Weekly Vets Muster on the MS deck, Jan 16 2011

[gomer]

Weekly Muster on the mess deck

All veterans, active duty and family are ALL welcome here. As veterans we have some different situations and issues than most civilian MSers. We deal with the VA and some of us get our medical care thru VA medical Centers, issues of getting help with disability and pensions etc.

Please......... Drop in and say HI at least once per muster. We want to know you are doing OK, hope better than just OK. With REGULAR musters we can get to know our fellow vets better and build a sense of UNITY. If you run across a fellow Vet elsewhere on MSworld, please let them know we are here so they can join us.

Hope everyone is doing well !

The VA web site..... (link below) list notice of free monthly educatinal conference calls.
http://www4.va.gov/MS/articles/Educa...ence_Calls.asp
What: Patient and Caregiver conference calls
When: Second Monday of each month
Time: 5-6pm PT, 6-7pm MT, 7-8pm CT, 8-9pm ET
How: call 1.800.767.1750, wait to hear the welcome
........ message then punch the code 43157#

If you have not done so yet, please post an intro in the thread titled "Vets Master Muster & intros". Please post only your into there so it ONLY contains your into. You cna always start a new thread for questions or other issues.

How was YOUR week?

Anything new comming up Soon? at the VA or elsewhere? I get my MS care at the VA but use my medicare for my other health care needs.

If you have not already done so please how about a recap of your 2010 year and any plans or goals for 2011. Lets make this the biggest and best muster.

Gomer Have GoGo, will Car Sho!

[WACVet]

Hi Gomer and all... I'm still here, and the MS is still here. All is as well as can be expected. Handling the shots a bit better now (can't say how I'll be tomorrow when it's shot day)!
Hope all is well with everyone else!!!

[Dulcinea714]

Reporting In

My week was okay. Still in limbo with SSDI and Disability Retirement. Thankful that after doing 6 years active I went reserves and my activation in 03-04 got me service-connected after my dx in 09. I won't be homeless and I will just wait it out for the other two federal agencies to get their act together. I ended the week with girl scout cookie duties: cookie booth lottery and entering the troop orders into the system. Will submit the order tomorrow, hoping the last few girls get orders to me, but it's on them if they don't.

This week brings 12 yo check-up today for my daughter, housekeepers tomorrow-because I need help with a few things around the house, Wednesday is opthalmology with vision field test at the VA and ending the week taking daughter to orthodontist to hopefully get braces (they keep on saying wait 2 more months).

2010 had it's ups and downs. I am adjusting to MS. I am not working, so stress is reduced. VA declared me 100%, still fighting the other two federal agencies. I got a housekeeper who comes twice a month-they do stuff I can't and it motivates me to do what I can inbetween visits. My house hasn't been this clean in several years. I ended relationship beginning of December-it was mutual decision. He decided this past summer to continue his education (he got bachelors in May) and he moved into graduate housing at his new school. He left furniture and firearms here and was coming here on weekends (but less and less as time went on). So, I got my housekey back and have given him until summer to make arrangements to get his stuff out. An old friend has expressed interest is starting something, but I am apprehensive, I am enjoying my alone time.

2011-I learned a few years ago not to make resolutions at New Years. If something needs to change, change when you decide and take it gradual, slow and easy. The time to change is when you decide it is time. So, this year is about doing what is necessary and important and saying "no" more often and not getting stressed or worrying as much as in the past...but I started that last year

[Ga dancer]

I know you Northerners will not understand this, but we had snow a week ago Sunday, and then cold temperatures so it didn't melt. For a week. After icing over. Our snow removal equipment is basically none, even the interstate was covered over with long haul truckers who got stuck for over 24 hours. The rest of us couldn't get out of our subdivisions to reach the interstate.

No snow shovel here - driveway covered over with ice. This is unusual here, even my DH was homebound until Thursday and barely made it out after that. No mail delivery from previous Saturday to this Saturday. We still have ice patches because it was so thick. Stayed inside and rode the stationery bike in my basement.

Note to self: Next time, have ice melt on hand, too dangerous to leave the house to take out the garbage.

[Scooter24]

Ga Dancer- Sounds like you got it worse in ATL than we did in Charlotte, we were only stuck for a day but then again we are from the north (2 tank imigrants according to my red neck neighbor) and know how to drive in the snow and ice and as my wife works in a nursing home they do not take I can't get there as an excuse. We just finally got rid of the last bit of snow with the rain last night.

[unstoppable]

My week...

So this week has been really busy, but really fruitful. I met with a neurologist for the first time since 2007. He was a total rock star! He believe everything that I said and was very encouraging and empathetic. He seemed really informed on m.s. and the drug options and side effects. I finally chose meds for myself. The doc was great with offering his own insight and answering questions.

I chose copaxone and have already started on it. Today was my second day on it and I am just adjusting to sticking myself. There is just something freaky about putting holes into my own body. The meds feel weird going in and they even kind of burn but not for too long. I always wind up sleeping after the shot, not sure if its from the meds or just the stress. It doesnt take much to make me tired and need a nap. I think I'm gonna start taking the shots right before bed, it might even help me fall asleep at night!

It was really hard for me to get started with the meds. I am not showing any major symptoms so, I just feel like each time I stick myself or even see the meds, I have to admit that there is something wrong with me. Perhaps this is at least a little bit healthy since I have been in somewhat denial for the past 4 years. The only other problem is that I have to stop nursing my little one. We weren't really ready, but I don't wanna risk her health with the drugs, so I am weaning her really quickly. We were working on weaning, but at a much more slower pace, but now we have to kick it into high gear. On a good note, we did finally move her to her own bed! And it was actually pretty painless!

I hope everybody else has a great week!