Monday, November 05, 2018

Word of the day Big Pharma

Okay, that is really two words.

I just had a rather disheartening experience with BP.

Starting with what seemed suspiciously like a kidney stone, it resolved itself for one day in a bowlful of blood.

Okay, the kidney stone was gone, but the very next day, my bladder was so swollen and sore, that I could not sleep.  Up and down for the bathroom, and a ton of pain killers.

Stupidly, I guessed that it must have been the stone, and let it go another day.  Four days since the bleeding, with me taking those little red pills that turn the urine a bright orange, I could take no more and ran to the urgent care facility.

All our local doctors are too busy seeing healthy people on wellness visits to take a real sickness.  There are not slots for medical reasons.

I am now on a brand new drug that is an antibiotic.  Only an antibiotic, as I learned with I stopped the little OTC's for discomfort. 

Doctors love all the shiny new drugs that are shoved at them by their Big Pharma pushers.

Brand new drug, and a full day later, I am still in discomfort.  Back to the OTC for pain.  Not to mention only black and dark underwear and slacks.

Watch out for NITROFURANTN, or MICROBID.  It is bad enough to have MS, and recurrent UTI's, but incontinence creates one more  trouble.  I warned the doctor, but apparently the words Multiple Sclerosis meant little to her.

Saturday, November 03, 2018

Word of the day: Incontinence

If you are new to incontinence caused by MS, you will want to take note:


  • Never go anywhere outside the home without protection in place.

  • Never buy period protection instead.  I have a bad memory of a trip to a local restaurant where my sister gave me a period pad.

  • The bulky pads may hide well, but if your leakage is major, they don't work well enough.  Trust me on this.

  • Sometimes a cranky bladder really means that you need to empty your  bowels.  Better listen.

  • If you must self-catheterize, use a fresh one each time, or disinfect the catheter before you put it away WHERE IT CAN FULLY DRY.

  • Bladder infections are your worst enemy.  Stay home and take those little pills that turn your urine orange or blue.
  • Blue bladder infection pills can affect your eye color.  They are prescription.

A bladder infection is no joke, but it is even more unfunny when a MSer has one.