What constitutes a relapse......?

......one of those regular questions on MS message boards. A bit like my 'what is fatigue' question I suppose. My neuro's thoughts at my last appointment were that when I have numbness I am experiencing memories of previous relapses rather than new inflammation - good no extra damage then.

I am assuming however that when brand new areas go numb I have a new area of inflammation. Disappointingly I guess I am now having a relapse, minor, but still new damage. I initially noticed numbness around my left eye Wednesday 29 September which extended to the left side of my nose over a few days and has gradually extended up to my hairline and down to my top lip and top gum. It is purely numbness, I can eat and purse my lips, although I have started to bite the inside of my mouth, so in general not bad, just annoying......

Having just come back from our holiday I am a little off of my plan in terms of sleep, but I am trying to keep to it and stay up. Last night I didn't feel well so went to bed early, but I think that has set me up to get back to the plan properly. Just need to set other things in motion - start playing my clarinet tonight, start Slimming World on Thursday (yes I know another diet, but at least I am trying) and pop into the local Leisure Centre for a Swimming Pool timetable and price list. Pretty sure there was something else I was going to do but I can't remember - it will come to me I am sure!

Next steps

Further to my last post I am already making changes, prompted a little by some news on Saturday. Someone I know was diagnosed with MS a couple of years ago, I found out on Saturday. Thinking back there have been a few things over the last 6 months or so that could have suggested an illness but only with the benefit of hindsight. She has really inspired me to make the changes I have been thinking about for some time. I almost feel a little inadequate and found myself justifying the way I deal with having MS. I know everyone is different and I have no intention of living my life the same way as her but she made me think properly about all those things that I have been meaning to do.

I am going to start a few things - playing my clarinet (already secured a trial with a band), regular swimming and, yes you guessed it, another diet!

I have started going to bed later - I know, considering my last post it may be considered a strange place to start, however I am pretty sure my sleep pattern is the key. Going to bed, watching 15 minutes of telly and then switching off seems to be a lot easier when I go to bed with B, not sure why as he adds to the noise in the room......! On injection nights I watch 30 mins of TV between injection and paracetamol and then switch off for sleep. So far so good, 10pm Sunday night and 11pm last night, although I was on a late this morning so had an extra hour in bed. I am feeling a little tired but also better than I have in the evening for a while!

Here's to the changes! :0)

So very tired......

I find it difficult to understand the difference between being tired and fatigued. Is there a difference or are they two different words for the same thing? Initially I always took fatigue to be a word which was associated with extreme tiredness, rather than just being a bit tired, but I am not really sure.

I would never describe myself at fatigued. I am always able to function, however much I would prefer to be lounging in bed! At the moment I feel more than my normal tiredness. Pre MS I used to go down the pub until midnight (not drinking) and get up to start work at 6am the next morning, not to say I wouldn't be tired, but it would take me one relaxing evening and a relatively early night to recover. Now, well I work in a much more sensible job but still need to be in bed by 10pm to get up at 6.40am, and 10pm really is the latest and can't be maintained comfortably all week.

I survive busy weekends by trying to be sensible as much as possible and then go to bed at 8pm for a couple of nights to try and catch up. Recently, well since the beginning of July, I have had runs of 2 or 3 weekends on the trot when the whole weekend is taken up with events which involve something to tire me out - driving, lifeguarding, organising/running events, drinking (alcohol), more travelling.

Now I know I don't help myself, I am overweight and get NO exercise, but that has been the same forever and things are progressively getting worse, or so it seems to me. I suppose the thing is that I don't really give myself a chance. I sleep badly through portions of the night fairly regularly, often sleep talking and walking and when I do get the chance to relax there is always too much to be done. I do spend time doing not a lot but I don't think that is enough. I need to sort out my sleep and I need to start getting some exercise - 2 things to start with anyway.

This weekend we are off to the CAMRA Ascot Beer Festival, held at Ascot Racecourse. It is a day time thing and will not be strenuous but I won't get a lie in and I suspect it will be a relatively late night (midnight latest though!). As I have felt shattered all week, even after showering which normally perks me up, I decided a lie in and an early finish was called for - so I took a half day. Got up an hour late, worked 3h 45m (ish) and have come home, had a nap and sat on the sofa (with a few light chores added for good measure!) - I am hoping to have a really fun day tomorrow and keep my eyes open!

I have a scheduled MS Nurse appointment at the beginning of November and I plan to take a note prompting me to ask about tiredness and sleep, also my bowels which have not been the same since the relapse I had in 2008 when I became constipated. It's not as though I am ever constipated any more but my bowels just don't seems to work properly. I am sure the stool takes too long to move along as my motions are always large and hard and I have to push, I never get the bowels doing the evacuation work themselves.......such a lovely subject!

Before anyone worries, this was a sudden change associated with a relapse in 2008 after which things almost got back to normal. Since then things have got gradually more noticeable, however I have no other bowel symptoms and given the length of time I am sure nothing more sinister is going on (oh and in no way is my weight reducing...) - I will ask my MS Nurse about it though.

On that lovely note I will end my post!

All gone......

All 4 of those lovely kittens have now gone to new homes. Jemima went to a colleague of mine, Misty went to a nice couple with a baby on the way and Freddie and Roxi, now Thomas and Baby, went to a lovely family with three very good children (that's about as nice as I can be about children...!). I have had updates about Jemima, Thomas and Baby and all seem to be getting on well.

After Whisky had the squits we thought we were home and dry, well no, Thomas developed sqitty poo's about 10 days after Whisky. We tried all the tricks the vet had told us for Pepsi only to decide and be advised that kittens really shouldn't be given any live yoghurt...... Jemima then went on to develop squitty poo as well...... We got some Pro-Kolin and Hills Prescription diet (Id) and within about 36 hours things were already improving! By the time they went to their new homes they had wonderful poos!!

In the interim we have had more fun with Whisky. What we think was an injury from his altercation back in August seems to have become bothersome and likely infected. Whisky managed to scratch it raw more or less over night so we took him to the vets and he now has anti-biotic drops and a buster collar on..... He is also not allowed out - he is miserable as sin........

Still, his head is much much better and we hope he will be out of the collar in the next few days. Speaking of collars, Pepsi came home without hers the other day....they are both chipped so it's not like they can't be identified but still, she needs to keep a better eye on her belongings...!!