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Well it has been about a month and a half since I took a header off the stairs and ended up in the ER with a brain injury / concussion. Time for an update. Most of the major headaches and vertigo have calmed down. What I have left is serious equilibrium / balance problems and I have not regained my sense of smell. My ON seems to be worse now as well. Prognosis is unknown says all the docs. Of course the MS does not speed the healing my genius neuro was nice enough to point out. I also have task focus and concentration problems. My balance was not too great before the fall. Now I am having major problems walking at times. I guess the chicken or the egg question comes up...did I do the stair balet dance because of the existing balance and MS issues, or did the head injury make worse a problem that was already in the background? I guess that is purely rhetorical at this point. Anyway it seems I did not die and all the doctors say I am "lucky". I hope to find a way to adopt that view. I think I may not be able to continue working much longer, then goes the house, health insurance and who knows what else.... probably the wife too.

Too many of the group doing much worse than I these must seem so trivial. To me I am scared shitless.

anyway that is the grumpster update for June 08.

Hiya Grumpy,
Here's a bit of info about physical injury and MS:
http://www.braininjury.com/multiplesclerosis.html
If your current problems can be counted as an exacerbation triggered by your aerial gymnastics, (sorry, I think the Olympic teams have already been picked), then there should be some hope that they can go into remission. I sincerely hope that is the case.

My best friend had his life turned upside down when a van driver tried to insert his entire vehicle into his glove box, and he too is constantly being told how " lucky" he has been. Well, I for one am glad that both you and he are still alive, but it's not so easy to feel that when you're in the thick of it, is it?

Thanks Twist, I do feel lucky to be still alive, but the doctors say that I should feel lucky about the whole thing....could be much worse and all. I do not think they have ever been through such a thing. Maybe I am wrong. Too bad about the Olympic Team, from all the oogling and staring I am told occured (I was unconcious) when I did the dance I think it must have been a real impressive performance. Worthy of at least a 8.9 - 9.1 from the judges. I could eb a real contender. Have a good weekend. I am going to do a little swiming in the ocean here in San Diego and hope that the Great White shark from a month ago has moved on to Orange County or something.

Grump,

It's all relative. You are living with your situation; no one elses. To quote a line from my favorite piece of prose "If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself". You are in your own skin, so only you know how this is all affecting you emotionally. You already know the physical part . I don't have any advice to try and impart to 'lessen the blow' of what's going on with you, but I will say this because I know you are a fighter: don't create a self fulfilling prophecy about losing everything. You may suprise yourself with how truly resilient you can be if you give yourself a chance. Don't give up dude, you haven't to this point and you're still going!

That sucks to have to deal with something else that affects balance when you already have MS. You must be like "c'mon already!". I hope you get to feeling stronger.

Lew