'Sootie'

We had a new cat dropped off on Thursday. At this stage I don't even know what sex this cat is due to the fact it is absolutely petrified..... I have stroked it and scratched under the chin but you can see it physically shaking most of the time. My gut feeling is that it is a male and I have been putting off naming it but I think Sootie works for male or female so I think I am going to go with that!

One of the welfare officers came round with a microchip scanner on Saturday and it has no chip. I gave it a flea spot on as well - guessing from the scratching that fleas were present.....

Sootie had been sleeping in someone's living room over night for about 3 months but was not getting on with one of their cats. Given the state of the cat I think it's probably a good thing they brought it in (had to trap it) - a little underweight but I think possibly a flea allergy or other skin condition. So it will be off to the vets next week for an 'MOT'.

Intermittent symptoms

As a general rule I don't have a lot in the way on ongoing symptoms, in fact most of the residual symptoms I have I don't notice on a day to day basis because I have had them for long enough it is 'normal'. For instance I am pretty sure that your hands, feet and lower legs aren't supposed to mildly tingle all the time, but I only notice when I am thinking about it.

My query today is, are those little aches and pains related to MS or does everyone get them? On a couple of occasions now I have been driving home from work and developed an uncomfortable ache in my left leg which remained when I got out of the car and until I eventually fell asleep (with the help of amitriptyline) - I am assuming this is a neurological ache as it's not quite pain. I also get pains in my hands from time to time and some transient numbness on my torso. I tend to put these things down to MS but are they just a normal process of wear and tear - I know 30 isn't old but it is still 30 years of use!

On the subject of being 30, I am trying to think of a birthday present list. I need a new alarm clock so that's on there. I think I will also add 'fire pit' so B and I can stay outside later in the summer - always wanted one of those.

On the migraine front, a couple of days after my Coke Zero post I had a migraine. 2am following half a bottle of red wine - I am blaming it on the red wine and will now reduce my intake on any one evening....... :0(

Coke Zero

Following on from my migraine post it has now been around 2 weeks since I reintroduced caffeine on a daily basis. So far, touch wood, I have not had a migraine. Since just before Christmas I would estimate that I have averaged one migraine a week so having not had one for a couple of weeks I am hoping I have identified the problem, hoping!

George has now gone, he was picked up yesterday to go to his new home. He was adopted by a couple with 2 young children and they also adopted Ollie, another CP cat so George will have plenty of company! I will miss George - it was love at first sight - but he was always going to find it easy to get a new home.