Golden Birthday

I saw my neurologist yesterday, and today got started on my solumedrol treatments. I'm able to do it at home, thank goodness. A home nurse came over today and placed the IV and showed me how to administer the medication, flush the IV lines, etc. So four more days, then a tough week of withdrawal, and THEN I'll probably be a new woman!My doctor is willing to let me do the solumedrol treatments about twice a year, so I'll be hoping my next attack will hold off until at least next March! LOL More often than that and there are some side effects that can be a problem (chronic potassium deficiency, kidney problems, bone loss, etc.), and the more frequent the treatment, the less effective it apparently is. Although he told me that could very well be because more frequent attacks simply signifies progression of the disease, which normally becomes less responsive to steroid treatments, and isn't necessarily due to the treatments themselves.He also gave me a form to get a handicap placard. It was a bit of a rough reality check seeing the "permanent disability" written on it. But today I went out to the County tax building and got my placard, and that will be a big help. Getting the kids from school has been a problem. It is hot here, in the 90's every day, and the closest I can park to get the boys is down the road, across a long lawn, down a sidewalk, across a road, and down another sidewalk. By the time I get to the school, and then walk back to the car, I'm really struggling. Last week when we went to the "meet the teacher" meeting at the school, I really didn't know if I was going to be able to make it back to the car. The boys were my cheerleaders, telling me, "You can do it, mom!" and I finally did get to the car. So anyway, this will make things easier for me, but I have very mixed feelings about it. I'm happy to have the placard, but it's a little hard to accept that I need it.So today is my birthday! My golden birthday, 31 on the 31st. I have the latest possible golden birthday. Tonight when Ben gets home we will go out to eat and then maybe go somewhere to pick out a telescope, which the boys had been asking for, for their birthday last week. I want to get a couple of new kittens, too, but I might wait until I don't have an IV hanging off my arm.