![\"Calla](\"http:\/\/seedsproutblossom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/11ABE1F3-1346-4278-9C99-D3BDC85FF01A-1024x332.jpeg\")
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It has taken me way too long to sit down and write this update. In reality I am more like 3 \u00bd months post treatment. This last month has been incredibly challenging dealing with spasticity and pain. As was true with last month\u2019s symptoms post, if I had written this a few days ago, I would\u2019ve sounded hopeless and morose. The last few days have found more balance and comfort.<\/p>\n
This first year post treatment is frequently referred to as a roller coaster but I\u2019m not sure that is quite the right term. Roller coasters are fun and exciting they have ups and downs but ultimately, they are exhilarating. I feel it is closer to a hero\u2019s journey full of beasts to be fought, lessons to be learned, loves to be found and lost, long stretches of solitude, moments of despair and hopelessness, moments of beauty and insight, and ultimately the attainment of a goal, though that goal can be elusive and ever-changing.<\/p>\n
The upside of hitting this three-month mark is my immune system is more robust giving me the ability to engage in life more. My blood labs reflect that my baseline immune system has for the most part normalized. I still have somewhat anemic lymphocytes (B cells and T cells) and that will likely be the case for a while still. This means that if I get a cut or infection my first line of defense, my innate immune system, will kick in as normal and likely be effective. If I get exposed to a virus, it won\u2019t be life-threatening, but my response will likely be sluggish, and I may get it more intensely than I otherwise would. Also getting a virus of any kind will suck because it would flare up my existing MS symptoms intensely. I can now go to the grocery store, to physical therapy, to small group gatherings where no one is actively sick, to see the new Top Gun movie wearing a mask, to begin to normalize life.<\/p>\n
I went to Kira\u2019s college graduation at the end of May which involved flying and being in crowds. I did so carefully, wearing a mask everywhere, and taking a lot of downtime. It meant a lot for me to be able to be there and partly why I timed my treatment for February.<\/p>\n
![\"Kira](\"http:\/\/seedsproutblossom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/098BECC0-F238-4D68-A07C-1B0C9A2D03C5-1024x731.jpeg\")
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I continue to do daily physical therapy and I can get out on my trike a lot more now that the weather is marginally better.<\/p>\n
You may recall that I had been weaning myself off baclofen, a medication prescribed to reduce spasticity, to see if it was doing anything for me and to know if it was worth tolerating the side effects. Well, turns out it is. I had weaned down to 5 mg in the morning and 5 mg at night prior to getting on the airplane to Colorado. By the time I arrived I was experiencing intense spasticity, paroxysmal spasms, and pain. Nothing I tried could alleviate the discomfort. I had to rest that first afternoon and evening and missed Kira\u2019s Phi Beta Kappa induction. The next day, Saturday, I had to miss her department graduation celebration as well as the school\u2019s baccalaureate. By that evening I was so uncomfortable we took a trip to the emergency room where they provided me Valium and gave me baclofen to increase my dose (I stupidly hadn\u2019t brought extra). Thankfully that worked and I was able to attend the graduation itself on Sunday morning and all the celebratory events the rest of the day.<\/p>\n
Lesson learned. I am now being a better patient and also more \u201cpatient\u201d. I\u2019m slowing down my experimentation so I can learn more clearly what everything is doing.\u00a0 My physiatrist has me taking 20 mg of baclofen in the morning, postponing my midday baclofen of 20 mg to 2 or 3 PM to stave off evening spasms, and 10 mg at night. She added 5 mg of Valium at night to help with sleep. I am to try that for a week to see if it makes a difference. I hadn\u2019t noticed any benefit for the first two days and was ready to stop but received good counsel to give it the full week before deciding. Patience, patience, patience.\u00a0 Things are definitely better, though there is room for improvement for sure. The next step will be to add gabapentin.<\/p>\n
I am also almost weaned off tramadol at night. The goal there was to decrease hip pain for sleep, but I have found that \u201cwonder rub\u201d is equally, if not more, effective.\u00a0 I have also found that if I get out on my trike it limbers up my spastic hip and adductors as well as increases energy\/decreases fatigue. If only it would stop raining.<\/p>\n![\"View](\"http:\/\/seedsproutblossom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/8E1779A1-8980-4D13-9099-D073F14A7AB4-1024x576.jpeg\")