ELLIE'S BLOG on Living Well with MS

I was taking my afternoon nap in the MRI machine the other day.  With all the banging , bells and whistles that you endure from that machine scanning your brain and cervical spine it can be nerve wracking.  But I had the technicians turn on nice music, put a blanket over me and  took off my shoes. Then when I was really comfy with positioning a very nice thing happened.

When the MRI first started it's banging I suddenly remembered a movie by Fellini staged in 1914  "And The Ship Sailed On".  As the movie had a lot of similar noises I was able to relive one of my favorite movie's with sound effects .
I meditated but I was soon off again in another movie "The African Queen" with Humphrey Bogart. I took Katharine Hepburn's place of course. And again the MRI noises made for perfect sound effects for a Riverboat going up the Nile. 
A little more meditation and I was on another Riverboat this time going up the Mississippi. I replaced Ava Gardener falling in love with the charming gambler played by Howard Keel. And the bang bang of MRI sounding like the paddle wheels of a River Boat continued.

By that time I was exhausted from my adventures and almost went to sleep. But as I had to stay awake so I was sure I didn't move I was relieved to see the end coming soon.

After it was finished I felt refreshed and relaxed believe it or not. I think it was conditioned by the feeling I had of being in control.

This was not my first MRI so I was well prepared. But being so relaxed that reliving those movies said a lot for my emotional state. And lets face it when you feel your losing again in MS you can feel emotional. And I know that meditating helped too just as it has in the past. For more information on MS and the MRI click to see recent video by the NMSS

In my last blog I mentioned my concern about my MS condition. And when I did see my Neurologist he felt it was time to reassess treatment. He took me off my monthly-sol-u-med as it was losing it's effectiveness and I am a Diabetic. Sol-u-med increases blood sugar levels. He also ruled out the new oral drug Gilenea also due to diabetes and other vision problems I have. Soooooooo there is always Tysurbi to consider.

As welI as the MRI I had 10 vials of blood taken for tests. I felt like I had a blood letting (or bleeding ) like they did in the old days. Next I'm scheduled for cognitive testing. Then I'll see the Psychologist to review the results. I see my Neurologist in February. And in between I see my ophthalmologist and my family physician and check my glucose levels etc.. Then in January I  have a Urodynamic Testing with my Urologist.

Happy Holiday Season ?  I think this is a time to remember.....

"It isn't what happens to us that causes us to suffer: it's what we say to ourselves about what happens."

-Pema Chodron

Be well, ellie