February 26, 2011
For my new readers who don't know, my husband has multiple sclerosis. And he is on active duty in the US Army. And he's gone right now. He isn't deployed, and he isn't in combat or anything, but he is on temporary duty away from home. I don't bitch about this often. I don't even talk about it often. So, I figure I at least get a freebie every once in a while. Today is my freebie. So either read it, or move along. Nothing to see here.
His MS medication is taken in the form of a weekly intramuscular injection. This is an 1-1/2 inch needle straight into the thigh muscle. He's only been on this medication for 3 or 4 months, and he still has wicked side effects. Flu symptoms, uncontrollable shaking, sweats, fatigue.
When he's home, I give him his shot, he's able to go straight to bed and sleep it off. But since he's been gone, he's had to give himself his shots. And it's killing him. He hates it. He's miserable. And I can't help him. I feel helpless.
He's been in the Army for 17 years. He's still having to be an active duty soldier in a leadership position while suffering from the symptoms of his MS, and the side effects of his medication, all while being a husband and father. And right now, he's alone. And I'm alone. He's dealing with his MS alone. And I can't help him.
So, I guess I'm just feeling sorry for myself right now. Because Friday is his shot day. And I've just been sitting here on my lazy ass all day long knowing that he's miserable, and there is absolutely nothing I can do.
On the bright side, I had a wicked conversation with a 15-year-old boy today about aunt flow. Periods. Menstruation. The Red Tide. Eve's Punishment. That sort of thing. It was pretty fucking hilarious, actually.
My kids have zero inhibition when it comes to asking me shit. NONE. ZERO SHAME. No hesitation whatsoever.
So I get slammed with in-your-face questions like, "So, does it squirt like when you see someone's throat get slashed in a horror movie, or does it come out slow, or is it like the same way as pee?"
And, "How much comes out? Can't you die from losing too much blood?"
And, "Do tampons hurt?"
And, "Why do you get cramps?"
And, "Why do you get bitchy?"
And, "Should I tell my girlfriend that I can tell when she's on the rag, or would that embarrass her?"
And, "So lemme get this straight. The egg comes out of your ovary, goes down your fallopian tube, and sticks itself onto your uterus, right? Soo..... draw me a diagram here. What exactly happens next?"
Have I mentioned before that I have the most AWESOME. KIDS. EVER?
So, this has been my Saturday. Sitting on the couch twiddling my thumbs because I'm worried about my husband. And fielding a barrage of questions from totally shameless, unapologetic teenage boys about periods.
It's a fucking banner day at 666 Psycho Street today, folks. Someone come help me suck down this bottle of cheap wine, puh-leeeeeeeze?
12 minions who have sucked on my crap:
OMG! I hope if I have boys they will feel that free to ask me questions! That is awesome!!
Sorry about the Sarge thing. :-( I would feel the same way if it was Studdly Hubby. It hurts when the one you love hurts.
Rachel
-brightenthepath.com
The more I get to know you the more I like you. I am sorry about your hubby. It must be difficult.
But your kids sound amazing. I say before you said you homeschooled? You could always consider those conversations as part of health class lol
*Saw not say *sigh* there should be a redo button for comments
Oh, girl. I know Big Sarge misses you, too. Hopefully, he'll be home soon???
BTW, I cannot believe you had a full-blown conversation with your kids about menstruation. That cracks me up!
Ya know, I saw a show where someone was diagnosed with MS and it was really Lyme Disease which is curable. Sarge has spent a lot of time in the woods. Might be worth asking the doc.
@Anon- It was definitely something that was brought up during his work-up and he was tested for it. Because of the initial symptom he presented with (optic neuritis) AND the presence of white matter lesions on the MRI, statistics are on the side of MS. Buuuuuut.....it still doesn't rule out Lyme, and the tests for Lyme aren't very accurate. I've thought about it a lot, and I'm going to bring it up again at his next appointment. I wonder what the benefits versus risks would be of him taking a round of antibiotics for Lyme....just to see? It might be worth it.
Well, you are welcome to share my Jack Daniel's Down Home Punch. The price of Boone's Farm got so ridiculously high for total shit that I decided I was worth the extra couple bucks.
Seriously, I will pray and send some positive thoughts out for you and your family.
I can understand why boys would be curious about someone bleeding for several days and living to tell about it. Seriously, aren't women just effing awesome?! Actually, I have never paid much attention to that aspect of my life. I know I'm regular, but I never write that crap down and when the nurse says, "What was the first day of your LMP?" I'm like, "Who the hell knows?" (Well, certainly, I would be the first one privy to that info).
I just hope to hell I am not going to be the hot mess some people are when they go through menopause. OMG, I'm surprised some women don't get shot for the histrionics. It's one thing to be a young, hormone-ridden drama queen; it's quite another to be a psycho hairy-ass grandmother (probably one reason some people hate the mother-in-law. Ah well, maybe that is something alcohol really COULD cure...
Boone's Farm.....OH MAH GAWD. *Memories!* That was the first thing I ever got drunk from. In true Alabamer style!
And I hope and pray that I go through menopause as gracefully as my momma. She never popped any hormone pills, never went psycho, and didn't turn into a lush. The only thing I ever saw her do was stand in front of the freezer!
I was diagnosed with MS almost 5 years ago.
They routinely test for lyme to rule that out with all of the MS testing they do. If he's still having flu like side effects that don't subside in another month or so, he might want to consider a switch. The only CRAB drug that doesn't cause the flu symptoms is Copaxone. That's a daily subcutaneous injection.
I've been doing Betaserson since my diagnosis and thankfully haven't had any troubles.
I wish him and you the best. The fact that is is treating his illness is SO important as it delays disability and slows progression.
Take care of yourselves.
Thanks Steph. I just checked to see when he started, and it looks like he's only been on it for 2 months, so I over shot a bit. Looking on the Avonex website, all it says is that the side effects should "go away or lessen over time," whatever the hell "over time" means. I dunno, this whole thing is so new to us. It started out with optic neuritis and he's pretty much functionally blind in one eye. And when reading about other people's experiences, we'd read that they had 1 or 2 or 3 white matter lesions on their MRIs, well, Sarge had 7 or 8, so we were pretty freaked out. And then, on top of that, his spinal fluid was also positive for oligoclonal bands. He hasn't gone in for a followup MRI yet since starting his meds, but we're just crossing our fingers. So far, it's hard to even differentiate between the med side effects and the disease symptoms....
@ Dafeenah- Yep, we homeschool. And I pretty much call EVERYTHING a lesson. It especially makes me feel better at the end of the day when I realize we've gotten absolutely nothing done, so I tell them to go fix my damn dinner. You know, it's math AND home economics!
I totally get what you're going through with your husband. My daughter's husband was away in Iran when he got sick, drove her insane.
I love your boys attitude. My daughter grew up with the same kind of personality. Torture for my husband (her stepdad) who would blush crimson at the drop of a hat. (Hugs)Indigo
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