this is the sound of one voice...

Today was a GREAT day.  I felt like a productive member of society and learned quite a bit.  I participated in a study that was trying to link fatigue and MS.  I just saw the information online, and then did a telephone survey, found out I qualified for it, and did it today.  It was very cool!

I think I've been so busy with work, that it has become all I do.  Well, work and think about having MS anyway.  This was productive and a welcome change.  The students running the study were super nice and had a lot of information. 

I should say, I'm a little worried I was meant to tell my doctor I was doing it.  They asked for her contact information and said they were going to use it to confirm I had MS.  I'm not sure if I should be telling her, but I didn't.  Oops.

So, another new symptom, that I'm not sure if is MS or not.  I get this pain in my neck, like right where the bone is.  It's incredibly painful and if it was any lower, I'd worry it was my heart.  But its definitly in my neck.  Once the pain subsides though, then I feel like I've pulled a muscle in my back.  It's weird, but nothing I have time to worry about this week.

So anyway, the study.  First, they did all kinds of measurements.  My height, weight (which I think I lost a LOT of weight since November - but their scale was also extremely old), my arm lengths, my leg lengths (which were all different).  I had to so some tests about sensitivity on the bottoms of my feet, and my muscles to flex my feet. 

I did this little obstacle course thing and then walking at different speeds.  Next they hooked me up to all these markers (sensors), and it was balance testing time.  I had to lean forward, backward, standing one foot in front of the other.  Now, it was treadmill time.  That was pretty good...just different speeds.  Except while they were recording, I wasn't allowed to hold on.  At one point, when it was going as fast as it got, the power went out.  That of course made the treadmill stop.  Well, they were recording at that moment, but I had to grab on or else I would have fallen.  It was pretty funny...all the testers were shocked and worried about me....at which time I was just worried that I ruined their recording.

Finally, the same balance tests again, after I was fatigued from the walking.  All in all, it was pretty good.