I don’t know about you guys, but MS is hard enough to handle without the extra winter bugs chucked our way.
It’s tempting to think that when you’ve drawn the health short straw, anything else will be minor, easy to handle.
I stand (slump) corrected: I’ve been off work most of January with a rotten, stinking cold and it shows no signs of leaving any time soon. To add insult to injury, I’ve lost most of my voice (I know, me?!) so I’m particularly frustrated.
However, as befits anyone starting the New Year with a commitment to Get Things Done, I’ve ticked a few things off my list:
- I finally replaced the bulb in The Teenager’s bedside light.
- I took the cat to the vet (again) to sort out her flea-bite allergy (again) and jokingly begged the vet to give me the same steroid injection.
- I ordered a whole load of herbal teas online, inspired by a Christmas gift. They look nice on my shelf.
- The Boss took me on a trip to Ikea, where I munched on some weird eggs in the cafe and bought a stack of tealights and a sad-looking plant.
- I spent a whole day and evening debating with myself whether I should paint my living room black/very dark grey. Still undecided.
The worst thing about an extra illness is how MS interacts with it; if MS had any decency, it would take a back-seat and allow a bit of time to get through this whole new host of symptoms?
Not a chance – all the usual MS symptoms have been amplified x 20. So now I’m yet again pin-balling around the house as my balance is appalling. I’ve tripped up the stairs and down the stairs. I have bruises all over my legs and if I break one more plate/cup/bowl, I’ll … break another one against the wall, if only I had the energy.
I’m bored and fed up. Just when I think it’s over, it flares up again. I got my voice back for a day and caught up with my phonecalls. Then it died, probably to the relief of everyone, including the cat. I had a tentative day back in work yesterday. Bad idea. Very bad idea. I listed, lolled and lay upright against the walls, until it was remarked upon by everyone else and I was sent on bonfire duty, which sounds a lot more exciting than it actually is – burning a load of stuff and making sure I don’t set the work site on fire.
As I sat there with a long stick, intermittently prodding the embers and wishing I had a bag of marshmallows, I decided that when I was better, I would absolutely, completely and totally … do something different.
But what?
I love the humour in your texts…..
Colds are horrible for me as well – mine usually last for four or five weeks at a time!
Luckily Juergen has not had a bad cold this winter so far – it is the raised body temperature that creates worsening MS symptoms. Recommend taking increased doses of vitamin C, zink and also vitamin D in the winter (Cetebe)?
Thank you! It’s just an endless …. cold!
Weirdly, I’ve had my Vitamin D levels done and I’m very deficient so am on a very strong dose now. Hopefully it will help 🙂
Have a fab weekend – my friend is taking me to a museum tomorrow, so fingers crossed I’ll be well enough.
X
I feel your ‘pain’ !
I’ve had a very heavy cold for 5 weeks now and nothing helps and believe me I’ve tried EVERY THING.
I also have an ear infection and it’s so blocked I’ve gone deaf- not good for MS balance issues.
My face is swollen along with my eyes and my head is so full it feels like it may explode- but hey, it’s just a cold ! ? I keep being reminded by other generally healthy individuals who are also suffering similar cold symptoms ( though they seem to be complaining continually ?)
On the cat front, my fur balls have advocate treatment monthly on vet prescription, so never get fleas to cause that allergy, worth a try…..
and please don’t paint your room black/grey, we don’t get enough brightness in our lives as it is.
You may well regret it and it would be so hard to cover over ? x
Oh, you poor thing – I thought two weeks was bad enough!!
Pesky cat is leaping around since her steroid injection and I’m pretty jealous, but so glad it will put a stop to her allergy. Third time in half a year, so she’s now on strong tablets.
As for my room, hmmm. Maybe it was my mood? I have a large, open plan cottage, so my office area segues into my living room and I wondered if I should paint it a darker, more contemplative colour than it’s current dark beige??
x
I have other health issues as well as the MS. Most of them have similar symptoms to MS so I never know which illness is affecting me most.
Thyroid – one of the symptoms is tiredness, MS or thyroid? and another is putting weight on, so I never know if my weight gain is thyroid or just inactivity due to the MS.
I’ve had a couple of slight strokes – so, is my walking or shuffling down to the strokes or MS. Who knows. It could be a combination of both, so I don’t really stand a chance.
If I get a cold (which I dread) it invariably becomes a chest infection with lots of coughing. As I have COPD too I have an emergency supply of steroids and antibiotics at home. I lose my voice and then it becomes husky and it hurts to talk. The coughing may have something to do with that.
Although I tell people ‘I’m fine’ when they ask me how I am, I don’t think I’ve been ‘fine’ since before 2006.
I’m so sorry to hear about your ill-health. It sounds like you have a heck of a lot to cope with, besides MS.
I know what you mean about thyroid. Mine went a bit crazy after my treatment and I still don’t know what’s MS and what’s the thyroid.
Luckily I’ve recovered my voice although it’s incredibly husky and low at the moment 🙁
X