OK, so it may sound a little odd but my wife has cold strips down her leg, and certain toes that will go cold from her MS. The last few days she has had MS leg issues, meaning that they are hurting and she has numbness and a cold feeling. The cold is a stripe down the side of her leg from her hip to her toes. It's really strange and when this happens she struggles to stay warm. She has to either take a hot bath or get under an electric blanket to warm up.
We've also noticed that when these MS attacks happen, she becomes very fatigued and very emotional. We recently moved back to Texas so we don't have our normal treatments in place, and are currently looking for a Pro Adjuster Chiropractor in the area. We found a Chiropractor that does something similar but not quite the same, and after being adjusted today she had improvement but not the level of improvement we are used to. My wife commented earlier that she didn't feel like she normally would after an adjustment.
We have wondered through the years what a different type of adjustment would do, but we have always found a Pro Adjuster and she has continued to have similar results with each new Chiropractor. So, after talking with others that haven't had the same results we have had with Chiropractic it has made me wonder how effective different methods of Chiropractic are on MS. We know what has worked for my wife, and for me and my daughter for other issues, and we will find the right kind of Chiropractor in our area. My wife has an appt on Wednesday with a Pro Adjuster Chiro to see what she thinks, and we will get things in place for her treatment.
Showing posts with label fatigue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fatigue. Show all posts
Monday, April 7, 2014
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
First Years With Multiple Sclerosis
The first MS attack my wife remembers was her left arm going numb from her shoulder to her finger tips. During that time, she was going to paralegal school and had recently moved to the Dallas area. She was 20 yrs old at the time. She went to see the doctors and they felt she had carpal tunnel syndrome. They gave her a wrist support and sent her home, diagnosing her with a pinched nerve. For weeks she was numb, then the feeling started to come back. Everyone felt as if this was an isolated incident and not a big deal. Almost a year later, at Thanksgiving, my wife started to have fuzziness in her left eye. This was after a busy day and it came on without warning. She noticed the problem as she tried to drive home and couldn't see well when she was passing cars. She went to bed that night not knowing what the issue was, then woke up the next day blind in that eye.
She immediately went to see the eye doctor and he gave my wife the diagnosis of MS. He explained that he had only seen this issue with patients that had Multiple Sclerosis. My wife's biological mom had been in contact with her adoptive father at the time so he knew that she could have MS. At that time, the doctors were still teaching that MS was not hereditary and my wife was one of the first cases of a mother/daughter with MS. Her eye doctor gave her steroids for the blindness and she was able to regain her sight after a few weeks. My wife was completely blind for a full week this first time before the sight began to come back. About the time that she had regained her sight completely back, her right eye went blind.
This happened the day after Christmas, and seemed to coincide with her menstrual cycle. This time my wife was hospitalized and put through testing for MS. She had an MRI done and a spinal tap. Neither one of these came back positive for MS. The MRI showed no lesions but her parents felt like it was definitely MS. Her father chose at this point to not continue any testing because as a pharmacist, he felt like it was futile. He felt like it was a waste because it wasn't like they could cure or really even help with the drugs that were available then. The doctors started her on steroids and her eyesight began to come back just like it had before.
About that same time my wife's mother attended a Yanni concert. During the concert he spoke about how his daughter was about to give birth, and about how she had MS. My wife's mother approached him after the concert and he took her aside and told her about Dr Roy L Swank. My in-laws called Dr. Swank's office and was lucky enough to get an appointment within a month due to a cancellation and her age. Because she was only 21 at the time, Dr. Swank wanted to see her as quickly as possible. My wife moved back home and went to see Dr. Swank. Dr. Swank confirmed the MS diagnosis and had her start the Swank MS diet. My wife moved back home and began the diet immediately.
For nine months my wife slept and kept a strict diet according to Dr. Swank's book. Right after the blindness issues, my wife had tingling in her legs and problems walking. She also started to have epileptic seizures in her left arm. She had the seizures for about a month, and the doctors had her take seizure medication. The seizures stopped after that month and she has not had any since. The leg issues continued off and on for the first six months after starting the diet. My wife's main memories of that first year of MS were sleeping all the time and being stuck at the house. She remembers how strict the diet was and how worried she was about breaking the diet. She has commented many times about how she was worried about eating a french fry, or potato chip, because it might make her blind. Even when I met her a few years later, she was still strict with her diet and wouldn't cheat due to fear that it would hurt her and cause an MS attack.
After the nine months of sleeping, my wife slowly began to go back to work and continue with her schooling. She continued to have mild MS issues, including fatigue, tingling in her legs/feet, tingling in her arms/hands and headaches. About two years after starting the diet, she went blind for her third time. This time the eye issues started right after rock climbing and hiking all day. About a year later, my wife and I met. I know there are many, many things I am leaving out about those first few years, but maybe this will give a big picture view of my wife's experience. I will try to get into more detail in later posts.
She immediately went to see the eye doctor and he gave my wife the diagnosis of MS. He explained that he had only seen this issue with patients that had Multiple Sclerosis. My wife's biological mom had been in contact with her adoptive father at the time so he knew that she could have MS. At that time, the doctors were still teaching that MS was not hereditary and my wife was one of the first cases of a mother/daughter with MS. Her eye doctor gave her steroids for the blindness and she was able to regain her sight after a few weeks. My wife was completely blind for a full week this first time before the sight began to come back. About the time that she had regained her sight completely back, her right eye went blind.
This happened the day after Christmas, and seemed to coincide with her menstrual cycle. This time my wife was hospitalized and put through testing for MS. She had an MRI done and a spinal tap. Neither one of these came back positive for MS. The MRI showed no lesions but her parents felt like it was definitely MS. Her father chose at this point to not continue any testing because as a pharmacist, he felt like it was futile. He felt like it was a waste because it wasn't like they could cure or really even help with the drugs that were available then. The doctors started her on steroids and her eyesight began to come back just like it had before.
About that same time my wife's mother attended a Yanni concert. During the concert he spoke about how his daughter was about to give birth, and about how she had MS. My wife's mother approached him after the concert and he took her aside and told her about Dr Roy L Swank. My in-laws called Dr. Swank's office and was lucky enough to get an appointment within a month due to a cancellation and her age. Because she was only 21 at the time, Dr. Swank wanted to see her as quickly as possible. My wife moved back home and went to see Dr. Swank. Dr. Swank confirmed the MS diagnosis and had her start the Swank MS diet. My wife moved back home and began the diet immediately.
For nine months my wife slept and kept a strict diet according to Dr. Swank's book. Right after the blindness issues, my wife had tingling in her legs and problems walking. She also started to have epileptic seizures in her left arm. She had the seizures for about a month, and the doctors had her take seizure medication. The seizures stopped after that month and she has not had any since. The leg issues continued off and on for the first six months after starting the diet. My wife's main memories of that first year of MS were sleeping all the time and being stuck at the house. She remembers how strict the diet was and how worried she was about breaking the diet. She has commented many times about how she was worried about eating a french fry, or potato chip, because it might make her blind. Even when I met her a few years later, she was still strict with her diet and wouldn't cheat due to fear that it would hurt her and cause an MS attack.
After the nine months of sleeping, my wife slowly began to go back to work and continue with her schooling. She continued to have mild MS issues, including fatigue, tingling in her legs/feet, tingling in her arms/hands and headaches. About two years after starting the diet, she went blind for her third time. This time the eye issues started right after rock climbing and hiking all day. About a year later, my wife and I met. I know there are many, many things I am leaving out about those first few years, but maybe this will give a big picture view of my wife's experience. I will try to get into more detail in later posts.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Aleve or a leave?
I will never forget the confusion that was caused a few years ago when Dr. Swank told my wife to take a leave. We were not sure if he meant Aleve or a leave from work. We knew that he recommended my wife not working at all if possible, and if she was having problems he would ask if she could take a few days off to rest and recoup. Today is one of those days when she probably needs Aleve and to take a leave from life to rest.
We just returned from a weekend in Cloudcroft NM for the holidays. It was beautiful and we played hard the whole weekend. They had received a foot of snow a few days before we arrived, so there was enough snow to sled on but not enough to cause any driving issues. We hoped they would have the small ski area open in Cloudcroft, but there wasn't enough snow for them to operate it. So, we opted for sledding and snowball fights and just plain fun.
We never know how my wife's MS will affect a trip like this, so we usually try to over prepare so that we have all the necessary things we might need. This trip was nothing out of the ordinary. Most Multiple Sclerosis sufferers have an aversion to heat and have to stay away from hot baths and the hot days of summer. My wife is affected by it, but not to the extent we read about others that are highly sensitive to heat. One thing she is affected by is cold. If we plan well, she doesn't have too much of a problem, but if she ever gets chilled it is extremely hard for her to get warm. On this particular trip, we knew we were staying in a Bed and Breakfast that was a little drafty, so we brought our own space heater and extra blankets.
The cold ended up not being an issue because of our planning, and we had a blast. She even flew down the hill a few times on the sled and was laughing and having fun the whole time. She amazes me by what she can do, especially when I know that she has to always worry about the MS. Years ago she lost her eyesight right after mountain climbing, so we both are concerned when she has a lot of stress on her physical and mental state. She was scared this trip because of the height and speed of the drop we were going down, but she still jumped on the sled and flew down the hill.
Something we have noticed through the years is that she can handle physical activity in the cold. She and I both love to snow ski, and as long as she "listens" to her body, we can ski for days without her having any issues. She has to be careful that she doesn't tire out her legs, but the lift ride usually helps to keep her fresh and ready to go again. This weekend was no different, we all were going non-stop from the time we arrived in Cloudcroft, and she did great. She made sure and rested when possible, and she went to bed early so that she could get a full nights sleep. We knew that so much activity would begin to catch up with her, so she is going to spend the next few days resting and sleeping as much as possible to recover.
MS can be a real burden and downer sometimes, but this past weekend was proof that good planning can lead to a great time. One day we hope that she will not have to be so careful, but for now we will take those moments when she is feeling great and flying down a hill. Those are the memories we want to create for our daughter and for us - memories of us laughing, playing and enjoying life to it's limits.
We just returned from a weekend in Cloudcroft NM for the holidays. It was beautiful and we played hard the whole weekend. They had received a foot of snow a few days before we arrived, so there was enough snow to sled on but not enough to cause any driving issues. We hoped they would have the small ski area open in Cloudcroft, but there wasn't enough snow for them to operate it. So, we opted for sledding and snowball fights and just plain fun.
We never know how my wife's MS will affect a trip like this, so we usually try to over prepare so that we have all the necessary things we might need. This trip was nothing out of the ordinary. Most Multiple Sclerosis sufferers have an aversion to heat and have to stay away from hot baths and the hot days of summer. My wife is affected by it, but not to the extent we read about others that are highly sensitive to heat. One thing she is affected by is cold. If we plan well, she doesn't have too much of a problem, but if she ever gets chilled it is extremely hard for her to get warm. On this particular trip, we knew we were staying in a Bed and Breakfast that was a little drafty, so we brought our own space heater and extra blankets.
The cold ended up not being an issue because of our planning, and we had a blast. She even flew down the hill a few times on the sled and was laughing and having fun the whole time. She amazes me by what she can do, especially when I know that she has to always worry about the MS. Years ago she lost her eyesight right after mountain climbing, so we both are concerned when she has a lot of stress on her physical and mental state. She was scared this trip because of the height and speed of the drop we were going down, but she still jumped on the sled and flew down the hill.
Something we have noticed through the years is that she can handle physical activity in the cold. She and I both love to snow ski, and as long as she "listens" to her body, we can ski for days without her having any issues. She has to be careful that she doesn't tire out her legs, but the lift ride usually helps to keep her fresh and ready to go again. This weekend was no different, we all were going non-stop from the time we arrived in Cloudcroft, and she did great. She made sure and rested when possible, and she went to bed early so that she could get a full nights sleep. We knew that so much activity would begin to catch up with her, so she is going to spend the next few days resting and sleeping as much as possible to recover.
MS can be a real burden and downer sometimes, but this past weekend was proof that good planning can lead to a great time. One day we hope that she will not have to be so careful, but for now we will take those moments when she is feeling great and flying down a hill. Those are the memories we want to create for our daughter and for us - memories of us laughing, playing and enjoying life to it's limits.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Normal MS, if there is such a thing.
The last few weeks have been pretty calm. My wife has been dealing with the usual fatigue and small issues, but nothing too major. It is pretty sad that fatigue and small issues are the norm, but we aren't giving up on those being gone someday too. I have been studying up on a new doctor and his treatments, and hopefully we will be able to go see him next year. He doesn't take insurance, and everything is cash up front so we are going to have to prepare for the expense. So far I have found exceptional results from his treatments, and personally know a few doctors that have been treated by him. I am also looking into a few other treatments that have shown promise, and I know that 2008 is going to be another year of milestones and learning. Right now, we are just trying to make it through the holidays in one piece and with our health intact. This time of year is always a struggle, with all of the hoopla and energy you have to expend. So, we will go into holiday mode and my wife will start resting more and making sure she is not overdoing it. Just as an example, she rarely shops this time of year. The crowds and the hassle and the long lines just cause more issues than any of the shopping specials are worth. We shop ahead of time or go to the stores for specific things so that she is not exhausted from it. We also try to pay attention to our eating habits a little more. After my wife was first diagnosed, she started on the Swank MS Diet. We would travel to Oregon once a year to spend a day at Dr. Roy L Swank's office and my wife followed the diet as best she could. Everything Dr. Swank said would happen, happened. She did great as long as she was on it, but we moved to a Children's home as house parents in 1999 and she just wasn't able to focus on her meals. Dr. Swank had always told her that once you get off the diet you probably wouldn't see the effects for about 2 years. He was exactly right. After two years of being off of the diet, she started having more issues, and she has struggled to get back on it since. We know that food choices affect MS. It is so obvious that our eating habits play a huge role in our everyday life, with or without MS. We make excuses and eat unhealthy and we reap exactly what we have sown. We have been working on our families eating habits, but we have a long way to go. If you're interested in Swank's diet, there are a multitude of sites online that explain the diet and give helpful advice about recipes and eating out. Dr. Swank is no longer in practice, but I know that we owe a lot to him and to his staff for the great job they did in truly taking an interest in the needs of MS patients. So, if you have MS or have a family member with MS, please take the extra time over the holidays to rest and recover. A short nap everyday or a little extra rest can go so far in helping with the holiday stress.
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