a used machine to sell! It was purchased in 2011.

I have my last physical therapy Friday so I will be on my own!   I have purchased a hand grip exersicor, some thera-putty, and some floral marbles.  This way I can continue these at home,as well as my other exercises.  I was showed yesterday how to do some exercises in my chair for my core. These will help with my balance  and maybe my walking. Since not walking my back muscles have went downhill and they go out way before my leg muscles do.

My bloodwork looks good. My glucose is high but we ate breakfast at Hog Wild before coming over here.  I use lots of sugar in my coffee! My white blood cell count is 7.5 and my lymphocytes are a little low at 19 by one point and all my liver counts are good.

My treatment is almost over and so I shall close this post for now and proof this so I can post it.

Have a wonderful day!