HealthCare Journey for Multiple Sclerosis
  • Home
  • About Us
  • News & Resources
  • Virtual MS Center
    • Q & A for Virtual MS Center
    • Read About Our Virtual MS Center Staff
  • Health & Wellness
  • Blogs
    • Physician Blog >
      • Healthcare Provider Blog
    • Physical Therapy Blog
    • Patient Blog
    • Caregiver Blog
    • Research Blogs >
      • "Ask Dr. Debbie" Research Blog
      • Multiple Perspectives In Multiple Sclerosis Research Blog
  • About MS
    • What is MS?
    • Diagnosis
    • Treatment
    • MS Tips
  • Symptoms
    • Balance and Walking Issues
    • Breathing/Respiratory
    • Bowel Dysfunction
    • Cognitive Dysfunction
    • Crying/Laughing Uncontrollably (PBA)
    • Depression and Anxiety
    • Dizziness/Vertigo
    • Dysphagia
    • Fatigue
    • Foot Drop
    • Hearing or Smell or Taste Changes
    • Heat Sensitivity
    • Leg Weakness
    • Loss of Hand Dexterity and Coordination
    • Memory and Mutliple Sclerosis
    • Migraines
    • Numbness/Tingling/Altered Sensation
    • Nystagmus and Oscillopsia
    • Pain
    • Sexual Dysfunction
    • Sleep Issues
    • Spasticity/Spasms/Cramps
    • Speech/Swallowing
    • Urination/Bowel Problems
    • Vision
  • MS Clinics
  • MS Topics
    • Pregnancy and Infertility
    • Caregivers and Family Members
    • Employment and MS
    • Medical Costs and Insurance
    • Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis
  • Register With Us
  • Terms of Use/Privacy/HIPAA
  • Store Your Images
  • MS HealthCare Journey
  • expo
  • Resiliency

My Holidays

12/17/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Starting as a very young child my family made every Christmas filled with love and magic. They taught me what Christmas was and how Santa Claus was a very special part too. No matter where we were our home was filled with traditions and so many other special things for the holidays. We never had a lot but all needs were met. My family put in a lot work to make everything so magical and meaningful. I love Christmas and what it has meant to me and how it shaped my life.

I was to have been born in mid-December but arrived at the end of November. My parents wanted a Christmas kind of name for me and there are many thus they selected Holly, after the pretty red holly-berries that are everywhere with Christmas. Had I been a boy have no idea what my name would have been, they wouldn’t tell me LOL.

Life moved along and I kept as close as I could to how I like to do my Christmas’s. After my MS diagnosis at age 48 I scaled down some of what I did. Then after falling into a Christmas tree I was decorating, I saw more changes needed to be put in place. SO each year I did less. By now all my family lived very far apart and changes came from that too.

Now I am 72 and still do what I can but made a lot of changes. The magic of Christmas is what’s in your heart and the giving that happened so very long ago. I dislike the commercialism of Christmas to no end so do my best to ignore that part.

What I learned about all that goes with holiday time when one has MS is to get good communication going with loved ones. Explain in detail what help you need from others and why and expect them to understand. Be innovative in how you accomplish tasks that were once easy. For example buy a much smaller (fake) tree that has lights already on it, big help for sure. Oh I know, I miss the scent of live evergreens too!  Don’t send out as many Christmas cards, I don’t  know about you but my handwriting is really bad due to MS. Oddly I do fine on a keyboard though and print and make things as  much as I can this way, it helps! Also I start early in December on my TO DO List for Christmas so as not to tire myself out on any one thing.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL, HOLLY  
0 Comments

Happy holidays

12/14/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Good morning fellow journeyers.  I haven't written a blog in a while.  Seems I haven't had any pearls of wisdom to share recently.  Actually, I guess in some ways that is a good thing.  I haven't really had any major issues with the day to day routine.  When things go smoothly with health issues, we sometimes even forget that we have this disease.  Those moments are blissful.  Then with all the hustle and bustle that this season brings, sometimes our symptoms increase due to fatigue. It is said time and time again, but pace yourself.  When accepting invitations or scheduling tasks, make sure to put days in between for rest.  I just returned from two whirlwind days in NYC.  Somehow I forgot to take my own advice.  Three Broadway plays in two days and four hours each way in the car is not smart.  It took its toll and had me down for the count for a few days.  Like the old saying goes. Everything in moderation.  So here is my holiday advice.  One day at a time, one cookie at a time, one step at a time and many many hugs and kisses from those you love and cherish.  Happy Holidays to Everyone.  May the new year bring everyone peace and good will.

-Susan


0 Comments

I Broke Daddy!

12/9/2014

0 Comments

 
Lately my electronic foot drop device hasn’t been holding a charge as long as it once did. This has led to many interesting situations of me being stranded without power or a cane.

When I first started using my L300 Plus it would hold a charge for up to 12 hours; these days I’m lucky to get eight. I charge it all night same as always but I think I might need to get a replacement before the warranty is up!

So far I have been stranded at school with its angry carpeted floors, shifty 1st graders and mini furniture and also while out holiday shopping with my family. While at school it was rough as there were some vast distances that needed to be covered through some treacherous terrain. I managed pretty well, never really falling down but there were numerous very close calls involving little people and little furniture. Lucky for me I have long arms and can wall walk whenever I got into a tight spot.

While out shopping the battery died on me and again I was extremely lucky, I was pushing the shopping cart so it wasn’t too bad but I was extremely cautious while walking around anything that might cause a seen if I went crashing into it. I avoided the mirror aisle at all costs; I don’t need any extra bad luck! By the time we made it back to the car I was exhausted.

Having the power go out is one thing but last week my 2 year old son got in between my feet in the kitchen and we both took a pretty good tumble. I was OK...a few bumps and bruises but he thought he killed me. “I BROKE DADDY WAAAAA!” After lying on the floor for a few minutes he saw that I was fine and we got up and carried on with our morning.

I consider myself lucky so far with my struggling batteries and recent falls but I push on!!

Be a warrior today,
Donn

0 Comments
    If you would like to become a blogger, please contact us and let us know!
    CLICK ON THE RSS FEED ICON BELOW TO GET A LIST OF ALL OUR PATIENT BLOGS

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    September 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013

    Categories

    All
    Caregivers
    Cortisol
    Depression
    Diagnosis
    Diet
    Donn's Blogs
    Emily's Blogs
    Exercise
    Fatigue
    Fatique
    Foot Drop
    Heat Sensitivity
    Holly's Blogs
    Insurance
    Lizzie's Blogs
    Mobility
    Pain
    Service Dogs
    Spasticity
    Steroids
    Susan's Blogs
    Terri's Blogs
    Travel
    Treatments
    Tysabri
    Urination
    Work
    Yoga

    Important Safety Information

    Before beginning treatment, you should discuss the potential benefits and risks associated with Rebif with your healthcare provider.

    Rebif can cause serious side effects. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the symptoms listed below while taking Rebif.

    • Behavioral health problems, including depression and suicidal thoughts. You may have mood problems including depression (feeling hopeless or feeling bad about yourself), and thoughts of hurting yourself or suicide
    • Liver problems or worsening of liver problems, including liver failure. Symptoms may include nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness, dark colored urine and pale stools, yellowing of your skin or the white part of your eye, bleeding more easily than normal, confusion, and sleepiness. During your treatment with Rebif you will need to see your healthcare provider regularly and have regular blood tests to check for side effects
    • Serious allergic and skin reactions. Symptoms may include itching, swelling of your face, eyes, lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing, anxiousness, feeling faint, skin rash, hives, sores in your mouth, or skin blisters and peels
    • Injection site problems. Symptoms at the injection site may include redness, pain, swelling, color changes (blue or black), and drainage of fluid
    • Blood problems. Rebif can affect your bone marrow and cause low red and white blood cell and platelet counts. In some people, these blood cell counts may fall to dangerously low levels. If your blood cell counts become very low, you can get infections and problems with bleeding and bruising. Your healthcare provider may ask you to have regular blood tests to check for blood problems
    • Seizures. Some people have had seizures while taking Rebif

    Rebif will not cure your MS but may decrease the number of flare-ups of the disease and slow the occurrence of some of the physical disability that is common in people with MS.

    Do not take Rebif if you are allergic to interferon beta, human albumin, or any of the ingredients in Rebif.

    Before you take Rebif, tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any of the following conditions:

    • mental illness, including depression and suicidal behavior
    • liver problems, bleeding problems or blood clots, low blood cell counts, seizures (epilepsy), or thyroid problems
    • you drink alcohol
    • you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Rebif will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during your treatment with Rebif
    • you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Rebif passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will use Rebif or breastfeed. You should not do both

    Tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.

    The most common side effects of Rebif include:

    • flu-like symptoms. You may have flu-like symptoms when you first start taking Rebif. You may be able to manage these flu-like symptoms by taking over-the-counter pain and fever reducers. For many people, these symptoms lessen or go away over time. Symptoms may include muscle aches, fever, tiredness, and chills
    • stomach pain
    • change in liver blood tests

    Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

    These are not all the possible side effects of Rebif. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

    Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

    You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

    Indication

    Rebif is used to treat relapsing forms of MS to decrease the frequency of relapses and delay the occurrence of some of the physical disability that is common in people with MS.

    US-INF-0814-0017A
    RBU680907-01


© 2018 HealthCare Journey, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
HealthCare Journey™ is a trademark of HealthCare Journey, LLC
Picture
✕