Monday, July 30, 2007

One step closer to a cure...

My cousin Pam e-mailed the link to an article regarding a new discovery in MS research. Not too long later a couple of other people e-mailed me the link also. Thanks for thinking of my guys:) I just wanted to share the article with everyone else because they've come one step closer to a cure for MS by discovering a second gene that increases one's risk of developing MS. The more they find out about what causes MS, the closer they are to finding a cure! There's hasn't been this significant of a breakthrough in MS research in 30 years! Here's the link to the article, please take the time to check it out:

http://health.msn.com/healthnews/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100167096

On a less exciting note....I had my MRI done last week. It was not what I would call fun, but it's over now! I got through the first part, the brain, the cervical spine, and the thoracic spine without the dye, with no problems. Then they pulled me out and injected the dye. They did the cervical spine first, then the thoracic spine. Three quarters of the way through the thoracic spine I had a bit of a panic attack. I really had to use the little girl's room, but didn't want to interrupt the MRI right in the middle. I was sweating profusely, was short of breath, and couldn't hold still. Ahhhhhhh!!! Apparently I was wiggling my feet a lot, so the woman asked what was wrong and I told her. She said hang on for 5 more minutes and you can go. They had to re-do some of the images because I was moving so much. Five LONG minutes later they pulled me out and let me go. When I came back to complete the last part, the brain, they had to inject me with more dye since I had used the facilities. I got through the brain and 4 hours later I was done:)!!!! You would think a MRI is a piece of cake, but it's a very exhausting and challenging procedure, both mentally and physically. Now it's over and I'm just waiting for my doctor's office to call me to set up an appointment to discuss the results. I'll keep you posted!

Don't forget to read the article! And please keep the scientists and all of the people who help fund the research in your prayers!

"There is a single light of science, and to brighten it anywhere is to brighten it everywhere."
-Isaac Asimov

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

3 Month Check Up....

Just wanted to give everyone an update. It's been just over 3 months since I started my injections, which means it's time to go for my check up to see if it's working. I am having a MRI done next week, on Tuesday the 24th. They will take images of my brain, cervical spine, and thoracic spine with and without contrast. That means they'll take several images of each area and then pull me out of the machine, inject a dye into my veins, and then put me back in the machine to take more images. I'll probaly be there for a few hours. NO FUN!!! I guess the worst part is having to stay still for so long. At least last time I had a MRI I couldn't feel my legs, so it was easy to keep them still. This time will probably be tougher. Wish me luck!! Once my neurologist gets my results he'll call me to set up an appointment to go over my results and see how I'm doing. Everyone cross your fingers that everything is going according to plan. I'm feeling better, so I have high hopes that the MRI results will show the injections are working!

I'll post an update after I get the results!

On a lighter note, I would like to say Happy Anniversary to my AWESOME hubbie:) Can you guys believe it's been 3 YEARS?!! Oh, Doug is a lucky man;) We're having a romantic dinner tonight at Carmello's and then this weekend we're staying at Moody Gardens!

Today I'll leave you with a quote about love:
"Love, like a river, will cut a new path whenever it meets an obstacle."

Doug and I have definitely cut new paths over the past 8 months, and they're so much stronger and closer:)