Dear Family & Friends,
Well, we had a very informative visit at the Shepherd Spinal Center with an amazing man named Dr. Ben Thrower.
He is quite brilliant and wonderfully compassionate.
He carefully and thoughtfully found the words to tell Chris and I that, I do, officially have Multiple Sclerosis.
So at least we know what we are battling...
Now it's time to kick some serious MS butt!
Short term plan: 3 days of Intravenous Solu-Medrol, which will hopefully get my vision back on track more quickly and get me feeling lots better in the near future. Shepherd has sent nurses to my apt to run the IV and tomorrow is Day Three! Yippee! SO tired of having this needle stuck in my arm. It just doesn't go with any of my outfits. ;-)
Long term plan: In the next few weeks I start an exciting new drug called Betaseron, which is used to slow down the progression of the disease so I can live as normally and as lesion/disability/pain-free as long as possible (well...not too normally, I mean God knows I don't want to be Normal...how boring!!) :-) They will send another nurse over to teach me and Chris how to give myself injections of this Wonder-Drug, which I will do every other day for the rest of my life, or until they figure out how to make a pill form (can't come soon enough...I detest needles. Doesn't everyone??)
You know, when bad things happen...when you lose someone close to you, or you are in a terrible accident, or a doctor gives you less than stellar news...I think it can be very easy to feel alone. Hearing the news that I have a chronic, degenerative disease of the central nervous system that could very well lead to some serious disabilities...well, frankly, I was ready for this feeling of isolation to strike, and yet it never did. Because YOU PEOPLE just wouldn't allow it!!!
I have never been so touched by the outpouring of love and concern that Chris and I have received over the past 3 weeks. It has been truly Astounding and has more than once brought me to tears (happy, grateful tears!)
We cannot thank you enough. Thank you for the encouragement. Thank you for the thoughts and prayers.
On the days when we were too tired to ask for help, Thank You for finding ways to help anyway.
Thank you for helping us both keep our senses of humor, which we find more important now than ever!
We are so grateful for each and every one of you.
From the bottom of our hearts, Thank You.
Our love always,
Caroline & Chris
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