Still Painting!

I had another great day! Besides some mild vertigo, it was at least as good as yesterday, maybe better.

Sensory:

-Pins and needles: 1
-Tingles: 0
-Dysesthetic pain: 0!
-Paresthesias: 0

-Numbness: 2
-Vision: 0
-Nerve pain: 2
-Hearing: 1

Motor:
-Walking: 0
-Sore muscles: 7, because I was painting again

-Spasticity: 2
-Weak muscles: 3

-Endurance: 2

-Fine motor: 2

Cognitive:
-Processing: 0
-Memory: 0
-Attention: 0
-Confusion: 0

General:
-Fatigue: 3, had two mini MS energy meltdowns (drains?), at 6:00 and 8:30 pm. Not bad.
-Balance: 0

-Sleep: 0

-Bladder: 1
-Proprioception: 0
-Swallowing: 1
-A: 0
-B: 0

Emotions: Happy! I had a great day. And the new paint is looking so good. I did get irritable when my energy ran out.

Fantastic Day!

Since I last posted, I have been hard at work painting my house.

Tuesday I painted and had a pretty good day. Wednesday I painted and was struggling. Almost fell off ladders and stools. I had to lie down on the cold tile floor for a while, which helped. I think I got too warm, and maybe it was a little humid. Yesterday I took a day off of painting. I started off okay but quickly went downhill--still worn out from all that painting! Today I painted all day (all day!) and had the best day I have had in a long time. I felt at least 80% normal. Maybe 90%. :)

And my shot was not very painful! I took a three-minute break to take care of business and was back to painting.

I am really wondering if I might be on daclizumab. I certainly would not expect Avonex to make me feel better. And this dramatic turnaround is probably not completely due to PT. Speaking of PT, I went yesterday and wow, what a difference from the last time I went, which was one week ago. The bike still stunk, but the treadmill was so much easier. I felt like I could have gone longer, whereas normally I am pushing myself even to get on it.

I am so grateful to have more energy.

The only thing that was a bummer today was my horrible dry mouth. Still a problem.

Sensory:

-Pins and needles: 2
-Tingles: 0
-Dysesthetic pain: 1
-Paresthesias: 0

-Numbness: 3
-Vision: 0
-Nerve pain: 2
-Hearing: 1

Motor:
-Walking: 0
-Sore muscles: 2

-Spasticity: 2
-Weak muscles: 3

-Endurance: 2

-Fine motor: 2, because of my darn tremor! It acted up in the morning and then again in the evening (after I took a shower--warmth is definitely a factor). Left worse than right.

Cognitive:
-Processing: 0
-Memory: 0
-Attention: 0
-Confusion: 0

General:
-Fatigue: 1
-Balance: 0

-Sleep: 0

-Bladder: 1
-Proprioception: 0
-Swallowing: 0? (Didn't pay attention)
-A: 0
-B: 3

Emotions: Happy, I guess. I did not mind painting, and I was grateful for friends who helped.

Why Am I Doing Better?

I helped paint a bathroom off and on all day. Taping, painting, painting again. Breaks. Like yesterday, I started off kind of rocky--it seems like mornings are the worst as far as my muscles cooperating. I am so STIFF in the morning. But evenings are worst for the nerve pain, pins and needles, etc.

Also like yesterday, I was able to do so much more than I have been able to do in the last few months. I am definitely on the mend for now.

I feel very strongly that the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. My health began a dramatic, upward climb on Wednesday, for no apparent reason. If I am on Avonex, that certainly would not be the reason. If I am on daclizumab, it is a little early for progress like that, and it was not a week after the shot, which I would expect based on natalizumab stories. If it were from the increased desipramine (as this upturn occurred as that medication began to help my pain), how is that possible? If it were PT, why now? And why so suddenly, after a sharp downturn in health the two previous weeks? There does not seem to be a rhyme or reason to it, except what I felt Friday night in the Lord's house: The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.

Sensory:

-Pins and needles: 1, woke up with them, then none all day
-Tingles: 0
-Dysesthetic pain: 3, also woke up with it, then not much all day
-Paresthesias: 2, woke up with the electricity in my legs

-Numbness: 2
-Vision: 0
-Nerve pain: 3, evening
-Hearing: 1

Motor:
-Walking: 1, stiff in the morning, better as the day went on
-Sore muscles: 2

-Spasticity: 3, in the morning, got better, worse as I was painting--my hand would suddenly cramp. OW! And at one point my leg cramped and went out on me, and I almost fell off the ladder.
-Weak muscles: 2

-Endurance: 4, I took breaks, but I did pretty well with the painting project. I did wilt pretty quickly when I was working near the hot lights, near the ceiling.

-Fine motor: 2

Cognitive:
-Processing: 1
-Memory: 0
-Attention: 0
-Confusion: 0

General:
-Fatigue: 4, but I was doing physical work--so pretty good!
-Balance: 0

-Sleep: 0

-Bladder: 1
-Proprioception: 1
-Swallowing: 1
-A: 0
-B: 8, ruined my evening

Emotions: Fine. Feeling a sense of wonder that I have not collapsed back into an MS heap from all this physical work. Part of the wonder is wondering when/if that is going to hit again.