Well folks, it looked like (as I kind of thought it might when I was writing the entry) that I spoke a little too soon on the previous entry.
A very mild but familiar feeling came over me last week when I was driving up and down this great country and almost instantaneously I rang Lourdes hospital in Liverpool to get booked in with my consultant neurologist Dr Nicholson.
The mild feeling is similar to that described in the beginning of my blog over a year ago http://mj2000uk.blogspot.com/2007/03/today-medication-starts.html and I recognise the cramp like feeling coming on and moving down the left side of my body making me feel like a complete spastic while it happens. As I say, this is a mild version of it so spasticity is not quite there yet but I know what this will develop into so I was straight over to Lourdes!!!
Anyway, Kerris and I went to see the consultant tonight (I always like to take Kerris as she seems able to fill in all kinds of blanks that I cant) and after explaining all that's going on on top of the usual hand numbness and balance on the left side we came to the rather obvious conclusion that what happened to me last year was not a one off. I don't swear much but........*******ks.
I now face the very real possibility that this could be MS.
We had quite a long chat with the consultant and decided that there is still a chance that it may not be and that I can be tested for a further condition (neuromyelitis optica or Devic's disease - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devic's_disease) and that the best course of action was to hold out to see if these attacks get worse and if not there will be a note sent from my consultant to my GP for a course of Methylprednisolone and anyone who reads the blog will remember the fun I had with that last year.
All in all though, I feel quite upbeat. The attacks aren't severe, I have a course of treatment on standby if they change and I am being tested for something other than MS (although the consultant did say that MS was the better of the two to have!!!).
If over time I can find something to control the numbness and weakness and the worst case for me is a course of steroids once a year then I can handle that. There is also a strength in me that says "Listen Mike, you have been here and stared this in the face before" so I am not heading into territory that is unknown. So yes, I feel more up than down.
Also on the plus side....just downloaded the new Def Leppard album. Now there is a reason to be cheerful!!!!
Monday, 28 April 2008
Friday, 18 April 2008
Happy
I am in a good place right now I think.
I was telling Kerris earlier that I am happy.
Happiness is something that most people take for granted but with me, I have had a lot of reasons to not be happy. Following on from my aches and pains, my discontentment at Ingersoll Rand and the rough ride I had from Burg during my time at Onyx, there must have been a good 18 months of my life where happy was not a word used in excess.
I have just completed my 3rd week at Salto. I know the product, I know the sales pitch, I know the people and basically I know what I am doing!!!
Take today as an example, I drove over to Newark (find that on the map) and did a presentation to a company taking care of a security specification for a school of Islam in Oxford. I was happy to drive over on a Friday, contently switching between Thunder MP3 tracks and Radio 2, the customer greeted me and made me feel welcome. I listened to their problem, identified where the Salto product could solve the problem, back up all claims with case studies and practical demonstrations and left with the warm feeling that I know our system will make it into the specification.
THIS IS WHAT MY JOB SHOULD BE LIKE!!!!
I drove home contently, switching between Radio 4, Classic FM and Queen MP3 tracks (1973-1982) and got home on the nose of 5.00 in time to drink a beer and prepare our evening meal.
Its not a lot is it, but for now, I am happy.
I was telling Kerris earlier that I am happy.
Happiness is something that most people take for granted but with me, I have had a lot of reasons to not be happy. Following on from my aches and pains, my discontentment at Ingersoll Rand and the rough ride I had from Burg during my time at Onyx, there must have been a good 18 months of my life where happy was not a word used in excess.
I have just completed my 3rd week at Salto. I know the product, I know the sales pitch, I know the people and basically I know what I am doing!!!
Take today as an example, I drove over to Newark (find that on the map) and did a presentation to a company taking care of a security specification for a school of Islam in Oxford. I was happy to drive over on a Friday, contently switching between Thunder MP3 tracks and Radio 2, the customer greeted me and made me feel welcome. I listened to their problem, identified where the Salto product could solve the problem, back up all claims with case studies and practical demonstrations and left with the warm feeling that I know our system will make it into the specification.
THIS IS WHAT MY JOB SHOULD BE LIKE!!!!
I drove home contently, switching between Radio 4, Classic FM and Queen MP3 tracks (1973-1982) and got home on the nose of 5.00 in time to drink a beer and prepare our evening meal.
Its not a lot is it, but for now, I am happy.
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Amitriptyline
I have held back from adding this entry for a few weeks as for once I wanted to give something a chance before reporting back.
Amitriptyline is a drug that has been prescribed to me following on from some advice I got at the recent MS Life exhibition in Manchester. I got the chance to speak with an MS nurse and I was surprised at how easily she was able to relate to my symptoms.
For over a year now, I have had 2 lingering symptoms of the full blown attack of last year. The 2 symptoms are a constant pins and needles/numbness in my right hand and also a lack of control over my left leg when I walk for any great distance.
The nurse gave me answers to both of these.
With regards to the numbness. Its horrible. It does not stop me from doing anything but it is uncomfortable and causes me to feel somewhat defeated every now and then. The feeling increases when I lie down and most mornings when I wake, it is rife in my hand and I have no feeling at all in the hand. Once I wake, there is no going back to sleep and sometimes it likes to wake me nice and early!! Its a good job that I am not a wriggler in bed for Kerris!!!
Amitriptyline was prescribed by my doctor after I told him that the MS nurse recommended it to reduce the sensation in the hand. Our doctor is great, in his own words......"anything to help". So I have now been taking them for 2 weeks.
The result is a reduction!!! The effects can take up to 4 weeks to be fully felt so hopefully it will continue to reduce the feeling so I am happy that although it does not take the symptom away, it does make it more manageable.
My only other concern now is dependence on medicine to control a symptom. Well, its going to be a test to see if I can keep it up. Perhaps I can get to a stage where I take a lower dose or one every other day but at the moment, I am happy getting it into me!!!
As for the leg control, well that's another story for another entry!!!
Amitriptyline is a drug that has been prescribed to me following on from some advice I got at the recent MS Life exhibition in Manchester. I got the chance to speak with an MS nurse and I was surprised at how easily she was able to relate to my symptoms.
For over a year now, I have had 2 lingering symptoms of the full blown attack of last year. The 2 symptoms are a constant pins and needles/numbness in my right hand and also a lack of control over my left leg when I walk for any great distance.
The nurse gave me answers to both of these.
With regards to the numbness. Its horrible. It does not stop me from doing anything but it is uncomfortable and causes me to feel somewhat defeated every now and then. The feeling increases when I lie down and most mornings when I wake, it is rife in my hand and I have no feeling at all in the hand. Once I wake, there is no going back to sleep and sometimes it likes to wake me nice and early!! Its a good job that I am not a wriggler in bed for Kerris!!!
Amitriptyline was prescribed by my doctor after I told him that the MS nurse recommended it to reduce the sensation in the hand. Our doctor is great, in his own words......"anything to help". So I have now been taking them for 2 weeks.
The result is a reduction!!! The effects can take up to 4 weeks to be fully felt so hopefully it will continue to reduce the feeling so I am happy that although it does not take the symptom away, it does make it more manageable.
My only other concern now is dependence on medicine to control a symptom. Well, its going to be a test to see if I can keep it up. Perhaps I can get to a stage where I take a lower dose or one every other day but at the moment, I am happy getting it into me!!!
As for the leg control, well that's another story for another entry!!!
Monday, 14 April 2008
And another thing about being 35......
There are a few more scary things about turning 35.......
1 - Suddenly, I have moved an age bracket. On all application forms I am now a member of the 35-44 club. This time last month, I was in the 25-34 bracket.
2 - My year of birth, 1973, now requires me to use the scroll bar when selecting it filling out online forms. Again, previously it was there without the scroll!!!
Bummer hey!!!
I have made an executive decision, I will now deploy the power of the Google toolbar "auto fill" option. In doing so, I will no longer have to do any of the above, at least not online anyway!!!
1 - Suddenly, I have moved an age bracket. On all application forms I am now a member of the 35-44 club. This time last month, I was in the 25-34 bracket.
2 - My year of birth, 1973, now requires me to use the scroll bar when selecting it filling out online forms. Again, previously it was there without the scroll!!!
Bummer hey!!!
I have made an executive decision, I will now deploy the power of the Google toolbar "auto fill" option. In doing so, I will no longer have to do any of the above, at least not online anyway!!!
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
A little about being 35.......
I don't think that it comes as any surprise to me that as I change job (once again), it also coincides with my 35th birthday.
Whether you decide to believe this or not, I have had in my head a reasoning that told me that by the time I am 35, I want to be doing the job that will control my future years. This has been on my mind since I turned 30.
I never assumed that I would start down a new path at this time and I did not time this accordingly, it just happened.
So perhaps its fate that as my mental clock tick, I take on a new challenge as the magic 35 arrives.
All I can say about my new job is that it is exactly what I want to be doing right now, it falls nicely into place at the right time and for the first time in my life (certainly career wise) I can see a light at the end of the security tunnel.
Whether you decide to believe this or not, I have had in my head a reasoning that told me that by the time I am 35, I want to be doing the job that will control my future years. This has been on my mind since I turned 30.
I never assumed that I would start down a new path at this time and I did not time this accordingly, it just happened.
So perhaps its fate that as my mental clock tick, I take on a new challenge as the magic 35 arrives.
All I can say about my new job is that it is exactly what I want to be doing right now, it falls nicely into place at the right time and for the first time in my life (certainly career wise) I can see a light at the end of the security tunnel.
Saturday, 29 March 2008
Happy Birthday to..........ME!!!
Today I turn the right royal age of 35.
To celebrate, here is a picture of me from a tool on The Simpsons website that allows you to create yourself as if you were in the cartoon!!! I like it...what do you think?
Thank you to anyone who reads this that sent me a card, present, small piece of land or a kidney. For those that didn't, shame on you!!!!
Tonight, Kerris and I are going out for a meal and we will be joined by our friends Alison & Nick Birchall-Higgs!!! So I plan to eat steak and face alcohol for the first time since my fainting....wish me luck eh!!!
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Acupuncture & Fainting!!!!
I haven't told you too much about my condition recently but that's because it is pretty much as it was when I last wrote about it.
Since that time, all I have learnt about my ongoing hand numbness is that its directly linked to the inflamed area in the base of my neck and that pressure on this area increases the numbness. I don't like sleeping too much these days as the pressure on my neck from the pillow ensures that I wake each morning with complete numbness and coldness and generally feel a little shaky about things. If I wake in the night, its horrible to try and get back to sleep.
Anyway, open to all forms of treat, I recently booked in for a course of acupuncture. This may seem bizarre to most who know that I have a deep feel of needles and the like but I have come to some kind of spiritual conclusion that my fear of all things sharp and thin may ultimately be my salvation so by facing my fear by having a bucket load of the little blighters in me could well shift my numbness.
The short and curly is, they haven't!!!!
They have made the area at the base of my neck less sensitive but this has had no effect on my numbing problems. So I think that following 4 courses of needle and electric current conduction treatment, I will move onto something else.
On from there, I may have also mentioned previously that alcohol had a terrible effect on me and recently I begun to believe this was passing until last night.
On reflection, 1 Corona, half a bottle of red wine, 1 lemon flavoured shot, 1 pint of Guinness, 1 Long Island Iced Tea and a pint of Peroni is enough to floor most people but my head was not even spinning as I went to sleep.
I woke at 3.24AM for a trip to the little boys room and promptly lost consciousness while peeing!!! The next thing I know, I am slumped against the bathroom wall while Kerris is shaking me terrified that I've suffered a much worse fate.
I basically passed out but prior to that I remember every symptom of my past coming over me. Numbness, pins and needles, weakness, shooting pains, the whole hit!!! It was not nice at all and I thank God that Kerris was alive enough to help me.
I am officially back off alcohol as today I feel like death!!! Its not a hangover though, I know what a hangover feels like and this isn't it!!! This feeling is my body just telling me that all of the above will not be tolerated!!!
Since that time, all I have learnt about my ongoing hand numbness is that its directly linked to the inflamed area in the base of my neck and that pressure on this area increases the numbness. I don't like sleeping too much these days as the pressure on my neck from the pillow ensures that I wake each morning with complete numbness and coldness and generally feel a little shaky about things. If I wake in the night, its horrible to try and get back to sleep.
Anyway, open to all forms of treat, I recently booked in for a course of acupuncture. This may seem bizarre to most who know that I have a deep feel of needles and the like but I have come to some kind of spiritual conclusion that my fear of all things sharp and thin may ultimately be my salvation so by facing my fear by having a bucket load of the little blighters in me could well shift my numbness.
The short and curly is, they haven't!!!!
They have made the area at the base of my neck less sensitive but this has had no effect on my numbing problems. So I think that following 4 courses of needle and electric current conduction treatment, I will move onto something else.
On from there, I may have also mentioned previously that alcohol had a terrible effect on me and recently I begun to believe this was passing until last night.
On reflection, 1 Corona, half a bottle of red wine, 1 lemon flavoured shot, 1 pint of Guinness, 1 Long Island Iced Tea and a pint of Peroni is enough to floor most people but my head was not even spinning as I went to sleep.
I woke at 3.24AM for a trip to the little boys room and promptly lost consciousness while peeing!!! The next thing I know, I am slumped against the bathroom wall while Kerris is shaking me terrified that I've suffered a much worse fate.
I basically passed out but prior to that I remember every symptom of my past coming over me. Numbness, pins and needles, weakness, shooting pains, the whole hit!!! It was not nice at all and I thank God that Kerris was alive enough to help me.
I am officially back off alcohol as today I feel like death!!! Its not a hangover though, I know what a hangover feels like and this isn't it!!! This feeling is my body just telling me that all of the above will not be tolerated!!!
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