Denervation Recovery Day One and Two

Understanding

It’s hard to remember the days when I first had to take time off work because of my MS. I have come such a long way from that person that used to sit feeling sorry for herself, not doing anything to change the way she felt, just feeling more and more depressed!

Those days are real, they did exist, I was that person! So easily I could become her again! This procedure I have had done on my lower spine is to help ease my pain I feel, to gain this relief I have to endure a multitude of pains. The physical pain which comes in so many different ways, from moving incorrectly to even just standing. Then there is the emotional pain, some of this pain I feel may be hard for you to understand. Although you can’t see the physical pain itself, you can in fact see the physical effect of it in my face, in my eyes. The emotional pain will at times be so much easier to know when I feel it, you see I suffer from terrible mood swings. Almost like a teenager unable to get their own way, when I can’t do something that I have been used to doing its painful!

 image

Yesterday

It was an easier day than I expect yesterday! The first day of recovery, unable to take part in my usual Pilates class at 11am. Even though I missed it, I was ok with it, that made me feel proud. The rest of the day I slept on and off.

The evening wasn’t too bad either. Deb came home from work, she sorted the dinner, homemade spaghetti bolognase that I had lifted out of the freezer and some pasta to go with. This made it easier for me as I wasn’t able to stand for more than a few minutes and therefore unable to cook the evening meal.

The exercise class I couldn’t attend last night was ‘Clubbercise’ I have only been to this class twice and, if I’m honest it’s a bit fast for me with a lot of side ways moving, which I have a major issue with. The class has also changed rooms, it used to be in an area that had direct access to outside, which was ideal for me to cool down quickly. The class is now in the ‘Dance studio’ the same room that I do Pilates in. Excellent because it has air-conditioning which means I keep cooler whilst exercising, the downside is that when I walk out of the room the temperature difference is too extreme for me, especially if my core temperature is high from cardio exercises.

This is a constraint of my MS, I can’t adjust to differences in temperature like my partner does. I can’t cool down quick enough when needed and vice versa, I don’t warm up quick enough! For these reasons I am apprehensive about going to Clubbercise again and didn’t mind that I couldn’t go!

 

Today

A harder day today, missed out on a class called ‘PiYo’ a mix of Pilates and Yoga. A class that I wanted to try from the moment I heard about it and also a class that I was very nervous about trying! When my friend told me he had been to a class a few weeks ago, I was really sad that I hadn’t gone with him. He came around to my home to tell me all about the class and how hard it was, when he told me he thought it would be to hard for me, I booked in for the next available class straight away.

I wasn’t well enough to go to the class last week because of my MS. It hadn’t occurred to me then that I wouldn’t be able to go today, but I have to be good especially after all the work I had done on Thursday.

After my first PiYo class I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I practised some of the harder moves that I could remember, until I could no longer remember the easier option that the instructor ‘Hannah Bailey’ had showed me. That’s the thing with my MS, I forget things easily and quickly!

I was so looking forward to going again! I guess I just have to wait a little bit longer. Hopefully I’ll be so much better and stronger when I go to my second class!

 

The evening,

Saturday evenings are my favourite! As much as I love going to all the exercise classes with Deb and our friends, I do miss the us time that we rarely get now. Saturday evening there aren’t any classes so we get to chill together snuggled on the sofa with our 2 dogs ‘our kids’

As far as pain goes and how my back is after the procedure, today I can stand for a little longer, around five minutes. Enough time to wash half of the pots in the bowl, the pain was starting to increase by then so I had to sit down and rest.

Baby steps! I’ll soon be fighting fit again!

image

Denervation day!

Myles came to support me yesterday for my ‘Denervation & sacroiliac joint facet steroid injections’ at University hospital Coventry but was feeling a little nervous about going into day surgery & wouldn’t get out of my bag!…

image

Whilst I was getting settled in my hospital bed for the day Myles was checking out his surroundings…

image

It can get very boring waiting for your turn in theatre so we had a look at what we could do to pass the time…

image

After having a little read of the book Myles then decided to have a go at a sudoku puzzle!…

image

Myles wasn’t very happy because he wasn’t allowed in theatre with me but was over the moon when I came out and took the opportunity for some selfies!…

image

I always try and stay positive & with as ManySmiles as I can! How could I not smile with a cup of tea in my hand and a bear on my arm!…

image

I had a few things done yesterday, one procidure called denervation (pronounced De-Nerve-Ation) the consultant puts needles deep into my lower spine and attatches a machine that litterally burns the nerves at 80°c! This procedure stops the pain messages travelling from the nerve to the brain!

During the other procedure the consultant injects steroids into both of my sacroiliac joints (where the hips join the spine)

image
Image courtesy of cooldesign at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This time he did denervation higher up my spine as well because the pain was stopping me from being backwards!
Phew!
The procedures took just over an hour & I was awake for all of it!

Last 2 times I had it done, I could only stand him doing one side so had to go back another day for the other side to be done!
This time i managed to bare the painful procedures and the consultant did it all in one go!

image
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I love Fight Klub!

Brilliant Fight Klub last night with Hannah Bailey!

Had this T-shirt with me so whilst I finished the class early as usual to try my best to get my temperature down, I thought it most appropriate to hold this top up during the gruelling abs section!
Everyone seemed to appreciate it 😄

image

Btw, I wish I could take part in the abs section but I have to use that time to cool down!
My internal thermometer is fooked thanks to my MS! When I over heat it triggers all of my symptoms, meaning I can hardly walk, balance, see, hear, talk, oh the list goes on!
At least once my temperature is at a safe level my symptoms subside and I just walk and talk like I’m pissed!

I’m so pleased I’ve found something that helps to keep me cool!
*the t-shirt doesn’t keep me cool, just to clear that up! It’s a cloth that is extremely cold when wet! For those that attend fight klub or any other cardio classes I attend, it’s that pink cloth I always have either around my neck or over my head like a nun! 😂😜*

I LOVE FIGHT KLUB!

#fightklub #fk #howmany #strongerthanMS #MegaSpecial #multiplesclerosis #inspiration #proud #pain #ishapeme #ms #fuckms #dontgiveup

DON’T GIVE UP!

image

DON’T GIVE UP!

One of the t-shirts I bought today TWO sizes smaller than this time last year!
I think I could actually go another size smaller… THREE sizes smaller than this time last year! Need my personal clothes shopper ‘DebbieRahRah’ to give me here advise before I risk going down to a size 14!
*It’s been 6 years since I was that size! My pre MS diagnosis size!*

Thank you to every one that has supported me & continues to support me on this physically & mentally challenging fitness journey that I’m on!
It doesn’t feel like it or look like it after a lot of the exercise classes I do, especially cardio, that’s the hardest, but I am loving the new energy I have and mostly the new friends we have!

#DoTheUnbelievable #fitness #msenergy #goob #lovelife #fuckms #ms #multiplesclerosis #spms #strongerthanMS #inspire

image

Tysabri number 45 #tysabri #dmd #diseasemodifyingdrug #ms #multiplesclerosis #spms #strongerthanMS #MegaSpecial #MSawareness #SmilesWithMyles

Tysabri number 45 done!

image

I’m shattered & feel like a pin cushion, covered in bruises thanks to my cheeky veins!

image

Got me some comfort food… crumpets, sitting down in my comfies ready to watch the next installment of the Rocky anthology with my boo!

image


megaspecial.co.uk

It’s not often help is given for free!

Today I hoovered up hundreds of star confetti from my birthday, hoovered dog hair out of the bath & hoovered up all of the tiny stones from the garden that end up in the kitchen!
All of this was after sleeping through half of the day!

image
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhoto.jpg

I once saw a post on Facebook from someone advertising her time. A lady that loves horses and was looking for horse owners to let her help out at their yard. She offered to groom the horse, exercise it and even do the dirty jobs like muck clean the stable!
Basically she was advertising herself to do the same job as a groom who would cost a whole lot more than she was asking because she was offering to do all the work for free!

image
Image courtesy of dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why don’t cleaners offer to work for free!
All I ask is for someone to offer to do all of our housework for absolutely no payment because they love doing it so much and can’t get enough of their own!

image
Image courtesy of radnatt at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.jpg

Not going to happen is it!
Didn’t think so!


megaspecial.co.uk

Another year older & still smiling!

Well what a wonderful day my Birthday has been!
I’ve been completely spoilt as always by DebbieRahRah!
Had over 100 lovely Birthday messages on facebook alone! – thank you! 
Been given so many beautiful cards & gifts – thank you again!
I got to spend the morning with my Mummy, DebbieRahRah & the kids!
Then it was lunch with my Daddy, Mummy Ju, MegaSpecial Sistaaah Sare from Yorkshire land, her hubby AndyRoo & their Son Lewis and of course not forgetting DebbieRahRah (can’t function without her!)
Back to ours for giggles with DebbieRahRah, Sare, AndyRoo, Lewis, Mummy & my brother.
WhatsApp call with my SistaBlista SkEmily in Texas because Skype wouldn’t work! Good job she has a brain & knows how to use it and press call on WhatsApp because I was starting to go into melt down mode when Skype wouldn’t work!
Then a quick change, apply more makeup & off out again for meal number 2! (I know 😱)

Like i say, an amazing day!
I only wish I could say that my MS didn’t get in the way but to speak the truth my pain has been so much worse than any other day! Because it’s been so full on & busy I didn’t have time to think about my medication other than thinking ‘all I can have is paracetamol because of allergies & normal MS meds’
It wasn’t until I went to get my night time meds that I realised I hadn’t taken ANY of my medication in the morning!

*WARNING – I may be slower than the norm tomorrow*

image
Photo of a gift card purchased by me


megaspecial.co.uk

Invisible veins?

This technology would be great for when I have my medication every month for my MS!

Click here for video

#ms #multiplesclerosis #spms #strongerthanMS #MegaSpecial #medication #tysabri #veins


megaspecial.co.uk