Oh, You Again

The week before my wedding I had an unscheduled visit with my neurologist because of the latest, and most painful, effect I've had from MS.  Banding.  Also known as Girding.  Or the MS Hug.  It happens when the muscles between your ribs go into spasms.  It feels like someone is twisting your ribs in the front while crushing them in the back.  All the while they're sticking a knife upwards in your sternum.

Banding is just one of the many effects that can happen when you have lesions in your spine.  Neurologists are pretty well versed when it comes to what part of your body is going to get hammered when it comes to the brain and cervical spine.  The lumbar spine is another story.  So far I have Lhermitte's Sign which is an electric shock sensation that travels down the spine and arms and is associated with movement of the neck.  Banding is my latest lumbar lesion hell.  Plus the lesions don't even have to be active.  They just have to move along with the spinal column.

I started getting banding over a year ago but then it was just pressure around my ribs.  While it was uncomfortable it wasn't really painful.  Then I started getting sharp pains that would last about an hour.  This would happen every three months or so.  Over the past two months I've been getting banding consistently every week, many times two to three times a week.  This past month often the banding lasted 10 hours.  Ten hours of excruciating pain where it is impossible to get comfortable.  I will pace for hours.  My breathing will become so shallow that often I've come close to passing out.  I've researched various methods other patients have used (heating pads, massage, hot baths, etc.) but even they have met with little success.  Neither did I.

My neuro has me on the highest dosage of the muscle relaxer prescribed for MS.  She increased my dosage of another medication I take for muscle spasms but that hasn't helped.  So last night after another 10 hour bout of banding I went in for my usual MS infusion and told the nurse about my talk with Kelly and that I wanted to start the IV steroids whenever she was ready to.  I figured it wouldn't happen until next week after my usual six month MRIs.  HA!

Johnna came in after talking to the neuro and told me that after my infusion was done I'd get my first round of IV steroids today with a second round tomorrow.  Though I was shocked I was also relieved.  And petrified.  I don't have a very good history of handling IV steroids well.  If fact I'm allergic to them but not in a life threatening way.  More in a week or two of misery way.  As in it hurts to even touch my skin.  But really?  At this point I DON'T CARE.  I will try ANYTHING to make the banding go away.

Plus I got to come home with my spiffy IV all ready for tomorrow.

Hey.  When you are a crappy stick dealing with an overnight IV is no biggie.  Plus I've been thru this at least 10 times so this is nothing.  It's also a great way to get your amazing husband to wash your hair and massage your head to the point where you're on the verge of falling asleep.  HEAVEN.

This is Charlie's first experience with me coming home attached to medical equipment.  It's an unexpected and ugly sight to see.  But his first reaction was to pull me in his arms and just hold me because he knows it isn't easy.  But this time it will be easier because it isn't just me going thru it.  It's us.  I already know it won't be as bad as other times because he's always there not just for me to lean on, but MAKING me lean on him.  And that is love I've never known and for which I am so grateful.