Tuesday, August 19, 2008

The Doctor Calls

My neurologist called today. The good news is, no new lesions according to the latest MRI.
The bad news is, I have to have the EVP tests done again as the old ones are defiantly lost. Don't really mind those tests, lying around have electric current run through me. I actually like it on my feet. It's like a super massage. I'm just annoyed that it's duplication caused by ineptitude.

After telling the doctor how much time I've taken off work ,he convinced me to at least try a medication for the fatigue. I'll be starting that on the weekend to see how it goes. I know it sounds silly, but I feel like I'm caving in. When I commented that a drug will just mask the symptoms, he said sometimes masking is good. Regardless, I can't go on this way and am at least willing to give it a try. Then like a silly ass, I started crying telling him about other symptoms that I don't really want to mention here. He was very re assuring and I did feel better afterwards.

If anybody out there takes drugs for fatigue I would welcome your comments.

Other health news: Hamilton General Hospital has received a federal grant for a heart research centre. Read about it here. Seems our sort of Prime Minsiter, smells an election coming and is handing out candy. Ha! trying to make out like he cares about healthcare. If he and his conservative buddies had their way the whole system would be privatized. It's only because most Canadians flip out when you even suggest taking away their universal health care system that he stays quiet now on that issue . The only reason he's still in power(minority gov.) is the other parties are so pathetic right now. I vote Green. I figure they can't do worse than the rest so why not give them a try.

I got 6/8 on the health quiz this week. Wow ! 50% of pregnancies are unwanted. I thought it was much less.

4 comments:

Lisa Emrich said...

Carole,
I'm glad that you shared more of your concerns about various symptoms with your neuro. Being upfront and honest is about the only way we can get their help.

I've taken Provigil for fatigue and when I first tried it, it was a God-send. Truly made it so that I functioned just at almost at a neutral level. Then after a little while I noticed that I was functioning above a ground zero level.

I began to feel like a normal person. Over the last two years, I have adjusted the dosage between nothing to 200mg x 2 at the highest. I don't really need it much at all any more, and if I do, it's only 100mg in the morning.

Amantadine (an anti-viral) is also used for MS fatigue. I've never tried it so can't comment. But a friend of mine uses it and likes the little extra help she gets (and she's an elementary school teacher.)

Good luck. Hope all goes well. Good thing about the MRI.

Taxingwoman said...

Thanks Lisa That info is a help
I'll be posting about how it goes with whatever drug I decide on

Unknown said...

Hi Carole
I've been taking Amantadine (on and off) for a few years now. I've just started again this week. In the past I have found that it helps, so fingers crossed it does the trick this time.
The first few days I found that it really affected my concentration and alertness but after that no side effects... the only other problem was if I took two tablets a day instead of one making sure the second wasn't too late in the day otherwise (ironically) I couldn't sleep at night!

Taxingwoman said...

Thanks Nat Amantadine ,I think that's the one I'm going with.
I was afraid to take it before when I had the kooky doctor ,but I trust the guy I have now.