How I got here

Since this is my first blog post, I thought I better tell you how I got here!

My MS started the Fall of 1991 about 7 months after our first son was born. I had a horrible case of ON, Optic Neuritis. The pain was worse than childbirth. A wonderful neurologist saw me and was kind enough, or I guess smart enough to not diagnose MS at that point. Because of his diagnosis, I wasn't banned from getting health or life insurance.

Life went along very well, a little stressful, for 10 years. We had our 2nd son, built a house, started a business and spent time with our family and friends.  The dreaded monster came back though with a roar and teeth. The first symptom was numb hands, This happened after we had gone for a bike ride so I thought that holding the handle bars caused it. The numbness lasted about a day and went away. The next day my feet started getting numb and tingly. At this point, I thought about what that wonderful neurologist said 10 years before. As the numbness started climbing up both of my legs and finally stopped at my waist I knew that the monster had come back and it wasn't going away.

I saw a neuro in our town that was horrible. She just told me that I had MS, didn't offer any help and sent me home. Thankfully I had scheduled a second opinion for a couple of weeks after that appointment. My Mom and Dad were driving me to Billings on September 11, 2001 to see another dr. when we heard on the radio about the Trade Centers in NYC.  I'll never forget that day.

I finally got my 'official' dx on 09/11/01.  The new doctor knew what he was doing and sent me home that day for a week of IV steroids. I had not been able to feel anything for weeks from the waist down, or should I say the feet up? You could have stabbed me in the thigh with a knife and I wouldn't have felt a thing. The steroids started working quickly and my feeling came back.

This was the start of my journey to get HSCT.  I didn't know it at the time, but everything over the last 13 years has been a rollercoaster. First they put me on Avonex. I did that one two times for a little over a year each time. Then Copaxone twice for a a couple years each. My latest epic fail was Tecfidera.

I have also tried all of the MS diets, been gluten and dairy free, etc... all the while my right leg has gotten worse.  Foot drop is not fun, falling in my kitchen sucks, having no balance makes me look drunk.

That is the short version of how I got here. The final straw was when my neurologist said he would call in a prescription for a wheelchair.

My first hope was when I saw an article about Stem cell transplants for MS.