Finished Week 1

Week one of treatments are done. Now on the best frequency for my body and Dr. Rhodes increased the intensity as well. I'm now at 2. The nerves of MS patients are very sensitive (makes sense) and as Dr. Rhodes said, "You can't push their treatment. With other chronic diseases and chronic pain patients you can". Meaning that the intensity level is usually pretty low. While 2 is low I was doing a mental "Happy Dance" when they were able to increase it that high. My previous intensity level was .5. Yep POINT 5. ANYTHING higher than that I could feel. Not painfully, however, your NOT supposed to feel anything. That's how sensitive my nerves were. So being at 2 is a big deal for me. I had a long conversation with one of the other physicians in the clinic, Dr. B (I can't pronounce or spell his name). He is VERY into holistic treatments and he sent my husband home with a "recipe" to treat my drinking water which will add a mineral to it. (We're going to have a mini science lab in the garage). I also talked a bit with Dr. Rhodes about MY MS. It's hard to see the DVD that highlights his patients with MS who have done so incredibly well that they are off their meds. Having the opportunity to talk to a few of his other MS patients face to face while they are there for treatment is wonderful, hearing their stories and seeing how they are walking and off most if not all MS related meds. I'm thrilled for each of them but then, there is me. In a chair and on the meds. Dr. Rhodes put it very simply, "There are those who respond very quickly, there are those that respond in a few months, and then there is you. You just need more time. We will get you there". Brings me to the thought, "Why the hell does everything have to be so flipping hard for me"? Yes, I DO see improvements, heck I'm on intensity 2! It really helps with the pain and obviously it's helping with the nerves as they are not as hypersensitive as they were. (Dr. B says that if that continues they may be able to work with my home MD and wean me off the Neurontin next year). I am SO thankful for the positive results I've seen. Perhaps part of my frustration is I have so many other things in my life to deal with I just want ONE of them to resolve itself. In an ideal world it would be the MS. Of course, I also realize part of my frustration right now is the loss of Valor. That's another entry. I just keep telling myself....it's not not the patience of Job I want.....I want to maintain the FAITH he had. So, I continue on....one step at a time. Focusing on the Blessings and knowing that there IS a reason He allows things to happen. It's all part of the Journey we call Life. I just wish the journey wasn't so rough sometimes!

Treatment Day Four Came and Went

Yesterday was a busy day. Treatments at 10 am, lunch then to the airport to pick Anita up and sent Mark homeward. I missed my husband before he even left. Such is life. Anita and I then went shopping for staples. We both decided to eat in as much as possible. I introduced Anita to HEB Plus. A mega store her. Sure wish we had one of these in my home neck of the woods. MUCH better than a Walmart. Of course, we were there for over an hour. YIKES. By the time we got to the room got everything put away and Anita unpack we were too tired to eat dinner! So, I did a little reading on my Kindle then TRIED to sleep. I think I managed to pull off about 2 hours. Insomnia sucks. That's one of the things we're really working on this time. In addition to the back pain, hip and pelvis pain, thumb pain and the MS. The fall I took in May just started a downwards spiral that we're trying to get a handle on. As we all know, stress exacerbates MS. Trying to find a balance when LIFE is filled with stress is challenging enough. Throw in unexpected negative stressors and often MS feels like a battle I can't win. That's where sheer grit and determination comes in as well as the willingness to try "alternative" treatments. I refuse to give up. I have to much NOT to give up for. Looking back it;s been a really challenging 6 months. The fall, the stress, the summer filled with exacerbation's, the chair and the loss of Valor last week. I often wonder when life is going to get any easier. Then i watch the news and realize it could be so much worse. My challenge is my health. I have a husband who loves me unconditionally and a large circle of friends an family that love and support me. I'd rather have that than health and be alone like so many are.

Treatment Day Three

I'm starting to feel some relief with the pain in my hip. It's not gone, but at least the "edge is off". Same with the thumbs. By Saturday I should notice an even bigger difference. I am hooked up to the machine as I type. I noticed something today. I've been in the chair about 2 months now and my arm strength has really improved! I can wheel myself pretty well in the morning. In the afternoon I tend to be toast as the MS fatigue wipes me out, but I'm pretty proud of myself. In the beginning I had wimp arms. I would be lucky if I could push myself 10 yards. Seriously pathetic. Heck of a way to get your arms in shape, but hey, whatever works! The weather here is seriously YUCK. Has rained every night and been gray every day. The worst part is the humidity! Like getting hit in the face with a hot wet towel every time you go outside. Needless to say, staying IN has been exactly what we've been doing. We go straight to the clinic for my treatments then back tot he hotel. Fortunately, the food at the hotel is both reasonable and good....so we have not been doing anything remotely touristy. Which has actually been nice. Got to spend some quality time with hubby and relax. Down time is always welcome. It's been such a stressful past few months. It's nice just to relax. Anita fly's in tomorrow and hubby fly's out. I'll miss him, but it will be nice to have some serious girl time with Anita. We always seem to have lot's to gab about!

Pondering

No matter how strong your faith or how strong your sense of "self" is.....we are bound to ponder the "WHYS" of life. Whether it be a natural disaster that occurs and you watch the rescue efforts on T.V. from the comfort of your living room, or a personal struggle or hardship. You look up to the heavens and ask "WHY". We all come to points in our lives in which "WHY" is the predominant question in our life. Unfortunately, there is seldom a clear answer. So, we are left to move forward, one step at a time. Hopefully, successfully over coming whatever struggle we were wading through. I myself have had such tremendous highs this year as well as traumatic lows. It seems life IS a roller coaster. Full of heart pounding highs and stomach dropping lows. The highs of my life this year was marrying my best friend, dancing at my wedding, seeing my family again and realizing how deeply my friends loved me (as well as seeing WHO they really are). The lows were the MS, the fall, and the loss of Valor. Fortunately, God is wise. He makes sure, like a roller coaster, the highs are mixed with the lows. I'm not exactly sure where I am on the coaster ride. Lately it seems that I've been on the down slope of the coaster. Holding on for dear life as it screams down. I keep waiting for it to hit the "dip" and begin the upward climb again. Allowing me to take a deep breath, wipe my palms of my jeans and perhaps laugh while I await the next dip.

Treatment Day Two

Spent two hours at the clinic today being tested and "hooked up". I'm using a new protocol to help with my hands. I'm hooked up with six electrodes on one hand and two one the other as I type. I'll run the protocol for 20 minutes then switch the electrodes from hand to hand. I swear, it looks like something out of a science fiction movie! I'm not seeing a big pain level difference yet. However, i HAVE noticed the "edge" of the pain is gone. I expect to see improvements everyday until the pain is gone. I met a woman in the clinic today who came for treatments with her lungs. She has been receiving treatment for several months and her pulmonologist took her off ALL her meds on her last visit with him. Her pulmonary function has improved dramatically and she no longer needs her inhalers, steroids and other assorted medications. There was also a woman there being treated for pain and Dr. Rhodes is weaning her off her fentanyl and Oxycontin. Can you imagine? Being in such pain they put you on the hard stuff and using a machine with specific protocols designed for you gets you off all of them. You would think insurance companies would jump at the chance to save the billions of dollars they spend each year on pain medication for chronic pain sufferers as well as for those with MS and all the other chronic diseases this machine has been successful at treating. The resistance makes little sense to me.

Day One in Texas

Wrapping up day one in Corpus Christy. Was only at the clinic for about two hours. Testing showed it was definitely time to change my settings (but I already knew that). The big focus for today was treating my hip pain. We ran a few protocols on the new settings. It will be a few days of running protocols to really start seeing a difference, but I know it works. I am still amazed at the success the clinic has had with treating not only chronic pain patients, but MS patients, renal patients and diabetics to name a few. It's not about "curing" the illnesses but treating the symptoms. This leads to a higher quality of life, and who doesn't want that! I'm here for almost 2 weeks this time, so we will have more opportunity for running new protocols and trying different beat frequencies. The weather here is overcast, windy and HUMID. It rained last night and looks like it could easily rain again tonight. The rest of the week is supposed to be beautiful after Wednesday. Mark fly's home Thursday and a girlfriend fly's in to be here for the rest of my treatments. Of course, as "Lucy and Lucy" we're bound to generate a zany story or two!