I was browsing on Facebook this morning and checking my food blog to see how many hits since yesterday. I came across this FB page http://www.facebook.com/#!/MSWorld.Fan.Page and I decided to like it – it’s amazing when you read other people’s stories and know exactly how they are feeling. I was relieved (too much irony in this) to read about other people taking different medicines and what the side effects they were experiencing are. I always felt I was nuts when I would wake up in the middle of the night shivering to death because I had given myself an Avonex injection a few hours before. Or when someone said they are having problems with their liver enzymes I was like – God! I’m not nuts. My body is not rejecting the injections and causing my liver enzymes to go up. Pam – you are such a dork sometimes. I do not take the injections anymore because I did not have insurance at the time and was too lazy and depressed to get help through Biogen for my Avonex as well as I did not want to damage my liver anymore. I changed the way I eat, eat vegetarian food a lot and stay away from a lot of carbs, and eat organic as much as I can afford to. I try to eat foods that have Vitamin D in them because research shows that MS can be from a Vitamin D deficiency. Because I took predisone for so many years due to my MS attacks, I now have Type II diabetes. Predisone causes your sugars to elevate very dangerously and caused a lot of weight gain.

I advocate for myself more and more because neurologists are not always right. They do not know everything about MS – MS is a mysterious disease. My current neurologist that I just recently met because of an MS attack told me that he does not believe I have MS – after countless of MRI’s since 1991, the reports confirm I have it – he still doesn’t believe me. He wants to do a spinal tap to rule out things. PULEZE! Why! I have had over 10 MRI’s in the last 16 years – and each one says I have it there is “no doubt”  written in the report. Oh and he said that there is no pain with MS. WHAT! Please! What a douche bag I thought. He had a huge attitude when he walked in the room. My friend who brought me because I could not drive due to my hands not cooperating was not happy – she even sensed the doctor had a huge attitude. I wish I could reverse roles on them and make them feel like you are worthless – but then again, no one can make  you feel that way but you! I got my shots in here and there and he quit the attitude after I started telling him my history.

Intersting even people misunderstand too. I recently shared my experience about my doctor’s visit on my blog and I found out from another good friend that this person told her that I don’t have MS! Peeps need to read the lines carefully before making comments about my health. I thought how funny first numerous neurologists now certain people. When I shared my symptoms with people on my blog, one person told me that this person told her I was so bad off I was not able to do anything anymore. I think – ok – still need to educate and make other people aware how sensitive this issue is for some.

Until then.. Stay Healthy! Be Strong!