Well not to be out done, my health decided it wanted it's fair share of attention. Now I don't tell everyone (especially my mom, because she often starts crying due to my health), but I have felt like crud (a family friendly word) for the past 3 to 4 months. I mean I have felt bad. Constantly tired. Constantly achy. No energy for anything. You know, just feeling all around MS'y. I saw my neurologist in the beginning of December and he was concerned that I am seeing an increase in multiple sclerosis symptoms. He increased my medication for fatigue and ordered an MRI to see if there are any new lesions on my brain which would indicate that my MS is progressing.
At the same time that this is going on (don't forget Henry's stuff) I had to have 2 follow ups with my primary care doctor because blood work from my physical, in June, shows a steady decline of my platelets. So, I was finally referred to a hematologist to see if he could figure out what was going on. I didn't think anything of it until I had to make the appointment and discovered that the doctor is a hematologist/oncologist. Heck, they just call him oncologist. Damn. Really? This is where we are now? So I go to that appointment and he orders a plethora of blood work and an ultrasound of my liver, kidneys, spleen and anything else in there. He explained that a drop of platelets can indicate a cancer and he wanted to make sure everything looked okay. Here we go.
A lot of praying was going on in our immediate and extended family. Like I said in the previous post, it was a rough holiday season for us. You can not help but fall into a depression. I started thinking what if this is our story? What if my kids lose both their parents at a young age? I have a friend whose mother died when she was 19 (from Lupus) and then her dad (from a heart attack) when she was 20. They never met their grand kids. Was this what my kids would be facing? So Henry is in constant pain with no answers and I have doctor appointment after doctor appointment with a bunch of blood work in between.
My mom kept telling us that we were handling everything so well. I think we did. Because, we just have to believe God has a plan. Everything we go through is for a reason and God is in control of all of it. We still were in a depression (I sometime think I still am), but I know God has a plan.
So for the good news. MRI came back showing no new lesions. Ultrasound came back with my spleen slightly enlarged, but not to a point of worry. I will see my hematologist (let's not call him oncologist) in 6 months. I don't have to see my neurologist for a year. And my last blood work showed my platelets went up a little bit (yay).
I decided to become proactive about my MS and did some internet research. Found that milk may increase exacerbation's in people with MS. So I cut out my morning Greek Yogurt (not easy to do), my cheese sticks, and my cups of chocolate milk. I am still working on not eating ice cream. But, the first day without milk products I felt so much better. I have also stopped sleeping with an electric blanket and taking hot baths/showers (even though I love them so much) because they also increase exacerbation's. I am still low in energy, but not feeling terrible.
I have gone to working part-time since I was feeling so bad. I am enjoying having some extra time with the kids and being able to do a few errands/chores before they get home from school. I don't know if I will work next year. I don't know what is the best for me and my family. I will definitely be praying for guidance.
Hope I didn't bring you down. Things are definitely on an up swing for me and Henry.
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