Atypical Multiple Sclerosis

Now six weeks since my last Cytoxan infusion, I feel pretty.  I continue to strengthen, awaken back to normalcy.  Not just in body, but mind as well.  No longer am I in the “Chemo Mind” (routine of mentally preparing for the next infusion, while tolerating the ever overwhelming accumulation of physical fatigue).  I walk among the living. 

Feeling like I emerged from a cave, my year long retreat, I enjoy each moment.  Thanks to the Cytoxan, my docs, the chemo nurses, all who walked this path before me, my hubby, my son, my mom, my sisters, my brothers, my friends, the kindness of strangers (Hey, I could go on forever-but I won’t) I FEEL BETTER. STRONGER.  

I know there is a disability scale, but I never asked where I was on that scale or even how it worked.  I didn’t need a scale to tell me how I was doing. Living life told me that.  As a result I don’t know numerically how much I improved.  Again, I don’t need a scale of arbitrary numbers to tell me that.  I improved greatly in every area except spasticity as evidenced by my past and future posts “Chronicles of ITB Pump”.

To give some taste of where I was before the chemo.  I have exactly twelve steps to climb from my first floor to the second floor where lies my bedroom.  I could not climb those stairs without my husband.  We were making plans to convert formal living room into my bedroom.  Not a big deal really, but considering that only two years prior I was taking those steps two at a time even at midnight after awaking at 5AM that morning, it was a BIG DEAL.

I could not touch my nose.  My index finger landed on my face, but not my nose.  Why is this a big deal? Well, because that was just a test the doc performs to analyze coordination.  Do you know how much coordination it takes to shower, get dressed, walk, eat, prepare food.  I think you see where I am going.  All these tasks were problems for me to complete.

Walking was a big problem for me.  Using two forearm crutches and awkwardly uncomfortable (putting it mildly) plastic ankle foot orthotics(AFOs) barely enabled me to get around my house.  Whether I parked in our under house garage or in our driveway, a mountain of stairs stood between me and my house.  Now, even though spasticity is an issue, I have the strength to tackle that mountain.

The end result is this:  My quality of life, my family’s quality of life has markedly improved.  My health in general has Greatly Improved.  Even my blood pressure which pre-MS was “perfect” (docs told me) to post-MS on the “high side” (again docs told me-nothing to worry about considering) to post-chemo is currently “normal-perfect”.  GOOD STUFF!