My MS story

The short and sweet version of my MS story....3 years ago, just a couple of weeks after getting back from our honeymoon I developed a ridiculously horrible pain in my left eye.  The kinda pain where I actually had to close my eye to turn my head.  It lasted a couple of days.  One day while we were out shopping for Christmas ornaments for our very first tree it seemed like something was in my eye.  You know, like when you wake up in the morning and have gunk in your eye.  Except that I couldn't rub it away.  I didn't really think too much of any of it.  Then one day at work I started to lose vision in my eye.  Big time.  Everything was super blurry.  My awesome coworkers talked me into going downstairs to the Emergency Room.  So I did.  And so it began.  I was sent to the Ophthalmologist immediately who did a bunch of testing and told me...you can't see, and I can't see anything wrong with your eye....you need to go back to the ER and tell them it's optic neuritis.  I'll never forget the drive back to the hospital.  It was cold, and snowy and my tears were flowing.  You know how it goes, I had googled all my symptoms and pretty much self diagnosed myself....and when I heard the words optic neuritis I knew it meant MS. 
Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve.  MS eats away at the nerve sheath so my brain can't get signals from my eye.  Sort of like the cable of a TV being destroyed.  The TV works, but can't send messages along that cable.    Most cases resolve within a few weeks.  Unfortunately, I was one of the few who never regained vision. 
Following my vision loss I had numerous MRIs and a spinal tap (if I can add, without freezing, ouch!), which all showed signs of MS.  So I have been given that as a diagnosis.  I knew from my research that a MS diagnosis requires more than one symptom so, technically speaking,  I have clinically isolated syndrome.  That is, I have had one MS attack (optic neuritis) and have a positive MRI for MS.  To be officially diagnosed I have to have another relapse.  I asked my neurologist about this....I've only had one thing happen, do I truly have MS? 
He responded with does it really matter?  I knew what he meant.  Sooner or later it will be official.

So I wait.  I know it will come, I just don't know when.  51% of those with optic neuritis and a positive MRI will develop MS within 5 years.  And so like I said, I wait.  And this is also the reason I will poke myself every night.  I will do anything I can to stay healthy for my family.
Huh? Poke myself? Yup.  There is no cure for MS, but there are certainly drugs to treat it.  All of which, may I add, are injections.

After having my first baby, I tried one of the drugs.  It was horrible.  The injections were only three times a week, but brutally painful and left me feeling like I had been hit by a truck every other day.  I was taking so much Ibuprofen I thought I should buy shares.  On top of that I needed to have my liver checked through bloodwork every month.  My liver did not enjoy the drug.  After 10 months of trying to get my body adjusted to the drug I threw in the towel.
I agreed to try a different one...Copaxone...following the birth of Nicole.  I was suppose to start immediately after having her, since the number of relapses increase in the first three months postpartum.  Needless to say there were a lot of other things to deal with without throwing needles into the mix.  Now that things have settled I think I'm as ready as I will ever be.  So I filled my prescription.

Copaxone is injected subcutaneously every day.  Yup, every day.  This is the part that sucks.  The bright side is that I should not have any of those awful flu-like symptoms found with the other drug.  So this is what awaits me every night :

I don't actually lay it all out like this every night but I thought it was kinda funny.  It's part of the package the company sends.  The alcohol swab is missing cause it was recalled.  Also kinda funny.

The injection itself hasn't been all that painful, however, immediately afterwards and for approximately 20 mins there is a horrible stinging feeling that can only be compared to a beesting.  It caught me off guard the first time and I admit I shed a few tears.  The second time I just kept myself busy and told myself it would pass.  A shot of my injection site reaction, a little red (ok like 3 inches of red), itchy, and a mosquito type welt:

Thankfully, by morning it's all gone.  With the other drug I was bruised for months.  So, so far, all is great.  I can't believe I am actually saying that.  Tonight will be the first night I will be doing it alone.  Wish me luck!