another big bump in the road...

well... where to begin... there has been a lot going on with the family that I have been hesitant to write about. there's something final about writing it in my blog. it somehow makes it real... definite. but, I have been in denial too long, so here I go.

On our way home from Seattle, Brett started getting sort of sick. He was having nerve problems in his arms and legs, and he couldn’t sleep. I thought it was wrestles leg syndrome, but a few days later his speech started slurring, he was studdering over simple words, and his vision was going blurry. So, my dad took him to the hospital. They did some tests, didn’t find anything, and scheduled him for a cat scan and MRI the next week. His cat scan came back normal, so they sent him home, but a few hours later called him to come directly back from the hospital. They had found spots in his brain with the MRI. They immediately started more tests, and that afternoon even gave him a spinal tap. They tested him for every virus they could think of, and everything came back negative. The only think they hadn’t ruled out was MS, and there were signs of that in the spinal tap. They kept him for four days, and came up with nothing. So, the last day they gave him steroid treatments and sent him home.

A few weeks later, after we were frustrated out of our minds with no answers, and his symptoms staying the same, he went in for his follow up MRI. It came back with the same lesions, plus one more. The neurologist then diagnosed him with MS, gave him information about different medications, and offered to get him an appointment with an MS specialist in Salt Lake. Since then, he has started taking Rebif shots three times a week, and his appointment with the specialist is in two weeks.

I went down the weekend the nurse came up from Vegas to train him to take his shots. I saw my mom for a couple days and she was having some serious pain and vision problems in her eye. A few days later she went to the doctor, who sent her to a different doctor, who sent her to an eye specialist, who ordered an MRI and told her she may have MS as well. They were waiting on more test results and are now comfortable enough with that possibility that they are sending her to the neurologist my brother is going to in St. George as soon as possible.

In the meantime we are all holding our breath, and learning what we can about MS. The night before the appointment with the specialist we are all going to the Collective Soul concert up here. I hope we can continue to use these hard times to bring us closer together. I know now more than ever that my family is the most important thing in the world, and I love them more than they will ever know. I am also more thankful for Marti than I ever thought I could be. She was already my best friend, but now I really really don’t know what I would do without her. Her mother died from MS about 5 years ago, and she has been the strength and comfort I have needed. Its amazing when you can find things to be thankful for in such hard times. …Keep my family in your prayers. I will keep you updated.