I go to the neuro at 3pm. Got lucky that he's there today, the next time I'd be able to get an appointment with him was May 1st.

and my eye is worse today. Dimmer. This is worse than the first time I had ON back in 2006.

I'm kind of dizzy this morning.

I've been reading a lot, because I'm so bored, but what I've started doing is using the accessibility features of my iMac. I can make the screen black with white text (rather than the usual white screen, with black text). I also turned on the screen reader so that my computer will read to me and I can sit back on my chair and close my eyes.

Figured out that my Kindle Fire is basically useless because it has no accessibility features in it, and there's no apps available to download for that. (thanks a $%^&ing lot Amazon) but I discovered that my iPad has similar accessibility features that my computer has, and a screen reader! (yay!) I think my iPod Touch is similar, but havent checked it yet, so I'm a lot more impressed with Apple products right now.

I have been using my Kindle 3's screen reader tho. I just copy the stuff I've been finding on the internet (I read fan fiction that I've been finding online for a couple of tv shows that I watch) and email it to the Kindle. So, at least I can still read.

Also bought some audiobooks. Found one for a Sherlock Holmes novel that's really good, and it's read by my favorite actor, so I'm enjoying it. (my favorite actor could read me the phone book and I'd be mesmerized by his voice)

My eye still hurts this morning, and it feels like I can barely move the eyeball. Weird thing is, when I close my eyes and put my fingers on the eyelids and move my eyes back and forth, I can feel the eyes moving, so apparently that eye still moves, it's just the pain that makes it feel like it cant. I do have an eyepatch that I used a couple of years ago when my left eye was giving me a diplopia (double vision) problem. I've been wearing my glasses, and I tuck the eyepatch behind the lens on the right side, so the glasses hold it in place. I'm going to get some black construction paper and cut out a patch and tape it to my glasses lens. (did that before when I had the diplopia) The traditional eyepatch makes me more self-conscious, and my eyelashes keep rubbing on the back of the traditional eyepatch and that's making my eyelid hurt.

Been leaving my tv on a lot. Dont actually watch it, but I've been kind of treating the shows on the DVR as audiobooks. Just sort of sit there and listen to them, or close my crap eye and watch with the slightly less crappy eye.

just wish it would start healing and go back to being normal. (wishful thinking?) Worse today than it was yesterday. It's freaking me out. I might end up begging for the steroids. I want to be able to read and crochet. (two favorite things to do) I might see if I can get a Braille primer and see if I can teach myself Literary Braille and refresh myself on the Braille alphabet. (actually already taught myself the Braille alphabet when I was about 8yrs old.) If I cant read, I will go $%^&**^*$# nuts!

Erin,

You know it will get better, just have to wait, which is the worst part of all of this. The waiting to get better to see how well you will be till the next time.

Let us know what the doc says and I am glad you got in so quickly.

Geri

I feel sick today. Dizzy, tired. Hope that the neuro can at least give me something for my optic nerve that feels like it's melting. It's hurt pretty much constantly for about 5 weeks now. I'm really getting tired of that.

Noticed last night that when I turned out the light to go to bed, that I should probably be sitting when I do that. Because I pretty much dropped like a stone when I turned off the light, good thing I have my lamps on remote controls. I'll just keep the remotes under my pillow at night. Usually I leave the remotes on my side table.

Trying to figure out what set off the ON. I dont think I have any infections that I know of. I guess sometimes you dont need to have an infection to have a flare get fired off.

Let us know what happens, please. I hope you get relief.
ANN

Just got back. He refilled my valium Rx (yay!!!!!!!!) and he gave me a Rx for Tramadol. I'm waiting till tonight to try the Tramadol, just in case it makes me sleepy. (unless I get to the point where I cant ignore the pain, then I'll just give in, and take the Tramadol and lay down and see if sleep happens) Hope it works.


We talked about IVSM, and he said that it's rough on the body (been there, done that, dont like it much myself) and he said if I wanted it, he'd set it up, but I told him that I'm still a bit traumatized from how the oral pred affected me on the last flare I had at Xmas when I got foot drop.. (made me freaking nuts) and that I'd probably just attempt to wait out the flare this time.

He said in his opinion, that he didnt think oral pred or IVSM really did much. Said that it's something that a lot of doctors will Rx to try to help the patients feel better. So they feel like something can be done other than just waiting. I dont know if that's totally true. I've had steroids that felt like they were working for me. (last couple of times I've had them, they did nothing for me tho...other than giving me a bad case of the crazies)

So, at least I've got something for the pain of a bad optic nerve, and something for the spasticity. Altho, I think the increased spasticity might be because my optic nerve hurts so much and I'm tensing up and getting stressed out from the pain in the eye.

Hugs, (((( Erin )))).

Prayers going up.

Erin,

It sounds like a wise decision. How did the Tramadol work?
ANN