Before M.S. literally grabbed me around my throat, the amount of medicine I bought at the grocery store was about one bottle of Excedrin a year. I had a high stress job the last part of my career and I would get some stress headaches and low back pain a lot. Thinking it was job and age related I thought little of it.
Throughout the years living with M.S. were years of a variety of medicines. Some left me with side effects of various degrees. Some I thought were making me dizzy, only to find out the medicine was not making me dizzy, but the progression of the disease.
My medicine change this last few months has given me a new lease on life and of course, has enabled me to care for my husband's elderly mother.
My family and Fran's family were concerned about us caring for her because we are no spring chicks ourselves.
We plunged ahead knowing that at some point depending on the severity of her aging process, I may not be able to do the physical part of her personal cares.
The reason being not only my age, but her ability to follow directions and her physical ability to not be able to even if she did understand me.
Things got very difficult, then they got better, then they were at the point I told Fran about one more week then we were going to have to put her in a skilled care facility.
Then like the tough woman she is she rallied, because she started eating and drinking. Her personal cares were so much easier. She would chuckle and started talking aloud at times. She would even tell me a story now and then that she wanted me to add to her blog. She understood that her family as well as the public would be reading them. In 2009 she gave me permission to publish them.
Today was a day I thought I was going to have to "give up the ghost" as my mother used to say.
She stiff leg and stiff armed me and would not bend or turn this morning. She has done this many times, but I know how to deal with the sling for the lift, her clothing with no problem. Then it happened; pain. The pain was not excruciating, but it was a definite warning. I stopped and walked around a bit. It was better so Fran and I got her up for breakfast and all was well, but it wasn't.
This evening I was not able to feel me left leg. I knew that this called for a medicine I hadn't taken for years. I had renewed the scrip not long ago for a situation like today.
When I got home I told Fran I was going to take a muscle relaxer and I was going to lay down and let it do its work. He remembered the old days. I saw the look of concern, but I assured him that it would be fine. I also said, "Go to the deli and get me some fried chicken, please, but if I'm asleep when you get home just let me sleep."
I had not taken this medicine for a long time and I had forgotten its side effects. It relaxes all muscles just like it says including swallow muscles which M.S. had weakened already. I kept myself awake because thinking of the "old days" I would choke on my own saliva. Muscle relaxers peak at two hours. It did not peak for three hours. Then I slowly felt like myself. My pain was gone completely and I could swallow.
I reminded Fran of how I used to lay on the couch and watch the world go by. I can remember having Texas family visit for Marie's birthday. They were wonderful and took over the cooking and related duties I just couldn't do.
The reason I am writing this post is not for you to feel sorry for me or that we should put her in a facility. The reason is to explain just one little muscle strain could in fact, cause a real problem with folks becoming dependent on them.
I used to dance and drink and sing with the best of them. I used to have a drink too many on the weekends, but I was never happy with the feeling of not being in control too much liquor had on me. I think the same with medicine.
This is an awfully long story to get to my point. I am so afraid of the dependence that so many people have on opiates and the deaths that occur because of it. Could it in fact start with a simple muscle relaxant?
I think that this medicine is very important for the comfort of people like myself who after a three hour nap feel great again. But how can we keep not only our young people safe, but injured and older folks as well.
Well the other day I said that I sometimes like to stir the pot and talk about serious things. but mostly just folksy fun things that happen in my life.
Thanks for listening.
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