I made this video just a few minutes ago to help explain the process of giving yourself an interferon injection. I did the prep and injection part in under approximately 3 minutes, while talking through it. This is only the third injection I’ve taken and the FIRST ONE that I’ve done myself.
I have been diagnosed with MS since the summer of 2007. I first noticed paralysis in my right side during an endurance race when I used to drive race cars pro-am. It spiraled from there into what doctors think was my second major relapse. The first was when I lived in Mexico about 2 years prior and went misdiagnosed as a brain infection.
I have then suffered about 5-6 relapses a year lasting around 3-6 weeks each time. They ranged from partial paralysis to blurry vision to electric shock feelings when I moved my head, as well as a constant pins and needles sensation in my skin. The symptoms in each relapse don’t tend to go away with my type of MS. They just keep hopping on the pile though sometimes they lighten up.
I have been in a state of denial until recently when I lost my vision for 2 months. I had gone from a fully independent woman to needing someone to help me do household chores, drive places, pick my daughter up from the bus stop and all sorts of things one would think a 29 year old should be able to do.
As I say in the video, my doctor said by this time next year I will be severely handicapped at the rate I’m going. After some time waiting I was finally sent my prescriptions and again it sat around in the house for a couple weeks before I mustered up the courage to ask my husband to do the injections. We watched the DVD that came with my kit. We both heckled and mocked the people in the videos because they don’t seem real. They didn’t have a sense of fear or worry or dread, which is why they just didn’t seem real to me. They’re probably very experienced with the treatment, but I’m not.
I decided to make this clip, hoping that maybe someone who was recently diagnosed would see it and it would help them to start their treatment immediately instead of being like me and allowing more and more lesions to form across their brain and spinal cord.
I don’t want to go blind. I don’t want to be in a wheel chair. I don’t want to lose my independence. I don’t want that for you either and I hope that this helps in some way.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
My ex, Rachel…one of the strongest, bravest people I’ve had the honor of knowing. Glad you’re in my life, always. You define grace and will, R. Love you. Please reblog to help get Rachel’s message out to the people who will benefit from her experience.
Stay strong, Rachel. This is a great video to put out there for people. My mom also has MS, and has to inject herself weekly with interferon. She’s been at it for a couple of years now, and her neurologist is very happy with the results, as she hasn’t had any new lesions form over the course of her treatment. They caught it early, and so far she has been responding well to the treatment.
Some tips since you’re new at it: drink plenty of fluids the day of and the day after your injection. Gatorade works the best, as you need to make sure to be replenishing your electrolytes — my mom suffered water intoxication once this summer from flushing everything out with too much water. Also, avoid alcohol the day of your shot, and likely the day after; it’ll give you the worst hangover of your life, even with just a small amount of booze.
I’m hoping the National MS Society gets its act together and puts out its 2010 schedule for Bike MS soon.
