This time, the progress ISN'T trivial. Tuesday night, I was able to move my left leg, a bit, not under any real control. It got better Wednesday night. Last night, I was able to move my left leg at will. Yay!

I can now move it as well I can move my right leg - both of them can use the thigh muscles only, but it's a start. Tho I can wiggle my right toes, I can't do the same with my left. Yet.

I had been experiencing restless leg, pretty badly, over the last three months. I suspect this was from all the repair work going on with that neural pathway. I'm also now seeing restless hand in my left arm, a harbinger of things to come? I hope so.

I'm taking a few more days off before starting pulse 36. It's more time for my battle-weary body to heal before rejoining the fracas.

At last. ::sigh::

Pulse 33 is complete. It started bad - aches, restless leg, severe depression - but, as I soldiered on anyway, things got easier. My mood got hopeful, at night I was able to bring my errant leg under control, and I've been able to control my left hand well enough to both use my mouse and drive my power chair. Way cool!

I still need more improvement, but things are looking better and better. Vikki is helping me with range-of-motion exercises and tendon stretching Next step will be some strength training, to rebuild lost muscle tone.

I plan to maintain this aggressive medication schedule (5 days on, ten off), as it does seem to work though I feel crappy on it. As my hand and arm improve, I'll get back to my lapidary. When my leg is also well enough to stand on my own, I'll get back to Rick's workshop, to do stuff I can't do here, like firing some PMC jewelry I plan to make featuring my stones, and making a solid jade necklace (pendant, chain and clasp all from stone).

Oh, and I'm going to have Dave E. from the club cut a few of the big color-change garnets I won on eBay last June. The largest stone is 8.4 carats, and should be rather impressive when done. Wheee!

Pulse 34 will be over before my birthday. Wow, I really am getting better. About time!

One more dose of metro, and it's over. A bit less nasty than P28 was, but still quite unpleasant. In the last week, tho I must still painfully bend my fingers back, I'm more able to use the mouse than before. Also, my mind seems more stable, more "together" than it had been. I really hope it stays that way after the usual post-pulse apoptosis. If it does, it will have me eagerly anticipating pulse 30.

Right from the start, pulse 28 was a bad one. I endured, and rode it out, as I lost all use of my left hand. Spent several days post-pulse in bed, unable to put my contacts in, or even straighten out my fingers enough to drive my powerchair. I was a wreck, both physically and mentally.

Then, slowly, things began to improve. After much painful work hyper-extending my fingers, my hand regained some functionality. My legs are showing some similar small signs of improvement too, and even my brain seems to be on an upswing.

Pulse 29 is due next weekend. I REALLY hope it's not as bad as the last one, and that I start seeing more improvement, soon.

A special mother's ring I made for my mom: 10kt gold, with (right to left) alexandrite, CC garnet and green opal.

In fluorescent light

In incandescent light

Complete mokume gane set
Just the ring shank

Mokume earring dangles and pendant

Pulse 26 was difficult. I had thought I might have a UTI, so I was taking an extra antibiotic. The pulse went well, but the aftermath was pretty bad. I plan to wait until the weather cools off, before doing another pulse. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Hi Journal, 's me again. I am done with my 25th heavy antibiotic pulse, treating my MS. Over the next week or so, I'll recuperate and see what abilities I re-gain, then I do it all again. And again. And again, until I no longer improve. So far, it's working well - I typed all this in under an hour.

Again, I'm seeing more trivial improvements. Still waiting (im)patiently for something more dramatic, but I think I'm only a few pulses out. I'm aiming for EDSS 7.5 or better, from a 9.0 two months ago.

http://www.celiac.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=70

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PRODIGIOUS_PENGUINS?SITE=TNJAC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

They're getting easier. I was only moderately depressed for under a day. Improvements are minor and trivial, mostly about thought clarity. P24 next week, hopefully.

We're approved to buy a house, now we need cash to keep moving forward. Grr.

Trying to improve faster, I went an extra day, making it 6 days worth of Flagyl instead of 5. It looks like I chose well - 1 day afterwards, my typing is noticeably better, and I set a new Kshisen high score by 59 seconds. Things are looking good for me to beat SPMS, an "incurable" illness. Way cool!

On Tuesday, I send off the stones - alexandrite, color-change garnet and green opal - and the gold ring, to get them set for my Mom's ring. I'll post pix when it returns.