The Steroid effect

No - this is not about Ryan Braun. I have recently started keeping track, a la blog, of the first MS attack I've had since being diagnosed back in 2009. I have been pretty lucky that it's been almost three and a half years since a flare up has occurred. With MS - it's a waiting game. You never know when an attack will occur. There are ways to avoid on-setting an attack  though attacks ultimately will happen during the course of the disease. As long as you religiously follow your treatment (I'm on an interferon: Betaseron. See blog: http://bmilinski.blogspot.com/2012/08/hi-my-name-is-bridget-and-i-have-ms.html), avoid stress and extreme heat, stay healthy and exercise your chances of having a attack shrink.

This all started on January 25th, and since that time I've had a numb feeling spread from my toes all the way up to my thighs, in both legs. Think of the pins-and-needles feeling you get when your arm or leg falls asleep, and add the weight of 10 lb bricks to your feet. On top of it, my balance is completely off. I def look tipsy when I get up to mosey around my apartment/workplace. I wonder how many people think I've been drinking... ;)

I have been on a super crazy dose of Prednisone, which is a steroid that reduces inflammation and in turn should shorten the length and severity of the attack. The side effects are interesting - I have a ton of energy - and can you say water retention?!?! I have gone up at least a cup size and I'm afraid that someone is going to ask my due date when I'm in public.

More than anything, it's been annoying. Though I don't need help with my daily routine, I have slowed down since my legs take a little while to warm up. Even when they realize they need to carry me around all day, they give me a hard time... So I have used walls, railings, even chairs to steady myself if I feel like I may tip over :)

So I'll be wobbling my way around for the next couple weeks until I'm back to normal! If anyone knows where to get a super sweet cane let me know. I'll need a custom bedazzle job.