Last night I mentioned a somewhat controversial topic...

I failed to mention that it has been a rather slow progression… I started out nearly fifteen years ago going through many misdiagnoses, since when I could not walk for six months I was put into physical therapy, occupational therapy and neuromuscular massage therapy and this would go on and off twelve more times over a ten year period, although I must admit I did have about four good years when I did need it one more time but for only a month, and another time earlier that that for after my basilar joint arthritis/hand surgery. And than fast forward to 2005/ 2006, weird symptoms abounding, ENT diagnosed balance not related inner ear disorder, diagnosis Ataxia. Sent back to the orthopedic doctor to see if my cervical stenosis or spondylosis is causing numbness and tingling, parathesia and he felt it was caused neurologically, thus the neurologist gets involved and does a MRI and sees my first lesions that no one looked for with an MRI and he gives me DX, diagnoses of MS, April of 2006. Sends me to a MS center where they do another bunch of tests and tell me that it is inconclusive and by my last MRI I lose my insurance due to Hubby’s injury not allowing him to continue working any longer, October 31, 2006, last MRI was October 13, 2006(and also unbeknownst to me the day my niece like a sister at one time, had died) and did get the results that showed I had TIA's and other not normal occurrences that could be ischemic, but not definitive lesions by their standards and bands were shown in my spinal tap, but the doctor had a wait and see attitude before he would put me on medication… By April of 2009 I was hospitalized for an exacerbation on the MS and put on three days of IV 1000 mg. of Solu Medrol and came home being told the cane I was using for my Ataxia was causing the pain in my shoulders and to use a walker more even distribution, fall of that year I began walking in the cooler weather here in Florida and got up to an hour a day and even lost 12 pounds… but soon my hips hurt all night long and when the health department doctor was told he said stop walking! I suppose he subscribed to the theory: if it hurts when you do this; don’t do this! And so I did stop. That February I got my scooter and used it only for when we go out where there is a lot of walking… Fast forward to 2010 the year of my sixtieth birthday, nice party with old friends from my writer’s group came for that a few days before my actual… good thing too since on my birthday I lost the sight in my right eye. I went to the doctor and she felt right away it was optic neuritis and she put me on Copaxone and wanted me on another dose of IV steroids no insurance and I could not go back into the hospital for that way too expensive and so I started trying to find out a place that could do it for a price I could afford and it took a while, nearly a month, two weeks longer than I should have taken, since unbeknownst to me for my window to regain my sight, but I did have the IV steroids again same as the hospital but at home I wanted my sight back! Weeks, months and now years have passed and still no luck, righty is forever a goner and lefty is still playing with me, although reports from the pros say that lefty is fine, just overworked, doing the job for two. From December to June of 2011 I did try to do Yoga which I had taken for two years, years ago and incorporated my Aquacize that I was a certified teacher of, for six whole months and I ended up exacerbating my MS again and going on three days of IV steroids! My spasms have been constant for these last several years even doctor skeptic put me on Baclofen right away back in 2006 and I have had all different doses since then, now with my Gabapentin another similar medication but also used for epilepsy. At this point I am on eighteen pills and one daily injection a day, not all for MS I have many other problems from my thyroid to cholesterol to blood pressure and GERD etc…I am a mess, any-who, again the wheelchair was never giving up it was like when I stopped driving not because I can only see out of one eye, since by law you can still drive, it was because I could not with legs get the car up to speed they are not strong enough anymore! Most of us who have challengers still want to be in the game but not at expense of others put in jeopardy! Like my walker and scooter driving, in the house furniture and puppy beware, but out in PUBLIC I worry, who wants to be known as a scary driver of a scooter or walker, really? This decision was difficult enough, without others think I am giving up… BECAUSE I AM NOT! I am just concerned with the welfare of others, think of this as a public service concept. On that note of pleading my case on my behalf, now would someone who gave up do that? Allow me to be the first to wish all of you to kindly count all of your blessings and share all of you overages and we will too! And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!