I Stand Corrected...Notes From Portland, OR...

     Yesterday, you heard me proclaim that Seattle, WA, receives more rain than Portland, OR.  Well, according to ZEE, who considers herself a "Portlandtonian/Portlandite/Portlandisher"...OK, ah just someone from Portland (!)...her region of the world down there (or what Seattlites like to refer to Portland as, "down under") is getting a mighty blast of weather as well!  It seems even Oregon is not being spared from this recent rash of Pacific storms.

     Somehow however, ZEE has managed to not only keep her electricity on, but also respond to "that post" back on 10/24/06.  She apologized for her delay in response, but I just chalk it up to being on Pacific time (wait a minute!  I'm on PacTime, too!...hmmm).

     As you will soon read, Zee was only recently inducted into the MS Hall Of Fame...diagnosed this summer, 2006, she has already begun a blog at http://www.rathnait.net/blog/ , where she talks openly about her MS, life, and other fun topics!  LOL  If you get a chance to swing by her blog for a cup a Joe and some reading time, you will be pleasantly enlightened.

     So, let's all give a warm welcome (and some dry clothes) to ZEE:

1.  How old were you, where were you, what time of year was it, and what
were you wearing when you "received" the lovely diagnosis of Multiple
Sclerosis?

I was diagnosed on June 23, 2006, when I was 30. It was June in Portland, OR, and the area had been going through a bit of a heat wave. After reviewing my history (only one previous "relapse" - optic neuritis in 2002), my MRI and doing the neurological exam, the doctor told pretty much diagnosed me on the spot, the first day he met me. I was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of black Gap drawstring pants, because it was excruciating to wear anything else like jeans. I also remember I was carrying some Birkenstock-like sandals, because I had to have shoes but they wouldn't stay on my feet and kept tripping me.  So I wore them to and from the car and as soon as I'd enter a building I'd take them off. I got some pretty weird looks but I figured I'd rather have weird looks for walking barefoot than for stumbling around looking drunk. :)

2.  Who was the first person you told about your MS and what was their
reaction?

I can't remember exactly who was first, because there were several people I told one right after the other: I know for sure my mom, my dad and my best friend were called and told immediately after I left the doctor's office. My mom sobbed; my dad and best friend were a bit less emotional and let me know they'd be there for me if I needed them. At that point I wasn't sure what I needed other than to get my current symptoms to go away!! My dad drove me to the outpatient infusion center every day for a week, and for the first three days my best friend sat there with me, to keep me company.

3.  What's your greatest fear and/or secret about your MS and what HASN'T
come true or manifested from your MS that you thought would happen or affect
you?

Well, right now - being so newly diagnosed - my biggest fear about MS is about the unknown, about what hasn't happened yet that might happen. Long term, my biggest fear is that I will lose mobility and will have to be dependent upon someone else.

4.  What's your worst symptom(s) or the nagging thing about your MS that
just won't leave you alone? 

I have this very strange paresthesia on the left side of my torso and down my left arm that just doesn't seem to want to go away. It doesn't feel like either numbness or tingling - it's just a strange sensitivity thing that gets progressively better and then worse, then better then worse. It's definitely the worst symptom right now.

5.  Who/What supports you/comforts you in your life and where doyou go to
find it/them/calm/etc.?

#1: my dog, Rennie. She loves me unconditionally and she's always there when I need her. Plus, having another living being in my life keeps me from throwing myself a pity-party too often. She makes me laugh, which I'm convinced is good for me, too.
#2: Writing. I find a great deal of release from writing in my blog and/or my off-line journal (for those things I don't want to air publicly.)  There's something about the act of writing something down, getting the words out there, that takes the power out of my fears or worries or concerns.
Plus, with the blog, it's great to get other peoples' perspectives on my MS stuff.

6.  And last, but not least, what do you still have on your agenda to
achieve/finish/reach/summit/climb/accomplish before retiring to that great,
golden Club Med in the sky?

Well, I've already run a marathon and lived in Boston - which were two of my big goals for a long time - so now I'm working towards finishing my web design diploma and getting a job that I truly love. (I like my current job but it's not my passion.) I want to see more of Europe.  I want to meet Mr. Right and settle down. I'm not sure about kids - seriously undecided on that point - but I feel ready to be back in a loving relationship. On the more practical side: I want to get my outstanding debts paid off.  I worry about when/if I won't be able to work at some point in the future, so I'm hoping to
get all my debts paid off now, while I still can work, so I can cross that off my "Things to Worry About" list. Plus, it just seems like the right
thing to do. :o)

     Welcome, Zee!  It's great to meet you and perhaps you and PEEJ will have some Boston stories to swap? 

     I'm off now to stare out the windows and pout about the rain...it's truly a productive Sunday...LOL