M.S. hug.

"M.S. hug" sounds like something cute, huh?  "Awww, M.S. love you!"  Yeah, what a dumb name.  M.S. hug is a condition from M.S. that feels like "you're being hugged."  No, not even close.  A hug is warm and fuzzy.  M.S. hug feels like you're being constricted by a boa constrictor.  Granted, I have never been constricted by one, but I imagine it would feel pretty close.  I just had my most severe case so far just ten minutes ago.  Gah that feels awful!  It's really hard to breathe.  And holy uncomfortable.  It's almost painful.  It's on the border for me.  It's so uncomfortable it's slightly painful.  It's like being under water and trying to take deep breaths.  But worse.  The "hug" can grip in different places, but it's most common in the upper rib cage, down to the lower abs.  For me, it's tightest in the lung area, but what was weird today, was that I also felt it in my arms.  So weird.  I can't even describe it, it's just weird.  If your arms had lungs, that's what it would feel like.  I don't even know how it's possible, but yeah, in the arms, too.
About.com said this about M.S. hug:

What Causes the "MS Hug?"

It is caused by a lesion on the spinal cord and is technically classified as a neuropathic pain called a “paresthesia,” which refers to any abormal sensation. The sensation itself is the result of tiny muscles between each rib (intercostal muscles) going into spasm. These muscles have the job of holding our ribs together, as well as keeping them flexible and aiding in movement, like forced expiration.

What Does It Feel Like?

Like many MS symptoms, the “MS hug” feels different for different people – it also feels different in the same people on different days or at different times of day. It can be:

• As low as the waist or as high as the chest; rarely it can be felt as high as the shoulders and neck
• Focused in one small area (usually on one side or in the back) or go all the way around the torso
• Worse when fatigued or stressed
• Present in “waves” lasting seconds, minutes or hours or can be steady for longer periods of time
• Described as sharp pain, dull pain, burning pain, tickling, tingling, a crushing or constricting sensation or intense pressure

How Severe Can It Get?

Some people experience difficulty breathing or painful breathing, so severe that it is often perceived as a heart attack or panic attack.  

Such a loving disease!  :)

Star Trek convention in Las Vegas.

This is going to be totally random, so forgive me.  Here's the shi$ttiest thing about being sick and poor; being five hours away from the Star Trek convention, and you're too poor and sick to go.  I know, weird, right?  I'm makeup artist who's super girly, and blogs about her many diseases.  Little did you know my dark secret.  Biggest.  Trekkie.  Ever.  Period.  Looking at the pictures on Facebook are killing me!  They've already posted a lot of the "people I MUST sleep with before I die," pictures.  Yes, most of the people I gotta tap before I die are Star Trek characters.  I don't have a life, don't judge.... ;)

Me, today.  Watchin' freakin' Star Trek.

Me, as I should have been this weekend.  A blue freakin' Andorian.  Minus the feelers.  And clothes.

So until next time, Alexander Siddig.  We'll make our freak Arabic, (from you, naturally) Jewish (from me, obviously, have you seen my shnoz?) baby at a later date.

Until diseases and bank account say otherwise, and hoping M.S. doesn't kill me before I'm thirty five like it's supposed to, I do believe it's time for another round of Voyager.  Mmmm, Mexican-Native American/Jewish baby?  "Oh, Chakotay!"

Netflix Day!!!!

Netflix Day- Day spent in bed watching Netflix due to high levels of yuck.

Today is Netflix Day.  Officially and unofficially.

Found out today that I have Hypothyroidism.  My mom has it and my brother has it.  I figured I'd get here soon, too.  It's not uncommon to get more than one autoimmune disease when you already have one.  If your body's already attacking one system, why not another?  I wasn't surprised I had Hypothyroidism.  I was pissed, but not surprised.  So, one more disease to add to my list of diseases and conditions.

I've always struggled with my weight.  I have to work my arse off not weigh five hundred pounds.  And I do work my arse off.  That's why I knew something was up when diet and exercise weren't doing it.

I hardly eat.  Ever.  I eat about one meal a day.  When I do eat, it's very healthy.  I don't eat one meal a day on purpose.  I get nauseated, and honestly, I don't get hungry that often.  I eat when I'm hungry, don't eat when I'm not.  Simple as that.  I work out hard.  I do intense work outs.  How can someone who works out hard and eats very healthy gain six pounds in a week and a half?  Hypothyroidism.  It wasn't a mystery at all. With it so rampant in my family, that was my first thought.  It had to be.  Turns out I was right.  Boo for being right.

They test my husband at every Type one Diabetes check up he has, because once you have one auto-immune disease, it's easy to get others.  Since I have M.S., I used to always joke that I would get Hypothyroidism next.  Not a funny joke.  Well it is, but not really.  From now I on, only jokes about being filthy rich.

I woke up a little off.  Thank you multiple diseases ravaging my body.  This is not unusual, but finding out I have one more disease to add to the, what is it now, six diseases and conditions I'm rocking list, it was a bit of a put out.  I am soooo fatigued today.  I can't explain it.  Just super fatigued, and off.  There's no other way of saying it.  Tired, tired, fatigued, always in pain, and off.  Yeah, off.  So today is a Netflix day.  Gonna just put diseases and their symptoms away here for a second, and seriously distract myself.

Walking Dead, anyone?

Me, having my Netflix Day.