I can LIVE. I can FUNCTION. I can DO.

A week ago today I was in the ER TRYING to get some answers about why I felt digestively HORRIBLE!

TODAY: I feel sooooooo much better!

AMAZING!  I am truly grateful.  It means so much to me to be feeling better.  Sure, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop (you know, that infamous shoe that is always hovering and just waiting with baited breath to drop) but it hasn’t happened yet.

I definitely still have recovering to do BUT I can eat.  I can LIVE.  I can FUNCTION.  I can DO.

ACTUALLY:

Despite the absolutely miserable week I had last week until about Friday, I have received 3 VERY GOOD PIECES OF HEALTH NEWS that I feel I MUST pass on to you.

1. I heard from my Rheumatologist that all of my bloodwork came back really great and stable and that she firmly believes my lupus has gone into REMISSION.  It doesn’t mean I won’t have symptoms BUT it does mean that all of my organs are healthy and I am stable.  There is definitely no sign of a FLARE of any kind.  I’ll take it for as long as I can!

2. I had an appointment with my MS Specialist Neurologist today and he told me he felt like my MS was under control and that despite all of the crap I had been through in the past week (or even in the past 2 months digestively overall) that I am doing extremely well and my physical well being according to an MS standpoint is BETTER than it was in July!  He’s very happy with my progress.  Now this is with having a VERY early appointment this morning, hardly having time to shower, and rushing to eat (and thank goodness I could even do any of that–not sure how I would’ve gotten there had I felt any worse but I digress and think about things I don’t need to), and being half asleep the whole time.  WOW!  It usually takes me about 4 hours every day to really feel like maybe I can get through a day.  It’s just the way it is.

3. And now it seems that getting a 2nd opinion from a different Gastroenterologist paid off for me.  It’s all about new input and different experiences.  My 1st Gastroenterologist has been really integral in getting my health where it was until about a few months ago.  I do believe it’s time for a change.  This new guy might just be my choice.  He saw things a bit differently, approached it on a different path and convinced me to JUST TRY (he really emphasized that because I was so against more medications) this new medication treatment and see what I thought.  If it didn’t work, then he’d try something else.  Come to find out, my Primary Care Physician’s newer Physician Assistant knew of this specific specialist and was pleased to hear I was seeing him.  She said her experience is that he is VERY GOOD and an expert with what I’m dealing with.  Well OK then.  Guess it was the right choice.

4. BONUS: I just had to add this because my goodness, I just brought up all these titles of medical professionals in 3 paragraphs.  I think I need to get some credit for being able to come up with their names when my head is so tired.  Phew!  Rheumatologist (and how on earth would anyone know how to spell this if they hadn’t seen it written out tons of times?), MS Specialist Neurologist (so specific), Gastroenterologist (took me forever to figure out there was an “e” there and not an “i”–not sure why there isn’t an “i” but anyway), Primary Care Physician, Physician Assistant…WHOA!  I AM TRULY GRATEFUL TO HAVE ACCESS TO SUCH TALENTED PROFESSIONALS IN THEIR FIELDS who are so proactive with my health and were completely available for me in just 1 week!  In fact, if you count my first Gastroenterologist, he was also available to me, I just didn’t agree with what he was thinking about my health situation at the time…

So all very very good things are finally happening.  It is about time.  I’m going to cherish them as long as I can because as we all know, everything can change in an instant.  Now about cures…  You know, I stopped expecting cures for anything I’m going through a long time ago.  I’m really just looking for relief and to feel better with a much more improved quality of life.  Waiting for a cure would make me STOP living and I am doing everything I can to LIVE.

IT IS ONE HARD JOB TO LIVE BUT I’M DETERMINED TO DO IT!!

P.S.  I’ve been quite reflective lately about all I have been through.  I think a lot of it has to do with my 10 year MS diagnosis Anniversary coming up.  10 YEARS…I think that speaks for itself.  I feel a very personal Blog Post coming in the very near future.  Stay tuned.  Right now it’s all still processing.  It will be direct from my heart.

LOVE TO ALL!!!

*And special thoughts go out to those affected by Crazy Storm Sandy.  Wishing for peace and relief for all of you!