In my wheelchair on a better day.
As everyone affected by multiple sclerosis knows, whether living with it personally or because someone close to you has it, there will be good and bad times. Some may be limited to a day; others can be much longer.
Since forsaking the cloudy skies and rain of Britain for the sunnier and drier climes of the south of Spain, albeit that it is winter here too, I have noticed significant improvements. I have been enjoying a prolonged good spell with a drastic reduction in both the number of falls and of the amount of time seriously affected by fatigue.
Two days ago, however, it was the start of a bad time. It started with, of all things, a stomach ache but that in no way warned me of what was to come.
After watching me fall asleep in my armchair in the middle of the afternoon and then seeing me fall on the way to the bathroom, my wife Lisa decided it was time for me to go to bed and there were no protests from me. The pain was still there and fatigue had set in. And I don’t mean tiredness; fatigue is so much more than being tired.
I did try and get up later but only as far as my electric wheelchair and, even then, I soon returned to bed.
Yesterday morning, I awoke to discover my stomach ache had gone but, instead, it felt as though there was a tight band around my body – widely known as the ‘MS hug’. I spent awhile on my computer until, trying to get around indoors led to two more falls, resulting in Lisa insisting that I return to bed. Once there, I was soon oblivious to the world.
Today, Thursday, I have only got out of bed to visit the bathroom which, so far, I have managed without falling. My legs seem to be becoming mine again. I am sitting up in bed while writing this. I think that the worst of the fatigue is behind me.
Maybe, just maybe, I’ll try and get out of bed again this afternoon. If I can make it from bed to armchair – on my feet without falling, that would be a major improvement. Not much to ask, is it? Just ask the uninvited guest in my life; ask my ‘friend’, multiple sclerosis.
50shadesofsun 
Good point
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I want to add that I am not able to lift Ian for several reasons which include no carpet to get some traction on. It took nearly three hours to get him back to the bed last night. It was an extremely rough night for both of us. Luckily, though, in the 4 years I have been physically with him (after my visa was approved), this is only the second time this has happened. Both times he had a fever. My heart goes out to anyone having to live with MS. It is certainly not a welcome guest in our home. Quite frankly, I would like to see it become homeless. I so wish for a stop to the invasion from this disease.
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And today, he is taking the extreme rough. This is his first ever time as an in-patient in a hospital anywhere. Please wish him a speedy recovery. Thank you everyone.
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