A Year And A Half Flies By...

June 2014 - my last blog post.  I was complaining about the "new normal" pain in my neck.  Fast forward to March 2016, approximately 20 months into the now present.

My how time flies by!  I'm happy to report my latest January MRI and Multiple Sclerosis check up for 2016 was...shall we say...uneventful.  Yes, still off the DMDs and still stable, aside from some ongoing memory issues and fatigue when I simply don't feel like DOING anything (yes, I DO use the MS card when it's convenient to avoid being labeled just *lazy*).

Dr. She Who Will Not Be Named moved out of state to practice her voodoo elsewhere and I am now seeing Dr. Not As Entertaining But Nice as her replacement.  She read my chart.  She KNOWS the history.  Dr. Not As Entertaining But Nice has agreed to see me for my yearly MS exams anyway.  Neener.

My cervical spine got worse last year. To the point I stopped feeling the outer areas of my forearms and was burning myself on the sides of my oven making Grandma Goldie's Crack Mix.  Oh sure.  It was a great party trick to put out a burning match on my flesh and not flinch.  It's just the scars were starting to look a bit suspicious and I kinda worried just how far down my arms the loss of sensation might go.  Turns out the neurosurgeon DIDN'T think it was a good idea to allow the spinal compression to continue lest I lose bladder and bowel control next.  Yeah, crapping and peeing on oneself at a party is NOT a cool party trick.  So, I opted for the looming surgical spine surgery discussion instead.

In August 2015, I went under the knife and had an ACDF C-4 through C-7 with plating done.  Fancy abbreviations for a $200 grand surgery, but basically I had  the spine of my neck gutted, reamed, straightened, and screwed together.  I am 100% bionic now and no longer fearing the bowel/bladder horror story future.  I DO sometimes worry one of the 8 titanium screws in my neck might come loose or that the mood changes I am experiencing are directly related to the cadaver bone stuck up in there.   But I am otherwise OK.  It was a long haul, 6 weeks post-op in a Miami J collar.  I'm not kidding.  Six long, hot, drug-induced weeks:

Yes, that's me

I finally cleared my six month exam and returned to life as usual in February - neurosurgeon (who also moonlights as a brain surgeon) released me to "resume activities".  OOPS.  I kind of already had been doing that by December.  LOL  Of course my "activities as usual" consist of strenuous activities such as getting out of bed, eating, and changing the TV channel so we were good on agreement.

I never really considered how much *shiz* could go wrong after 50, but in January 2016, I slipped and fell on the ice and have been nursing a torn meniscus in my right knee.  Stuff just falls apart apparently after 50.  Guess it might have been good foresight to have considered LIVING a bit better prior to 50 to promote healthy parts, but too late to turn back time now.  I just had an MRI done on the knee (funny when the tech asks "have you ever had an MRI before?" and I have to advise her "I've had 20 or 30 brain MRIs in my life.  Next question.").  I now have an orthopedic surgeon licking their chops to get in my knee and repair the torn meniscus.  I've also got some sort of cyst in my knee, but I'm guessing that's just bloating from too many carbs.  :-)  He called me and was "surprised" to also see a cyst in there.  Dr. Surprise?  It's me, Braincheese.  Of COURSE there will be archeology finds in this body if you dig deep enough!

So that's kind of a wrap on my medical life.  Still not much to say about Multiple Sclerosis.  I thank the Goddess for THAT lack of discussion with me nearly daily.  I am one of the "lucky ones".  MS roared its ugly head like a lion - then like a lamb, she has wondered off.  I realize she is always there, but I am so grateful MS has stayed quiet in my brain so far.

How's YOUR Multiple Sclerosis?  What's happening in YOUR life?  Inquiring minds want to know...