Quick MS Update

Just wanted to post a quick MS update.  The last two weekends have been super busy with the end of preschool for JJ.  We rode our bike with third wheel to the library, my office and then to preschool to ride the Cyride bus and have our end of year preschool.  Next year JJ is off to kindergarten.

 

Saturday the 24th started with a bike ride with my triathlon team, watching Abby play part of a game in a soccer tournament, and then JJ and I went on a mission for flooring for our bedroom.  Then Abby and I had a date to get pedicures thanks to a gift certificate from a friend.  Sunday was  my 40th birthday.  I spent the morning cleaning house, had brunch cooked for me by Abby and Joe and then had a surprise visit from my dear college friend Kara who was passing through with her family on their way home to Texas.  We wrapped up the day with a splurge to Hickory Park and then had DQ chocolate ice cream cake.  It was a great birthday. We started off Memorial day with Joe and I going for a training ride so I could finally hit the road with my team tri bike.  What a sweet ride!!  Thank you Kyle's Bikes for sponsoring me.  I am loving this carbon fiber ride.  To close out the long weekend we had neighbors, friends and coworkers over for a potluck and were blessed with great conversation and beautiful weather.

This past work week my office packed up and moved from the north end of the complex back to the south end of the  complex where we normal are housed.  It was a lot of packing, hauling boxes and still persists in chaos.  I spent parts of last Friday pulling up carpet in the bedroom.  The joys of pulling staples and tack strips by hand... ah.  Saturday morning I painted an accent wall and then spent much of the day between shuttling kids around, helping my folks help me install new flooring into the bedroom (see facebook for photos).  We had a nice family dinner of a rare pizza and left over birthday cake.  Sunday we hit the yard hard.   I have three 4x8 raised beds in the backyard and several flats of garden starts I grew in my basement in need of some outside time.  I also had the idea of expanding another bed in the yard to make room for a sunflower garden and a space to plan cucumber and zucchini plants as they take up more room in my boxes.

Joe got the lawn mowed while the flooring was going in, and then tackled the tiller to pull the sod up for the new garden.  The kids helped a little in the pulling out of a dead tree and bush and planting of two new plants.  We got the garden all processed and new soil added but didn't get the plants in yet.  I have been watering them and they are protected on the screened in porch.  So anyway we have been busy which is why I am up way past my bedtime writing this blog (write or explode).  Oh did I mention we got a kitten on my birthday.  She is around 6 weeks old and still doesn't have a name but is so funny and cute.  She has yet to be introduced to the two big dogs, and the older cat.  She has however met our visiting Bearded Dragon who will be staying with us for June.

So to my quick MS update.  I am still taking my meds.  I am still symptomatic.  The heat seems to be causing a flurry of activity just when things seemed to be quieting down.  I met with the MS Lifelines nurse (sponsored by my drug company).  She gave me a few pointers and was great to talk to.  I also had my first round of labs run last week as part of my yearly check up.  I see my doctor later this week to see how things are going as well as having my first mammogram.  I will give an update next weekend.

The highlight of my week was making new MS friend connections.  I know I keep promising a post about the great people I have met who have MS... I will get there eventually.  At the triathlon clinic last week I met a man training for his first triathlon whose wife has MS.  He is riding the MS ride in Ames which I have also signed up for (see my fundraising link below).  We have already connected on Facebook.  Then I had a great conversation with a friend of one of my swimming buddies who has secondary progressive MS.  He is the first person I have talked to whose disease is progressing.  We have also connected over email.  The last great interaction I had is with a coworker who has MS.  We had lunch together and is seems we are MS twins.  He is the first person I have talked to who has the same symptoms as me, who has taking the same meds as me, and who has had similar struggles.  It sucks that anyone has to have MS, but it is nice to know there is a whole community of people out there who get my struggles, who want to hear my story and share theirs, and who are amazing people.  I truly am blessed.

Here is a wonderful article about making photos of the invisible symptoms of MS.  We look normal on the outside but feel far from normal on the inside.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/health/inside-multiple-sclerosis-the-invisible-disease-and-the-seeingms-exhibition/story-fnihoylo-1226934170326

I have one more thing to share.  I signed up to do the MS bike ride in 19 days.  It is a fundraiser for the MS Society to raise funds to do patient support, educate people about MS, and fund cutting edge research.  Even the smallest donations can make a difference so please consider donating to my fundraising page.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/MNMBikeEvents?px=13447566&pg=personal&fr_id=23097

Thank you for reading.