Friday, March 29, 2013

5 Months

While I was slowly experiencing improvements, during the last three weeks I started feeling extremely weak and fatigued.  I fell many times and couldn't sit up.  I had many bruises all over my body and I hurt my ribs in one of my falls. I became very depressed as I couldn't do the small things I had achieved with my persistance and my physiotherapy sessions... I started feeling so disabled like never before.  I couldn't go anywhere.... 
I had a brain and a cervical stem MRI with no new nor active lesions.  Some of them were even smaller. That was great, but what explained the worsening of symptoms?
I went to see the onco-hematologist and he asked me to have some exams. I turned possitive to Clostridium Difficile Toxins A and B.  It is an opportunistic bacteria that was activated because of the long use of an antibiotic called Ciprofloxacin.  I've already been 5 months using it, following Heidelberg's instructions.  The doctor suspended it right away and  hospitalized me.  
I spent last night in the Clínica Alemana waiting for the oral Vancomycin.  The immunologist said we had to wait and see how welI it was tolerated, but if everything went well and I didn't have high fever, I could go home.. 
I am glad there was something wrong, because I know it will be fixed and I'll start improving again, but I'm still very depressed.  I never thought I would be this disabled.  I have to use an AFO for the right foot drop, an orthesis for my right hand, another AFO to sleep, I'm still taking Ensure supplements, many medications...
I wish I could erase the word Multiple Sclerosis from my head for just one day... hopefully I'll get better with this new antibiotic and I'll start improving again as stem cells still have a lot to do.

This was the view from my window... I wanted to share it.
Take care