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~The Struggle Bus~
The thermometer reads 98.9 and I'm not lying when I say I'm letting loose a sigh of relief. Although, I don't know how temporary this is, but for the time being we're hedging into normal territory. This poor brain has been mildly baking on and off since Monday night. At first, it was lukewarm around 99.8, which is almost worse than the 100's to be honest. It's like an "almost fever". My brain is not baked enough to say "I don't care", but 99.8 makes the skin sensitive to the touch, the sheets hurt, the joints become inflamed and achy.
I took off Tuesday and did my normal sick routine and rested, drank coffee, did my strength training, took tylenol and cough medicine, gave my neurologist and MS care team the "heads up".
And, then I try to push through work on Wednesday. The cold/flu/virus or whatever it is has a deep dry cough that comes with it, and without getting in to detail, one gets very little pay off for all the coughing that is done. By the time I got home on Wednesday, I felt that familiar feeling that comes with a good "brain bake". You're kind of there, but not there. Awake, but lucid. Listening, but not comprehending.
I took my temp - it was 101.2. And, then I knew it was time to pay attention.
The chance for MS flare ups increases during colds and flus. It's only natural the chances of new lesions increase during this time, because the white blood cells are the most active. They're trying to do their job, but of course that also leaves room for them to get confused and start attacking things like, the brain and spinal chord.
Because, my body temperature is higher, the MS symptoms become exacerbated. My knee gets stiff and it feels like my knee cap is trying to strangle my knee joint. I have 2 toes on my right foot that refuse to bend. That foot's already pretty numb, but the 2 stiff toes amuse kind of me - that ones never happened before. LOL. it must be the fever talking. It's safe to say, I'm walking like a drunken sailor.
And, then my calf muscles all of a sudden go stiff as a rock.
These are called psuedo-exacerbations. They will pass when the fever passes.
But, this fever has been going up and down between 98.3 to 100.9. for 4 nights. I'm throwing tylenol at it, but I'm mindful because ya don't want to take more than 3000 milligrams of that stuff in a 24 hour period.
I've decided if this fever has not a-baited by Saturday. It's time to call the doctor. Although, I have let the neurologist and care team know. There's not much we can do until we know what kind of sickness it is - flu, virus, cold.
I'm thinking virus - in which case there isn't much that can be done. Still, I do feel for this brain. It's baked at higher temps, but even at a slow and steady bake, the body feels exhausted.
I have not been exercising, but I have also been keeping the cals between 1347 and 1525. It's not that hard. Fevers don't leave me with huge appetites, but I show up and do the work to get in some food, because I frankly have a shit ton of meds I gotta take and they need to be taken with something in my stomach.
In the meantime, I just try to hold vigil with this body, tell it I love it for all its frailties, and hope we weather this storm unscathed.
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