Repeat After Me....

This too shall pass.  This too shall pass.

So I had a 3-month follow-up appointment with my neuro on Friday, actually the assistant who's a favorite of mine.  We're developing a pretty good working relationship.

She asks, "so how are you doing?"

Me:  I'd like to say great!!!  But I should go ahead and tell you the truth, right?

"What's going on?"

So this is where I tell her that my right leg is in spasm ALOT lately and won't stop.  I try to remember to up the Baclofen, but keep forgetting and it's not really touching it anyway.

The legs are getting more painful and the room has spun around on a few occasions lately.  Like one big "whoosh" in a full circle then stopped.

Bladder/bowel fine.  Eyes okay - new contacts which might be to blame for some blurry moments.  Growing fatigue.  Wobbly but no falls.  Yep, some numbness.  Etc.

She says, "ok, let's check a few things."  Going through the motions here.

"Squeeze my fingers.  Keep going.  Ok.  Uhuh.  You've got some weakness on the right side."

Me:  What?  But it's my left side that gets weak, not my right.  

So we do it again.  "Notice that shaking....."

Shoot.  I hadn't even really noticed, but there is was wobbling and shaking.

Out comes the safety pin.  "How about that?  that?"

I laugh.  Keep going... higher.... oh, finally.  That almost felt kinda sharpish, but still not ouchy.

Wow.  I didn't know my arm was numb all the way to up there.  Or both legs, and the left arm too.  Sigh.

Vibrating tuning fork on the ankle.  Yep, feel it.  Ooo, that felt pretty good.  Do it again.

Push, pull, resist.  Legs, feet, ankles.

"There's some unevenness in strength.  More weakness on the right."

Babinski's.  Negative.

Walk on toes.  I say, "uh, you know this is the really hard one."

Heel to toe.  Yep, that one is always funny lookin'.

Sit back down.  "Yes, I believe you have a little something going on here."

I ask to try an oral taper this time.  You know, just to nip it in the bud.  Not even worth calling it a relapse.  Minor exacerbation sounds better.  

Really almost nothing, but something.

So that's where I am today.  I started the Prednisone taper on Friday afternoon with 60mg.

60mg sounds so innocuous as compared to 1000mg intravenous steroids.  Just a tiny little 60mg.

But today, I'm a walking marshmellow.  I've caught a cold.  My head is ready to explode.

I have very little appetite.  Have fallen asleep (more like passed out) each of the last three days for at least 3 hours each afternoon.  Good thing I don't have any lessons to teach until after Labor Day.

There's a little tiny part of me that wants to cry, but there's absolutely no reason for it and the eyes are not buying into it either.

I'm tired.  I'm feeling more due to less numbness.  And I was actually starting to feel better before the steroid fog rolled in.

So here's to the mantra.  This too shall pass.  That too shall pass.