How Could I Forget??

Oh my gosh, I totally forgot to blog this. Wow.

When I arrived at the MS dinner the other night, I went straight for the drug reps. Why not get more information?

First up was Pfizer, which was advertising the injectable disease-modifying drug (DMD) Rebif. The nurse asked what I am on--nothing. I told her that I am just treating symptoms right now. She asked if my neuro feels that I do not need DMDs. Um, no. I told her that is not it; my neuro is a little busy since she just switched practices*. And that she is maybe a little more focused on herself than on patients**. I said this sort of ruefully, "oh well." I quickly added that I will see a neurologist at [famous hospital] MS Center next week. She asked who and then said he is good.

Then she asked who my current neuro is. I told her it is Dr. Gabby.

Her eyes narrowed, and her mouth twisted in annoyance. Or hatred? She physically took a step back. She said that it is good that I am switching. She said that she has worked with many patients who had Dr. Gabby and... then she bit her tongue.

This is the third medical professional who has had something bad to say about Dr. Gabby. I am so glad I made the decision to switch, although I ended up with a bad neuro again in Dr. Ronnie. But hopefully the new guy will be good. I just have to keep trying.


*Busy with her new, money-generating patients at her husband's pain management clinic.

**Referring to her weekly Questcor-funded lectures shilling Acthar... and pushing me to go to her lectures after I have just gotten through expressing my frustration that I am too sick to go anywhere or do anything. I remember calling her from the ER and having her tell me I would really enjoy her lecture that day. I AM IN THE ER WITH A CSF LEAK, YOU IDIOT. Um, no, I think I will not be able to attend your lecture.

Happy Spinal Tap Day

I made it through. The procedure went fine, with very little pain. I had some pins and needles in my left leg, but that's not exactly out of the ordinary for me, so I didn't even say anything. I was shaking with terror and prayed the entire time, which helped me feel better.

The recovery seems to be worse than the procedure. I had a nasty headache for a few hours, which is better now that I've been lying down for a while.

I want to drink, because that will help my body replace the cerebrospinal fluid. But I sort of can't. If I sit up, I have electric shocks in the area around the puncture. That's not enjoyable. And pain starts going down my legs. I think my nerves have seriously retardified (yeah, I used the R word... and verbified it... so sue me), because of that stuff and because when the lumbar puncture doctor marked me with a pen, it felt like a needle stick! It's like my nerves were overreacting. Calm down, it was just a pen. His fingertips felt like needles, too.

Anyway, it isn't that bad. When we're talking pain scale, I'll go with kidney stone 10, gallbladder attacks 9.5, and post lumbar puncture 7. Um, maybe the headache was an 8 for a while. Glad that didn't continue.

Drinking... hilarious. I sit up to take a drink (ouch, shocks), lie down, and it comes right back up my esophagus. Darn hernia. It makes me laugh.

A friend from church drove me home and later came over to bring me yummy bread and jam. That made me feel better!