Three weeks after Campath
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:02 am
where to begin?
Well physically things are okay.
I am definitely having a flare up. I guess the fact that I expected it, makes it a little easier to swallow. My flare ups are almost always centered around Optic Neuritis. And for the past week, my vision has been its worst since my diagnosis. Usually it only affects one eye severely (usually my right eye). However the past few weeks, both eyes have been affected and this time my left eye is worse. It's the most severe in the mornings when I first wake up. It takes me a good ten minutes to be able to focus on anything. I am also having serious cognition problems. Simple tasks like talking, writing, typing, memorizing, and understanding have been difficult to do and required large amounts of concentration. And finally I have been getting bouts of numbness, leg cramps and spasticity. The numbness is more severe and more often then ever before. But I going into this things were going to get worse before they got better.
Kristin seems to be experiencing a flare up also, hers seems to affect her actual ability to walk and her energy level. She also seems to have developed an allergy to something because from time to time her rash still comes back. She thinks she may have developed a food allergy. We both caught a similar cold around the same time. Mine started in my throat. I had a WICKED sore throat which lasted for several days. I had a few minor flu like symptoms which ended in lot's of nasal and chest congestion , which I still trying to expel. Kristin's also started in her throat but turned into more of a cold which affected her energy levels more. I had already faced the worst flu of my life a few weeks before the campath, so I was worried when I got the sore throat, but the whole illness was mild esecially considering I have no immune system.
I had a small scare the second week after the infusion where I was showing small bruises all over my body. I went in and saw the doctors but because the bruises where small and more of a greenish color than purple, they agreed to wait till our monthly check-up and blood work before getting alarmed.
In three days we actually go in for our first post-campath check up and our first set of blood work. I am anxious to see the results. It will have been almost a month.
I have turned into a germ freak. I wash everything constantly. I avoid sick people like the plague. I am aware of ALL of my physical contact with people and I constantly use hand sanitizer. This is all a huge change from my previous ways. I have never been too concerned with germs or been very careful about exposing myself to germs.
Now for the good news.
My energy level is better than it's been in years. And aside from my pesky MS symptoms I feel great. I attribute it all to freeing myself from the nasty interferons. My body hated those poisons. While I was taking them, I constantly felt sick. I always had a massive migraine which is mostly gone. I used to constantly feel sluggish, achy and just plain crappy. The interferons really affected my quality of life. Now to mention, it is so nice not to have to stick myself with a painful needle every other day. I don't have a constant worry about my meds. Being free from those horrible shots gives me a new lease on life. So all in all, already it has been worth it!
I hope to update this after our 1st check up and maybe each month, however I quickly losing the motivation to document things, I am more so motivated to move forward with my life and enjoy living.
I do wish Kristin would comment and contribute to these specific blogs because it's hard for me to speak for her. but she has a lot on her plates these days.
Thanks again for reading!
Well physically things are okay.
I am definitely having a flare up. I guess the fact that I expected it, makes it a little easier to swallow. My flare ups are almost always centered around Optic Neuritis. And for the past week, my vision has been its worst since my diagnosis. Usually it only affects one eye severely (usually my right eye). However the past few weeks, both eyes have been affected and this time my left eye is worse. It's the most severe in the mornings when I first wake up. It takes me a good ten minutes to be able to focus on anything. I am also having serious cognition problems. Simple tasks like talking, writing, typing, memorizing, and understanding have been difficult to do and required large amounts of concentration. And finally I have been getting bouts of numbness, leg cramps and spasticity. The numbness is more severe and more often then ever before. But I going into this things were going to get worse before they got better.
Kristin seems to be experiencing a flare up also, hers seems to affect her actual ability to walk and her energy level. She also seems to have developed an allergy to something because from time to time her rash still comes back. She thinks she may have developed a food allergy. We both caught a similar cold around the same time. Mine started in my throat. I had a WICKED sore throat which lasted for several days. I had a few minor flu like symptoms which ended in lot's of nasal and chest congestion , which I still trying to expel. Kristin's also started in her throat but turned into more of a cold which affected her energy levels more. I had already faced the worst flu of my life a few weeks before the campath, so I was worried when I got the sore throat, but the whole illness was mild esecially considering I have no immune system.
I had a small scare the second week after the infusion where I was showing small bruises all over my body. I went in and saw the doctors but because the bruises where small and more of a greenish color than purple, they agreed to wait till our monthly check-up and blood work before getting alarmed.
In three days we actually go in for our first post-campath check up and our first set of blood work. I am anxious to see the results. It will have been almost a month.
I have turned into a germ freak. I wash everything constantly. I avoid sick people like the plague. I am aware of ALL of my physical contact with people and I constantly use hand sanitizer. This is all a huge change from my previous ways. I have never been too concerned with germs or been very careful about exposing myself to germs.
Now for the good news.
My energy level is better than it's been in years. And aside from my pesky MS symptoms I feel great. I attribute it all to freeing myself from the nasty interferons. My body hated those poisons. While I was taking them, I constantly felt sick. I always had a massive migraine which is mostly gone. I used to constantly feel sluggish, achy and just plain crappy. The interferons really affected my quality of life. Now to mention, it is so nice not to have to stick myself with a painful needle every other day. I don't have a constant worry about my meds. Being free from those horrible shots gives me a new lease on life. So all in all, already it has been worth it!
I hope to update this after our 1st check up and maybe each month, however I quickly losing the motivation to document things, I am more so motivated to move forward with my life and enjoy living.
I do wish Kristin would comment and contribute to these specific blogs because it's hard for me to speak for her. but she has a lot on her plates these days.
Thanks again for reading!