Double Trouble

Just around New Years Eve I started experiencing my double vision again. This will be the third occurrence in a year. It seems to return approximately every 6 months, give or take a month. My first episode was last January in my left eye. It was after I had been up reading late one night. No matter what I did, the double vision wouldn't stop. I decided to mention it to Dave and see how it was in the morning. The next morning it was gone, but I did tell Dave and he was like "Great. What else is wrong with you?" This was really at the very beginning of me having admitted there might be something wrong at all. But it was before the ER and well before any neurologists entered the picture. I continued to have blurry or cloudy vision for the next few months, almost daily, but the double vision didn't happen again. I figured it was a fluke. <>

In July, right before my spinal tap, it happened again. Only this time it lasted longer. It would continue for the next week and last several hours at a time. It seemed to be most bothersome when I was watching TV or reading. This time it shifted between both eyes, but seemed most prominent in the left. It stopped after about a week. I mentioned it to the doctor again as an FYI.<>

So now I am in my third episode of this. Again only in my left eye, like the first occurrence. It's been over a week and it hasn't let up at all. It happens several times a day and the blurry cloudy vision is there when the double vision takes a breathier. <>

I have been feeling worse lately. More exhausted. Definitely more limbs going numb, which is still weird & scary. The weakness still feels bad and has been accompanied by more pain. I think the pain is a combination of my Fibromyalgia and whatever else is going on in my body. It is hard to drive sometimes trying to compensate for the weakness and the pain. I usually come home or don't go very far. <>

The meeting for the trial is in 5 days. I can't wait for them to set up the screenings! At least then I will feel like I am accomplishing something or making an effort to get better. I ordered some books with my birthday money. "MS for Dummies" a good reference book, a book about exercises for people with MS and a book by Montel Williams called "Climbing Higher" about his experience with finding out he had MS and living with it. The exercise book I was happy to find because everything I have read ,and from what my neurologist has told me, was not to exercise. It is believed that by heating up your body you can exacerbate your symptoms and bring out new ones. This book does caution you to be careful because "exercise can be detrimental to your health." But they give options to try during good days and bad days. Once my good days kick in I hope to try and put some of these exercises into practice. <>

I found the Montel book an easy read like the book "Women Living with MS" that I wrote about last time. It is good for me to read about others experiences and how they dealt with it; how it has made them stronger. Also, many people seem to be ready to pass on advice on how they would do things differently. So knowledge is power! <>

I will write again after I hear about the trial next week. Let's hope double trouble becomes mind over matter...