My MS Story ... part four

Well I ended my relationship w/ Dr. Jackass & started a new one w/ a chiropractor at the end of February. This was another option I had discussed w/ that doctor because I had fallen twice in the last year & thought maybe some things got out of alignment. He agreed & thought that could also be the case.

My first fall was April 13th, 2010. My friend George was moving away to San Francisco & we were having a going away party for him at Skate Daze, which I still like to refer to as Skateland. George loves pandas & we were having a Panda Party, if anyone remembers those from back in the Skateland days. I even found a t-shirt w/ a panda on it wearing roller skates. I wore this w/ my favorite lime green tutu because George & I both love tutu’s. I got the whole table set w/ panda stuff, including some panda cupcakes that Chris Janicek had custom made for the occasion. It was perfect! Time to skate!

I put my skates on & I was ready to roll, or so I thought. 30 seconds & 30 feet later I fell smack on my tail bone. I couldn’t grip my fall because I had my camera in one hand & my Flip(will anyone know what these are years from now?) in the other. I tried to skate again but it just wasn’t happening, not even w/ Fletch’s assistance. I just hung out at the table & consoled myself w/ cupcakes.




The next day I went to the doctor, who was in Tabor, Iowa that day. He wrote a prescription for Vicodin, and when I walked out of his office there was a Stoner Drug right across the street. I just had to get my Vicodin filled at Stoner Drug, how could I not?

The second fall was in Mexico over Thanksgiving. This definitely was not due to MS but caused by a deadly mix of rain & marble floor. The marble floor extends from the room & out onto the patio where the private pool is. This makes no sense at all & I can’t believe someone hasn’t died yet. My legs went all kinds of opposite & unnatural ways. But once again, I am resilient. There was no Stoner Drug around this time but there was plenty of tequila!

So I started thinking that maybe I was just out of alignment, as opposed to my usual just being out of line. I was really hoping & even convinced myself that all of this had to be due to 2 bad falls. I just needed a chiropractor to get everything back in the correct place.

The first appointment I had w/ the chiropractor I told him about my falls but I also told him about my MS concern. After looking me over & giving me several adjustments, he reassured me that I absolutely did NOT have MS. He said I was so out of alignment that I shouldn’t worry about that at all. I was delighted to hear this news & I really believed it to be true. For months I did. I went 3 times a week at the beginning, then twice a week and then once a week. He told me I was getting better & I felt like I was, until Mother’s Day that is.

On Mother’s Day, Fletch & I went to Lauritzen Gardens with his mother, Susan. It all started out fine, walking thru the gardens & enjoying the beautiful 86 degree weather. It’s really not that big of a place, the total walk is only about a mile & a half. About a quarter of a mile in, I felt my left leg getting weaker & I put my arm through Fletch’s arm for support. Shortly after that, Susan asked “Are you limping?” I mumbled “I don’t know” & shrugged it off. I didn’t wanna hold anybody up or focus on it too much. But about half way through the gardens it was clear to see that I was limping. Susan suggested we rest on the park bench in the shade. I was feeling the heat & the shade was nice. We were right next to the lilac bushes that were in full bloom & the slight breeze was blowing their beautiful scent our way. I could’ve rested there all day.

Not wanting to hold them up, I pushed on. With only about 100 yards to go, it became evident that I was having a big problem. I was using the wall to brace myself with my right hand and holding onto Fletch’s arm w/ my left hand & I literally could not take another step. Eventually, I slowly made it back to the entrance where I waited on a bench like an old woman for Fletch to go get the car. I sat there scared, wondering what the hell was happening to me.

We went to El Aguila for lunch, where it felt great to sit down in the air conditioning & just relax. The whole time we were there I couldn’t get it out of my mind what had just happened to me. Although I was able to walk without limping when we finished our lunch, I knew that what happened today was not normal and it was not minor.

After a trip to the zoo at the end of May, and another similar episode, where I struggled to get to my car after separating from my friends, I was convinced that I absolutely DID have MS.

Now that I was done with Dr. Jackass and I had no faith in what the chiropractor said, what was I supposed to do next?

My MS Story … part three

Its Valentine’s Day 2011 & I have the best present a husband could ask for….Laryngitis!

My annual sinus infection began on rehearsal Saturday for the OEA’s, the Omaha Entertainment Awards for those of you that don't know. Fletch volunteers as an assistant stage manager & I’m basically an assistant-to-him, making sure the presenters & performers are where they need to be. I do a lot of running around & having a voice helps to be able to find these creative care-free spirits who tend to get lost in celebration.

I barely had any voice by Sunday night's OEA show.I’ve had sinus infections every year for as long as I can remember & my voice sometimes turns into that sexy raspy voice we all enjoy for a few days, but I had never lost my voice entirely. I am certain this was more than okay with a few folks.

I went to the doctor on Monday, Valentine’s Day, and I got my usual antibiotic prescription of Zithromax. Same shit, different year. He advised me to rest my vocal chords & quit trying to talk or I was going to make it worse.

While I was there though, I decided I needed to approach the subject of my left foot, or leg; I still wasn’t sure. I described the weakness in my left leg & how I felt like my toe was dragging during walks. After that, these were my exact words to my doctor whom I had been seeing for years and really liked & trusted:
“Just between you & me, I had an MS scare about 15 years ago. I had Optic Neuritis & was told that could be the first symptom of MS. My doctor at that time said he wasn’t going to mention MS in my medical records because I would never get insured if he did.”

Well I don’t know if he doesn’t know what “just between you & me” actually means or if maybe he couldn’t hear me due to the laryngitis, but I’m thinking he’s just an asshole. I’ll explain.

He did a neurological exam, which was nothing more than a reflex test, a grip test & a resistant test. He concluded that I had normal deep tendon reflexes in the upper & lower extremities, a strong grip & good strength in my legs. He then referred me to a neurologist & had the nurse schedule the appointment for me a few days later.

I went home and now, 13 years later, searching the internet was a built in reflex so I started researching MS. The very first site I went to said “Do not let anyone diagnose you with MS until you get all the insurance you can”. I have health insurance, but I don’t have Long Term Care insurance in case I need assisted living when I get older. So I immediately called the doctor’s office back & told the nurse that I was thinking of delaying the appointment w/ the neurologist until I got things set up, just in case I got a diagnosis of MS. She checked w/ the doctor & he agreed that I should wait until benefits are in place.
There was no mention that he already mentioned MS in my file, therefore ruining my chances of getting any coverage.

After I researched more, I started getting curious about what the doctor actually wrote in my file. I called the doctor’s office & asked the nurse if she could tell me what it actually said. He mentioned I was having leg weakness AND that I had Optic Neuritis AND that I had an MS scare about 15 years ago. It was all there. What part of “just between you & me” did he NOT understand??

I called back to ask the nurse if he could remove his comment. She said he could not. After stressing out about it for a week, I called again and asked that the doctor please call me. He did & I tried to speak to him rationally about what he put in my file & I asked him to remove it. He didn’t say “I can’t remove it”. He said “I won’t remove it”. So that says to me that he really could have, but that he just wasn't willing to. I was upset & started crying. He asked what the problem was. REALLY?? I said he just ruined my chances of EVER getting Long Term Care insurance. Because I was upset & crying he actually said, “Vicki, there seems to be more going on here(in such a condescending way) & you just need to come in & see me”. WHAT?? He was implying that I was depressed & emotionally unstable. Who wouldn’t be upset when facing a debilitating disease & not being able to get coverage??

I said I would explain why I thought he was an asshole. I think I have done that, have I not? I wish that doctor would've kept HIS lips zipped!