Hey guys! I have been so bad at keeping up with everyone...I'm sorry. Life has been hectic, as usual, but things are going well. We got all moved in to our house & we are loving it. It's definitely nice to have our very own space! Of course we still have some work that we want to do, but most of the major stuff is done for now. Jon will be putting pictures of the inside of our house on his website sometime soon. I'm hoping to get a family picture of the three of us in front of the house this fall to send out with Christmas cards. It's already starting to get cold & a tree next to our house has already started to lose its leaves. Guess we should take that picture soon.
In other news, I've been slowing spreading the message about my recent diagnosis with multiple sclerosis. It has taken me a while to get used to it...not that I am now. It all started last Christmas when my left hand went numb. Of course I thought (we all thought) it was carpal tunnel, but I don't do enough with my left hand to cause that. At any rate, it began to get worse, and the tingling was going down my sides and into my butt by February. I didn't have insurance so I had to wait until March to see a doctor. I landed myself at the neurologist at the end of March and had an MRI done (which is awful) and was diagnosed in April. I had a spinal tap done to confirm the MRI which resulted in a horrible chain of events. I got a spinal headache from the procedure (which is the worse kind, ever) and over the course of 3 weeks, spinal fluid accumulated in my brain. I ended up in the ER while at work from the pain & then went to surgery to drain the fluid. This was all in May. We spent 5 days in ICU and 2 on a regular floor in the hospital. It was not the most pleasant way to get out of the house for a few days!
Now I am back to work and mostly normal. Some days I feel like there is nothing wrong with me & other days I feel like I've been run over by a truck. I am taking MS meds, but in the process of switching. I started on Rebif, 3 injections a week, but I was having so many skin reactions that I am switching to Avonex, 1 injection a week. I was determined to be on Rebif b/c I had read that it was more aggressive than the other meds, but there really isn't any data that supports one med over another. I start the Avonex tomorrow. Jon's not looking forward to giving me intramuscular injections, but hey, it's only once a week.
Work is going really well. I am working postpartum on the evening shift & will start orientation to labor and delivery near the end of October/beginning of November. I have sort of been putting it off so that I can get my life back in order at home. I have decided that I for sure want to finish my masters degree in the next 5 years or so and specialize in women's health. I dream of a work week that is 9-5 with weekends off! But I really do have a great job with excellent benefits so I really can't complain about which days I work.
The one bad thing with nursing is working holidays. Jon and I will be missing both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. That's right, we'll be missing Christmas Eve Eve for the first time. I'm sad. We will be coming home the week after Christmas when I have time off. Because it's my first year at work, I am required to work Christmas, but it's triple time pay so that makes up for it. I'll miss all of you!
I guess that's enough rambling from me. Hope you are all doing well! Love and miss you!
Teresa
In other news, I've been slowing spreading the message about my recent diagnosis with multiple sclerosis. It has taken me a while to get used to it...not that I am now. It all started last Christmas when my left hand went numb. Of course I thought (we all thought) it was carpal tunnel, but I don't do enough with my left hand to cause that. At any rate, it began to get worse, and the tingling was going down my sides and into my butt by February. I didn't have insurance so I had to wait until March to see a doctor. I landed myself at the neurologist at the end of March and had an MRI done (which is awful) and was diagnosed in April. I had a spinal tap done to confirm the MRI which resulted in a horrible chain of events. I got a spinal headache from the procedure (which is the worse kind, ever) and over the course of 3 weeks, spinal fluid accumulated in my brain. I ended up in the ER while at work from the pain & then went to surgery to drain the fluid. This was all in May. We spent 5 days in ICU and 2 on a regular floor in the hospital. It was not the most pleasant way to get out of the house for a few days!
Now I am back to work and mostly normal. Some days I feel like there is nothing wrong with me & other days I feel like I've been run over by a truck. I am taking MS meds, but in the process of switching. I started on Rebif, 3 injections a week, but I was having so many skin reactions that I am switching to Avonex, 1 injection a week. I was determined to be on Rebif b/c I had read that it was more aggressive than the other meds, but there really isn't any data that supports one med over another. I start the Avonex tomorrow. Jon's not looking forward to giving me intramuscular injections, but hey, it's only once a week.
Work is going really well. I am working postpartum on the evening shift & will start orientation to labor and delivery near the end of October/beginning of November. I have sort of been putting it off so that I can get my life back in order at home. I have decided that I for sure want to finish my masters degree in the next 5 years or so and specialize in women's health. I dream of a work week that is 9-5 with weekends off! But I really do have a great job with excellent benefits so I really can't complain about which days I work.
The one bad thing with nursing is working holidays. Jon and I will be missing both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. That's right, we'll be missing Christmas Eve Eve for the first time. I'm sad. We will be coming home the week after Christmas when I have time off. Because it's my first year at work, I am required to work Christmas, but it's triple time pay so that makes up for it. I'll miss all of you!
I guess that's enough rambling from me. Hope you are all doing well! Love and miss you!
Teresa
