Something bizarre happened to me

Sometimes bizarre things happen with multiple sclerosis just because it exists. After all, we live with a strange, unpredictable disease that seems to have a mind of its own. At times I do things so strange that blaming it on MS isn’t even fair. Out of everything that has happened I blame my right hand for it all. My right hand is more of a paperweight than something of use anyway. Between tremors and weakness, it’s useless.

Some of the really strange things that happen need to be discussed more often so more people are aware of the challenges we face.  The strangest symptoms I’ve dealt with include:

• Feeling as if an internal earthquake is taking place inside my body.
• Experiencing ringing in my ears that sometimes is louder than a crowd at a ball game.
• Feeling as if water is dripping on me when I’m no where near a faucet.
• The unrelenting crushing feeling of the MS hug which is more like a tight girdle wrapped around the rib cage or a boa constrictor that won’t let go.
• Feeling as if food is stuck in my throat when I haven’t eaten anything.
• Involuntary movements of my body like me accidentally kicking the doctor.
• Abnormal sensations on my skin such as burning, pins and needles, and even itching that nothing seems to be able to alleviate.
• Feeling an electrical shock sensation through my arms and legs when I tilt my neck downward.
• Feelings of dizziness and being off-balance which accompanies nausea.
• Experiencing emotional incontinence which brings on uncontrollable laughter or tears.
• Dealing with 3-D illusions like when an object is moving straight towards me but it appears to be swerving and shifting in its path.

I have also noticed a strange phenomenon since having MS. I don’t have a clue if it’s actually related to MS in any way as I’ve never heard it talked about, but I thought I would mention it so others who are dealing with the same things don’t think they are going crazy.

When I get something as simple as a pimple on my face (it’s not just for teenagers, you know), it will take a few months to fully heal instead of days as in times past. I’ve noticed the same thing happens with cuts too. I cut my finger in the kitchen and after a month it has healed aside for a slightly puffiness. I’m just glad my hand is numb and I can’t feel any pain that is going on inside. It’s healing at its own slow pace. Bizarrely slow, I have to say.

It could be due to some of the medications I take. I take things for muscle spasms, pain, dizziness, help with sleeping, and temors. A daily cocktail along with a slew of supplements and vitamins. It’s crazy because before MS I didn’t even take aspirin or cold medicine, now I have a rainbow collection of pills that would put a package of Skittles to shame.

When I was first diagnosed with MS I was taking a med called Rebif. I had to give myself inter-muscular shots 3 times a week, similar to those taking Copaxone. Those shots would bruise me so bad that over time I looked like I was being abused. I would have bruises on my thighs, arms and belly and they would take forever to heal. But the med would end up making me feel worse than MS actually did. I was medicating myself for the side effects of the medication. Such a vicious cycle that I’m glad ended when I stopped taking it. I would rather let MS progress naturally than feel miserable trying to medicate for a hopeful slower progression of MS.

Keeping a healthy diet helps to manage some issues, but it won’t rid the body of everything MS. I’m truly overjoyed for those that are able to fully manage MS by the things they eat and the supplements they take, but it’s important for people to understand that not everybody has such great results. Each of us is unique with our own cellular makeup and our own responses to diet and medications.

If you face slow wound healing, know that you aren’t alone. I’m sitting here with a puffy finger and a pimple on my chin to prove it happens.

It’s necessary for a person on a journey with MS to be able to recognize why coping with their illness is difficult. Knowing how crazy MS can be can help ease the burden, even if only for a little while. You got this.