Monday, August 25, 2008

Jim, the patient:

Jim had his third (since being diagnosed with MS), iv steroid treatment almost three weeks ago.


A home health nurse comes to put the shunt in, then she showed me how to mix the meds, clear the shunt and hook up the meds to the shunt. I got to play nurse! We did this for three days, then he went back on the oral steriods for two weeks.

I can't say he's doing great, but a bit better. At the end of July he went back to see his doctor and go over the MRI he had done. Dr. Lacy the amount of lesions had about tripled since the last MRI - five years ago. This, he said seemed about normal for MS. The day before he drove up there he lost most of the sight in his left eye.

Now, both eyes are bad, but he can see more since the left eye is somewhat better. The left side of his body is bothering him more now than three weeks ago: when something warm/hot toches him on that side he can't feel the sensation - just the pressure. When something cold/cool touches him - he says it feels like he's being stabbed.

We're still unsure what will happen with school and work. So we're holding off on me getting a job till we're sure about him. Though I'm not crazy about getting a job, and being away from the kids so much, I really don't want him going back to Charter. I want him to go back to school and find something he loves to do and can do from home. Still, it's not up to me.

Today he's out on his boat fishing with buddies! He hasn't felt like going out since he's been home. He has spent many an evening working on the boat. I'm really glad he went out today, he needs the time to relax and stop thinking about everything - just enjoy himself.

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