Hello Aubagio!

I said a not-terribly-fond farewell to Avonex a month ago, and today I received my first shipment of Aubagio. I guess I should not have been surprised at the small package, but of course it is only a few pills. Exactly 28, to be highly exact. I find that annoying, because a prescription should be for 30 pills--30 days. With 28 pills in the pack, I will need to refill it more often, which means paying a bit more each year. Whatever, at least I have insurance.

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If any of you MSers stumbles across this blog, it took exactly three weeks for my insurance to approve Aubagio.

I am excited to begin taking this medication tomorrow! And I have an appointment at the MS clinic. Good timing. If I have any odd side effects, I will be there. But I doubt anything serious will happen, because Aubagio is not associated with serious, acute side effects.

My appointment tomorrow is the kind I like yet do not like. I will have neuro exams by my neurologist, Dr. Rick, and by someone else. I have not met him (or her?). I hope he is more personable than the Asian chick who freaked out because I told her that she had started her period... on her skirt. Hehe, that loosened her up a bit. I also have cognitive testing (brief) and the usual bloodwork. Also questionnaires. All of that will allegedly by done in two hours. Bulllll.....

I like to have the testing done, because sometimes I surprise myself with what I can and cannot do. I am introspective and analytical, so I nerd out on data. But I do not like this kind of visit, because they will probably make me do the walk. MSers know this one: walk until you go 500 meters or drop, whichever happens first. And I have made the 500 meters every time, but it is by the skin of my teeth. I am totally wiped out after that. That is when I CBT myself: I can stay if I am too tired to drive. But of course I never stay, because when I am worn out, I just want to lie on my couch at home.

Sleep Is Improving

I wanted to add an update on the delightful topic of sleep. I am sleeping better than I was last month. I wonder if it is related to the general healing since that time, a new med, or what. I seriously doubt it is from the advice of the sleep specialist, except for falling asleep faster. I am definitely falling asleep quickly--within 15 minutes.

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My total sleep time is a little more, but I am still waking up more than I should. Certainly more than I want to. Five times each of the last two nights, for example. And I think I may be waking up more often. I am pretty dumb at night, sometimes almost not writing on my paper. I wonder if there are times I do not write the wake up time and just go back to sleep.

So... I am happy that I am falling asleep faster and generally going back to sleep quickly when I wake up. But I still want to sleep better!