Becoming Ill With Multiple Sclerosis

I know that sounds ridiculous - I mean, I have MS, I'm ill already, right?

What I mean is though, how is MS affected when you become ill with something else.
I wanted to write this post after lying in bed for two days feeling miserable. I had my 28th (!) round of Tysabri this Tuesday, and it's obviously flared something up, because I just couldn't get out of bed.

They do warn me that if I have even a whiff of an infection before Tysabri, then it would get 10 times worse. It's because the drug is an immune suppressant. Needless to say I must have had a bit of a virus of something, because I. felt. awful.

But Tysabri is one thing. Even without being on the drug, illness and Multiple Sclerosis don't mix. MS causes the sufferer to be more susceptible to infections (because of the hay-wire immune system), and once an infection is rife, the body is also slower to react in battling it. Bad illnesses can cause relapses, and I've learnt that it's always important to take illness seriously. Even if it's just a cold.
Get as must rest as possible. I cannot stress that enough. Rest helps the body mend itself as efficiently as possible, which when you have a faulty immune system, gives you the best chance to get better. Drink plenty of fluids and be easy on yourself. Luckily I'm not ill that often, but when I am I'm always get knocked for six.

It's scary because though I rarely have a relapse from being ill, but I have had pseudo-relapses. This is where the infection causes MS symptoms (such a fatigue, tingles, stiffness, pain). My walking does get affected whenever I'm ill. I've been using a stick today because I'm still a bit dizzy and stiff. It's never a nice feeling having to use my stick, but c'est la vie.

I'm lucky though, because I'm in a position where I can rest if I need to. Si can work flexibly, and Sheila's been a huge help. Luckily for me though, after two days of sleep, I'm out of bed today. We're going on holiday tomorrow so it was good timing. I'm pretty sure my stamina and walking isn't going to be great while away, but I have things in place. I have my stick, and we're taking the mobility scooter so I can go out for the day to Folly Farm (a mad zoo/farm/funfair hybrid...as you can imagine the kids love it!). I still feel self-conscious on the scooter, but then the more confident side of me thinks 'f**k it'. After all, if it's what I need on this occasion after being ill, then that's the way it is. Why should I miss out on all the fun?

Me on the scooter last year at Monkey World. A fun day out!