I used to joke around and tell my students that I had 'gin on my cornflakes this morning'....it is an old joke and eventually I explained why, though I don't unless I have to. I have started to get over it - I would rather tell the truth than have them think I have been drinking.

The drunk walking is the worse. I wouldn't mind it so much if I were actually drunk. Boy I miss my martinis. I used to wear 3-4 inch heels all the time and looked like I was stomping down the runway at New York fashion week. Now I 'm lucky if I can make it out of my car without falling in sneakers. I go to the grocery store to buy one thing and use a cart to hold me up. I used to love shopping but now I dread it.

I always say things could be worse. Now my job has announced a downsizing and I 'm on pins and needles and I'm worried most about my blood work and MRI's. But other than that, it's the drunk walking and fatigue that gets me down.

Just keep trying to be positive and be thankful for what you can do and what you have. That's how I make it through the day. My puppy only weighs 4 pounds and walks me when I take her for a walk but I love her to death.

I got up this morning and was really disappointed to find that my legs, and now my upper body, seem to have gone out and partied even more while I was asleep. I get stuck with their hangover.

I dont know if this has anything to do with the drunk walking or the MS, but my ears feel plugged. They hurt and sometimes when I'm talking, it feels like someone is either sucking out the air or pushing air into my ears. I'm probably going to go to my doctor tomorrow to see if they can look in my ears and tell me if I have an ear infection or something... (I could ask my aunt to look. She's a nurse practitioner and I know she has an otoscope at home.)

I called my neuro's office this morning and left a message for him to call me. Hopefully he'll get back to me really soon to tell me if there's something to make my legs sober up. I'm betting there isnt any medication for that. I tried Meclizine yesterday and all it did was make me sleep.

I'm so tired and I'm starting to get really frustrated with everything.

Erin, if you have an ear infection that can mess with your balance. I've noticed that when I have sinus issues my balance is off.....or more off than it usually is.

It's so hard to tell if it's the disease progressing or if it's just residual sx from an already existing condition....like a sinus issue or an ear infection.

I just talked to my neuro. He suggested IV steroids, or some oral steroids. I decided to go for the $5 bottle of oral pred, since it's cheap and he said there would probably be no difference in taking them, except for the fact that IV steroids might work faster. (and the IV steroids are harder and nastier on the body)

He said to start them tonight. I think I'm going to wait till tomorrow to start them, and I'm going to go to my regular doctor to see if there's an issue with my ears first. I dont think it's an ear infection, but I want to make sure of that before I start popping the steroids.

I just want to feel normal (or at least less MSish) for awhile. Hopefully over Xmas. I hate feeling like crap like I do now. I hate steroids, but I hate falling down too. Really hate people looking at me and thinking I'm drunk.

Erin,

Gait (walking) problems are pretty normal with MS. The drunk walk is usually an issue with balance.

I hope you get some help from the steroids but, for me, balance has always been a problem and steroids never changed that. PT can sometimes, for some people, help with balance.

Information about gait problems:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/abo...ems/index.aspx

I hope the steroids help. I have been having a lot of balance issues and doing some falling. But it has come on over time. The last time I went to my neuro he described my ms as deteriorated and I am now doing some P.T. I just started it, so I hope it helps.

I hope you feel better soon.

I'm willing to do some PT. Did some earlier this summer for a few balance issues and to deal with my left shoulder getting really stiff after the flare I had in april and may. (everything was numb on the left side, and the shoulder was really painful. Might have been spasticity or the fact that I didnt move it much because I was so numb and sick feeling)

This is really bugging me because it feels like my body is stiff from my ribcage down to my legs and when I'm walking I'm listing to one side (doesnt matter which, I list in both directions. Just depends on what direction things want to go when I get up)

Trying to put on pants last night after I took a shower was a bit distressing. Left leg felt like I couldnt direct it towards where I wanted it to go. Ended up putting the pants on the floor, putting my foot on top of where the leg goes and then pulling everything up.

Everyone in my family seems to be having health problems right now. My sister has some sort of infection in her leg from falling off a hayrack wagon. My dad has a heart problem. My cousin just had her lower leg cut in half (just the bone) and had a bunch of ligaments and tendons repaired and then they pinned the bones back together.

and my aunt's pug, Stella, was poisoned last week. Which now confirms to me that I was right about my suspicion that TinyMonsters was murdered by the neighbor. I live across the street from my aunt. (the same people tried to kill her last dog too, and probably succeeded because her first pug, Pudge, had the exact same symptoms that Stella has had for two weeks.) My aunt saw Stella eat a hot dog that had been put on the end of her patio. She couldnt get to Stel to stop her before she ate it. When they tried to do the same thing to Pudge, she found the some of the hot dogs/other food items before she could get to them (at least the ones that were placed on her patio) I am SO angry about this right now. If I was capable of storming over to that neighbor's house (aunt's next door neighbor.) and yelling at them, I would. I hope they move away.

I saw Tiny eat something as we passed their yard the last time I took him on a walk in 2006. I couldnt stop him either. Finding this out now while I'm on steroids kind of sucks. Because it's making me really miss my stinky furball, and it's depressing me AND making me really really mad.

Right now I'm wishing that we'd never moved to this neighborhood because we have three insane neighbors and they're on either side of my aunt. They murdered TinyMonsters, and they're harassing my aunt and one of them is trying to kill Stella. Stel is such a good dog, and knowing that someone is trying to hurt her is causing me and my aunt a lot of stress. Me, because my dog has already been a victim of the serial dog killer, and my aunt because she probably lost one dog to them, and now they're trying to get her new babydog. If I was capable of taking care of Stella, I'd bring her over here and keep a good eye on her. I might still try to do that. I want my aunt to get video cameras in her yard to see if we can find out for sure who'd doing it and get proof.

I cant sleep, so I think I'll go research security cameras and see if I can find one that I can monitor over the internet from my computer. Get some for my yard too.

edit: and the day gets crummier. I had two bottles of Ativan. I had one in my room that had about 12 pills in it, and my dad had the other one that had about 7 in it. They're totally missing. We had construction workers and carpeting people in our house the last couple of months. I would not be surprised that my Ativan became a street drug during that time. And now I need it. Good thing my doctor Rx-ed something for me today. I dont know what it is, but my dad just went to pick it up. I hope it's Ativan.

If I could I would come over and do a little more than yelling at your lousy neighbors. Hurting those poor dogs. Good luck with the camera. I hope your bottom feeder neighbors move and leave you and your aunt in peace.

missing pills?! I would be ticked off! I keep my high level meds hidden and locked when I am gone, or if workers are in the house. the stuff is just way too tempting. When my son was a teenager I caught his friend stealing out of my medicine cabinet. I rigged it with marbles so when he opened the door the marbles all fell out and made a large racket. I popped the door and caught him. After that I took my meds out of public spaces and put them in private areas that can easily be locked or barricaded. Will your MD replace them?

I caught a home health aide stealing my meds once, and she tried to pin it on my house guest that I had known for 15 years! The girl had dragged me thru massive chemo treatments and was a very trusted friend. I had the home health aide arrested and removed from my property. They found my missing engagement ring in her travel bag and tons of pills from other houses.

I taught my doggie to never take any food unless it was given to her from me or the DH. We worked in the prison for many years and we were afraid that if we were out shopping or strolling someone would slip her a doggie treat. We also worried about pills since we visited many nursing homes, and rehab centers with her. it was easier to do from a puppy, but I guess you could train an adult to "leave it!" Even when we went to the bank or a toll bridge the operator would give her the treat, and she would take it and lay it down. She would wait for me to give instructions. I hope your aunt calls the cops.

You have been thru your fair share of grief lately. I hope you feel better quick.