The Kauni shawl has progressed. Maybe not as fast I would like her to, but she is getting more difficult to photograph. Someone mentioned on a blog I read (I don't remember who, sorry) that they thought their Kauni yarn was more muted than other Kauni they had seen. They speculated that perhaps theirs had been overdyed from a gray-based yarn. I have begun to wonder the same thing about mine. Although I still love the color progression, it is not as bright as some I have seen.
I am getting into the dark red - purple progression. I wish it showed better in the picture. I have actually knitted the amount of rows the pattern calls for before beginning the border. However since I am knitting on smaller needles, I need to add a few more pattern repeats to make it the right size.
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Okay, this is where we would have a drum roll, or special music to introduce the amazing event in my life.
I CAN WALK
I know! This is so amazing it is difficult to fully comprehend. Now it is only a few steps at a time, and as I told my MS specialist this week - "I have something to show you...it isn't pretty, but it's amazing." Then I scooted to the edge of my wheelchair, and he began to get visibly nervous.
"You're not going to try to get up are you?" he asked alarmed. I think his career may have flashed in front of his eyes, as we were alone in the room, and I was about to do something that could turn out very, very bad.
I assured him it would be alright, then I got up and walked my funny little walk, that looks like a bouncing frog, about 6 steps to the window and back again. I sat down and he gaped in amazement. He wanted to know what had happened to cause this. How long had it been since I had actually walked?
Not counting a few months ago when I reported being able to walk a few steps - which apparently was some kind of fluke that did not reoccur - it has been at least 2 1/2 possibly 3 years. Not only that, but I have not been able to walk unassisted without canes or crutches since 2001. I did this walking without aid or assistance. Now it has always been a small amount of walking. In 2001, I could walk or stand a total of about 6-8 minutes. That dwindled down to a few steps, and then stopped all together.
The probable cause of this event (next to lots of prayer) is a small thing called a dose pack of Prednisone (steroids) I had to take for another condition. Now this is almost impossible to believe, because when a person with MS progresses and cannot walk or has other major setback issues, it is medical standard to put the person on megadoses of steroids. You receive 1000 mg of solumedrol by IV for a 3-5 day course. The side effects are horrendous. I have endured this three different times without success. The only thing I reap are the side-effects like the headache from hell, insomnia, mood swings that are like turbo-charged PMS, acne, and insatiable hunger just to name a few.
A dose pack of steroids is made up of 21 - 4 mg. pills taken over the course of 6 days. Six pills are taken the first day, then 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I asked him if he had ever seen such a thing before, and he said never.
We discussed the possibility of me staying on a daily low dose of Prednisone. It is not without risk. Steroids leach the calcium out of your bones, and can cause osteoporosis. There are other problems associated with steroids - especially when taken long term. Weight gain (oh joy I REALLY need that - not), acne, mood swings.
The dose has to stay minimal to keep the adrenal gland from shutting off natural cortisone to the body. This supplies your "fight or flight" syndrome and keeps you from going into shock during surgery or a trauma. Sometimes shutting it down cannot be avoided when steroids are needed to save a life (like when I have taken daily injections for acute asthma), or when they are taken as part of anti-rejection drugs following organ transplant.
We decided it was worth the risk considering the trade off I am receiving. May it continue and do so on the least amount of steroids possible. I am still in shock and awe. This will not get me out of my wheelchair, but even a few steps makes everything easier from transfer to daily care. I also hope my knees regain the ability to straighten and flex, so I no longer continue walking like a bouncing frog. But who am I to look a gift horse frog in the mouth?
I may actually get out of solitary confinement being trapped in my bedroom. Look out family room, I have my sights set on you next!
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Should I be concerned that Winston likes to wear my clothes? He can never resist lying on whatever I am about to put on, or whatever I have just taken off. I snapped this after I had just unpackaged two new lounge wear gowns I had received in the mail. They were lying on the bed to be added to the laundry for washing before wearing.
As you can see, Winston takes the words lounge wear literally.
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