Unfortunately it was a sign of things to come. First of all,
the anti histamine and anti inflammatory pill were taken and the steroid were
given but the vein which until now had been so accommodating decided it had had
enough and became painful, lumpy and was angrily telling me it had had enough
and so the canula had to be relocated before the alemtuzumab could be given.
Not only that but the metallic taste was back with vengeance and I was consumed
by nausea and generally felt really rotten.
However, an anti-sickness pill helped me cope with the
nausea and I was able to carry on with the alemtuzumab in a state of utter
exhaustion and lack of energy and therefore sleeping for the majority of it.
It hasn’t been a great day but at least I am more than half
way through the treatment now.
Today on the ward, I was joined by three people who were
being treated for what one of them described as Rag Doll Disease. Something I
had never heard of and when I heard what these people are going through makes
me want to snap out of my own MS misery and count my blessings. One patient
told me that she has been on a life support machine several times due to her
illness and has to take a three day course of infusion treatment every 19 days
in order to keep her symptoms under control. She was pretty pragmatic about what
she has to put up with but equally and understandably seemed disappointed,
angry and fed up about the disease she was trying to fight.
Up until this year, the various neurological conditions that
can strike anyone and without warning, had never really crossed my mind. I was
ignorant – and still am really – about the dozens of horrible, nasty illnesses
that people have to contend with on a daily basis; and how these people cope
often with good grace and humour as well as a heartbreaking acceptance of their
lot in life.
It really has reinforced my newly found courage that maybe
soon I should stop being such a wimp about telling people what I have got and
in the words of one of the inspiring people I have met this week to “educate
them” about what MS is and how I’m trying to fight my way out of its clutches.
So day four tomorrow... let’s see how that goes.
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