Out of the Woods?

It’s been a grueling three weeks. Birds ate my breadcrumb trail long ago. I was too tired to follow it anyway. Stumbling about has definitely been beyond me!

I’ve just shaved what had become a beard and showered, which, mixing my stories, made me feel like I’d been living on a desert island. This sudden expenditure of energy was followed by a crushing urge to sleep. The bonus being I can now at least put myself to bed and also raise myself from it!

Is it the MS? Maybe I’ve had the dreaded relapse? But I’ve also been dealing with a perfect storm of consistent urinary tract infections (UTIs), which trigger MS flares and a massive leap in trigeminal neuralgia attacks. Thus, there’s been a consequent increase in the consumption of carbamazepine tablets — one of these 100 mg honeys can literally floor me — and now I’m sometimes taking eight a day. I feel like an ’80s action hero. I may have been hit, shot, and tortured but somehow I make it to the next scene and crack a joke. It’s not a good one, maybe, but it’s the thought that counts in the face of insurmountable odds. Right?

The only positive news is that my edema has reduced slightly. My general practitioner suggested doubling the daily dose of furosemide tablets from 20 mg to 40 mg. My feet and ankles are still terribly swollen, but I now have shin bones again!

This is something of a holding piece. I’ve had perfectly clear blood cultures done, yet I come off antibiotics (I’ve been on a full dose of cefalexin since late November 2017) and I contract a full-blown UTI in three days. My doctor describes this as a “mystery.”

I hope I’m through the worst. I do feel a bit stronger. I only work once a week, but I’ve been too ill for the last three. There is every chance of MS finally stopping me, but like an ’80s action hero, I’m determined to try not to let it. I’ll think of a joke if I get there.

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