Back on Track

Well the holiday is over. I didn't get to go home this year but it wasn't MS related so that was good. I got my shots but that turned out to be the start of another insurance horror issue. I started a mail order prescribition service but they sent me to many meds now I have to pay for them all. But otherwise all is good so to everyone happy belated Chrismas.

Insurance Problems

You would think that if you had insurance you would be good but not with United Health Care. I called in my shots for refill and had 3 refills remaining but I was told that United Health Care would not cover the shots because I needed to go to a pharmacy that they said I should use. So I called the pharmacy and I can get my shots through them but at a much higher copay for me. I was paying $87.50 for 3 months of shots now I have to pay $80.00 per month. I found out the pharmacy that they said I should use is owned by them. I was getting the medicine before from medco but the funny thing is medco is on my prescription card. I did not ask to be switched but I guess it is cheaper for them never mind about the patient.

Vertigo is Back

Well another week as passed no new symptoms but my balance has been off. I still have the vertigo pills so I will start taking those again until it passes. I paid all my co-pays on my shots so hopefully I will get some more. I have 2 weeks of shots remaining. Nothing else knew so I will post again in a couple of days.

Another Week

Well I got through another week with not to many complications. Still trying to get all these medicines straight what I am taking and what I am not. Soreness has been a lot better since I have been on the muscle relaxers although I do not take them in the morning before work. So nothing new to report so back to work I go.

Muscle Relaxers

Well it has been a while. After my rebif nurse visited she called the doctor and got me some muscle relaxers as she promised. I thought it would be only taken at night but it was prescribed 3 times a day. I only take it at night because it says as needed. The relaxers work a bit I am not as sore but they relax the muscles to good because I sink in the chair quite a bit. Otherwise I am doing ok getting ready for Christmas.

O'Jays Walter Williams discusses MS diagnosis | SoulTracks - Soul Music Biographies, News and Reviews

O'Jays Walter Williams discusses MS diagnosis | SoulTracks - Soul Music Biographies, News and Reviews

Rebif Visit

Well my rebif nurse came by today to check on me. She told me some good things. She said she would call my doctor and see about getting me on some muscle relaxers to ease the soreness. Overall I think the visit went good. If the nurse doesn't care she seems to and that is good. Well I am about to get ready for the holidays.

Happy Thursday

Well I'm back I started back my pain medicine but my eyesight started to suffer so I stopped it. I will only take it as needed instead of the three times a day I am suppose to. I had a rough couple of mornings because of soreness but I have all my meds so it will probably settle down. Nothing knew to report so back to work.

Nonthing knew to report.

Nonthing really knew to report. I stopped taking the meds that they think could be the reason for my vision problems. So far my eyesight has cleared up so it may be the meds. Some soreness has started back. I guess I will have to deal with it.

Over Medicated

I talked with my doctor about the problem I have been having with my eyes. He told me to stop taking the recent meds that I have been taking and he would start them back one at the time to find the source of the problem. Jayla gets her report card today we had a meeting yesterday with her teacher and she is doing really good. She will receive perfect marks. Jayson through my phone in the bathtub I should have a replacement on Friday.

Eye Problems

Well my eyesight is tripping I can see better without my glasses than with them. Close up things I can't see with my glasses on so I have to take them off during work and put them on for driving. The soreness is going away but I am moving back to the room with everyone else so we will see how it goes. I already used my eye exam this year so I am not sure when I might get to go by the eye doctor. I think I will tell my neurologist to see what he thinks It could be the new medicine.

Dx Appointment

I had my doctor's appointment yesterday. My lab work came back OK. I got two new prescriptions for Gabapentin which I take 3 times a day for pain and soreness. I got my Lorazepam refilled but I take it as needed for vertigo. I have to be careful with that one it is suppose to be addictive. Now my monthly total for my meds is $75 not including my shots. Otherwise everything went OK. I ask to doctor how many spots I had on my brain he said he did not know but it was alot. I don't know if that was the most professional answer but that is what I got.

Sunday Afternoon

Feeling pretty good no soreness since I started sleeping in my daughters room. Still having pain in leg from the shot last week. I go to the doctor tomorrow and will re-up on all my medications. I have been out of medicine for about a week waiting on the pharmacy to call me for refills. Then I thought about my number has changed. I am going to try a diet I got off of ms.org I will let you know if it is any good.

Peace

Doing OK

I banged my leg last night holding Jayson but I managed to keep him from falling. I knew it was hurt but I scraped it down to the white meat so it will be sore for a couple of days. My leg is still hurting from two shots ago I thought the needle went into the muscle but I wasn't sure. I canceled my dx appointment and rescheduled for Monday. Another Friday so it is back to shots to end the week.

Me and Jayson

Well the weekend is over and back to work. I had an interesting weekend. On Saturday I was up with Jayson at 5:00am and when he finally went back to sleep I could barely move and spent most of the day in bed. I was a little better on Sunday but Jayson was up at 6:00am for his morning walk. Jayla got her bed back last night so I went to the couch about 5:00 so I am a little sore today. I am still feeling my shot in my leg from last week which is not usual but the shot went directly into my muscle and started swelling up a little. Good thing is Jayla slept in her room for most of night. I guess I made it look good to her and she has a little TV of her own. Overall I guess I am doing alright.

Feeling Better

Well after sleeping in my daughters room I feel a whole lot better today. Not sore as much. I guess 4 people are not meant to sleep on a Queen size bed. I miss sleeping with the family but I feel so much better today. I take labs next week before my doctor's appointment to find how my liver is holding up with the new medications.

Rough Night

This by far the roughest night I have had so far. First I was awaken by pain in my fingers then the soreness. It was not the usual soreness but I almost couldn't move kind of feeling. Usually the soreness goes away by 11:00am but today it is 11:37 and I am still sore. Can't afford to stay home from work so I will deal with it. I may try sleeping in my daughters room so I can have the bed to my self and stretch out.

Another Week

The soreness continues but I keep taking my shots. I am suppose to get a raise next month maybe that will help out on the bills. I can not complain I could be worse thankfully I am not.

Back Spasms

Well the back spasms returned last night in a major way. I was really sore this morning but like all the other days once I get going I loosten up. Turns out my son Jayson has an ear infection so that was better news than what they thought it would be. I think the back spasms have to do with the weather because I get a cold chill first then my back stiffens up this time my whole body stiffened up.

Wednesday

The week started out OK but as soon as I started the shots again the soreness is back. I take the weekend off from the shots and the soreness goes away but when I start them back on Monday by Tuesday the soreness starts back. Other than that I can't complain. My focus has been on my son as he is feeling under the weather so we will take him to the doctor tomorrow. Maybe the flu shot was not a good idea for him his eyes are looking funny they said it could be seizures so we are keeping a close eye on him.

Just Another Week

I am getting so used to the shots it is just another week. Although I am not as sore as usual. All things considered I feel a little better than usual maybe the shots are working. I still want to ask about the pills instead of the shots. I found that MS.ORG is great resource for information and MS lifelines has been helpful. That is about it for now.

The Weekend

The weekend is here. My medicine came earlier in the week so all is good on that front.
I remain extremely sore but it is manageable. I had sever back spasms on Tuesday but other than that everything is going OK. I think the soreness is worst in the middle of the night or early morning then I get my day started I loosen up. But the weekend is here so I take my shot today and have the weekend off. Nothing really to report just trying to get some rest.

Cycle complete

I finished my cycle of shots up and down the left side then the right side. I am now out of shots but I am supposed to get some more tomorrow. The copay more than doubled for the first set of shots. Medical bills are starting to add up from the money it took with the specialist to find out what was wrong with me and the medicines I am already on. It seems like the diabetes has taken a back seat to the MS. Lets look at things realistically diabetes weakens your immune system and MS means my immune system is attacking itself so that can not be any good. I continue to lose control of my left arm at times but oh well.

I got my medicine ordered today so I should have the shots Tuesday. That is great because I will only miss one dose but the bad thing is my copay more than doubled but I will see if MSLifelines can help me get the copays back down. Speaking of Rebiff I went to MS.org to look up rebiff they listed the side effects of the medicine that include : Depression and risk of suicide
Liver problems
Risk to pregnancy
Injection-site problems
Severe allergic reactions. Allergic reactions are rare and may be associated with difficulty in breathing and loss of consciousness, which require immediate medical attention.
The most common side effects with Rebif are:
Injection-site reactions
Flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, muscle aches, tiredness)
Depression
Abdominal pain
Increased liver enzymes
Blood cell count decreases
So I better watch out on the medicine.
Lunch over so more later.

Missed Injection

I missed my injection today. I am running short on shots so i skipped today. Learning how to give myself the injections i wasted 4 shots that is a weeks worth. So i only have 2 shots left so i figured i take my shot on Friday then i will have one for next week. I don't know when they deliver the shots i will give my refiff nurse a call and find out. Anyway a little soreness otherwise everything is going fine.

Injection Monday

I took my injection today to start my week off. I took it in the stomach but so far no pain. I noticed my left arm was having spasms but other than that everything seems to be going well.

Sometimes I wonder if its the MS or the injections, because I take them all over my body is a reason for all the soreness, but what can you do. I hope I can get put on the pills that was just approved by the FDA. But we will see dx appointment at the end of October. I am at work so this will have to be short maybe I can get a video up soon.

Greeting

9/26/2010
Hello everyone my name is James Langston I am 40 years old and I have MS. I was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago and have started my injections. I also have diabetes which I thought was what was giving me problems. My wife has been telling me for a couple of months that my eyes looked funny and I would forget things all the time. I did not think much of it but I started loosing my balance alot and falling down so I went to the doctor.

They could not find anything wrong with my blood work so they scheduled me a MRI to look at my brain. They noticed spots on the brain and gave me a spinal tap that confirmed the MS. I only had one relative with MS and that is by marriage and I see how debilating it can be. So I told a couple of people and someone I worked with said they had it and I have been working with him for 4 years and never noticed anything about him so I had new hope.

I take injections 3 times a week (M,W,F)and rest on the weekend kind of like a job. They said it could be hereditary but I did not know anyone that had it. But my grandmother had a stroke at 30 and died at 46 the average length they told me that a person use to live with MS now they said it is about 20 years. I often wonder if she could have had it and was misdiagnosed as that ofter happend in those days.

Anyway i wanted to chronicle my journey so if it is hereditary maybe it can help someone else. I do have two young kids and they can see what I am like if it does start to dibilate me. I will hopefully have daily post plus video post along the way.
Tomorrow will start the real postings.