Postcard from Osteoporopolis

Warning: Tired travel analogies may continue to be employed in this post. “I know the C word and the F word. The C word is cor blimey, and the F word is flippin’ ‘eck” – Rat, lead singer of Chesterfield based punk band The Bland on stage at the Take Two club, Attercliffe c.1988 It’s

Back to Blighty blues

I’m just back in the UK after a fabulous trip to Australia and Singapore. I don’t normally do this, but while I was away, I re-evaluated things a little. What I should be doing to make myself happier, more comfortable and healthier. The thing about Australia is that there are so many similarities to home

Mild relapse?

I have been on beta interferon (Rebif) for nearly two years now and in that time I haven’t had a relapse. Or have I? Beta interferon is supposed to reduce the likelihood of having a relapse and minimise the effects if you do get one. Back in January 2009, when I came off gabapentin, I experienced

I’m in pain…

It’s not pain as you would conventionally know it and it’s really difficult to describe the sensation. My feet and lower legs feel like they want to shrivel up and shrink into themselves with occasional stabs of more conventional pain from my toes. I used to describe it as a crawling sensation, but that doesn’t

My MS History – Part Six

After one more session of double-checking with the consultant where he had yet another student in tow – it seemed I was becoming a textbook example of nystagmus – it became apparent that the steroids really hadn’t done their job. So to suppress my existing symptoms I was prescribed Gabapentin. I had been given details

Relapse spotting

Well, I guess this goes to show how difficult it can be to spot a relapse, sometimes. I spoke to H (my nurse) today about the optic neuritis and heavy legs that I have been experiencing over the last few days. She thought the optic neuritis sounded like I was experiencing a small relapse, but

So long Gabapentin!

With the backing of my GP, I have ditched Gabapentin. It has been making me feel crap for a while, now. The main side effects being fatigue and hallucinations. I was starting to fall asleep by 7pm every day. As an experiment, I tried a couple of days over Christmas without taking the pills and

Life with MS – Part Two – Medication

I have been dosed up this year, like I have never been dosed up before. I mentioned in an earlier post that having MS is a little bit like having an uninvited monster following you round everywhere (mine has been clinging onto my right leg all morning). In order to stop the monster from suddenly