Welcome to our latest guest post.  Marion Leeds Carroll has produced a brilliant blog which tells both our life with multiple sclerosis but also Music to Cure MS  ( a MS fundraise concert).  Marion blogs at http://mlcarroll.blogspot.com/.

Marion writes

“Bladder calls… what time…? can I reach glasses…? … !… is that the front door?!  Jim’s voice: Hi!  I woke early and decided to do my morning run – Hello? Marion?  Can I come in?

Slide onto right side… I figured it out yesterday: It is possible to get out of bed… can I reach my glasses?  Can I talk?

Croaking:  Jim, I need your help!  It’s 8:30.  Hold on to walker – CAREFULLY!  So stupid:  last year got out of bed early, stepped wrong, fell, broke foot = months in wheelchair, depending on friends & strangers for basic needs…  Is it starting all over this year? The foot was bad luck; yesterday was sheer stupidity.

Met Jim in kitchen.  (So lucky he’s in my life – how did he know I needed him so badly today?) No deep breaths; throat still raw from yesterday… Jim, I need your help.  Thanks for coming this early… bathroom first, then pills, then I’ll tell you.

Told him, while taking Ritalin (neuro’s new idea – helps with fatigue!), then Advil for the pain in my ribs, then tea & oatmeal & vitamins:

Elizabeth phoned yesterday around 5 to tell me about her first day of retirement – a long day of travels from one office to another, finding ways to function in spite of limited strength, finally saying goodbye to her co-workers and students, who value her and will miss her… but knowing she’s made the right decision.  I let her talk while planning my next moves:  Sun’s going down. Laundry needs to come off the line.  I need supper. Ritalin’s wearing off & I can’t take more today… chocolate helps in a pinch!  So supper and chocolate, and then… more on the Music to Cure MS concert – next email to roster: urge publicity, fundraising.  Start on that blog post for SOAP notes.  Gym in evening.

OK, out on the porch, phone in L hand, clothes-pins & clothes removal with R hand – boasting of my success to Elizabeth while dropping clothes into basket, pins into bag.  OK, I say, now I need to put the phone down, because I need both hands to carry the basket into the house

stupidstupidstupid!  Put the phone DOWN, lift the basket WITH BOTH HANDS, turn CAREFULLY, making sure those dicey legs are in place… Instead, I was still speaking to E as I lifted the basket and turned.  And lost my footing.  And slammed into the porch railing.

She had to hear the grunt – attempted words – omygodcantbreathecanttalkbrokeribs

Finally able to get in some air, croak words – she urged 911, I chose getting inside & lying down to rest & wait for developments, hung up… got basket & self inside to bed…. lie down?  On cracked ribs?  pain.

So, Jim – I’m still alive.  Not bad enough for 911 – Advil helps the pain, but I need help – need to check with doctor, need to poster & seek ads for Music to Cure MS concert… can’t imagine lifting, setting up electric scooter… Can you help with that part, at least?

Called doctor’s office:  Can’t see me ’til 4.  Jim’s work day starts at 4, so that part’s out.  Help with posters?   Yes.

So he went home to shower & change, picked up some groceries, brought them to me.  Set up my scooter, drove me for more errands, finally got us to Swifty Printing to pick up the donated posters, headed out on foot and scooter, postering and shilling for ads.

Music to Cure MS (http://singtocurems.org/2013/program.shtml) is a concert featuring opera, art songs, and chamber music.  We’ve been raising funds for the Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis (a nonprofit dedicated to curing MS by determining its causes) since 2003.  It’s a win/win/win kinda project:  We give singers a chance to sing (and network) while donating their talents for a worthy cause; we give audience members a chance to donate for a worthy cause while enjoying (or getting to know) great music & great performers; we give local businesses a chance for publicity while donating to a worthy non-profit (tax benefit!); we give local performing groups a chance to exchange ads with us (so we both get free publicity) while supporting a worthy cause…

Lots of posters placed; lots of prizes donated to the concert raffle… barely made it through one block.  Need to go back to that part of town!  But Jim had work, I had the doctor (walker, no scooter, for this visit!), so home.

Doctor offers serious pain meds, points out dangers (mainly fatigue) – I opt for extra Advil and care.  Take the painkillers!  he says – deep breaths protect against pneumonia.  (They’re also needed for singing – luckily I’m singing a short art song, not a heavy-duty aria this year, but even so…)

Reassured… home… back to concert planning, ignoring the pain, focusing on the project.

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My occasional personal blog is at http://mlcarroll.blogspot.com/ ..”