January 14, 2006

12:20 AM - 1/14/06
~stupid jerk

I often learn things on TV. Tonight, while watching "House", I learned that what often happens to me at night while falling asleep is called a "myoclonic jerk". It's not that unusual for people with MS to experience them. With me, they started getting really bad in 2000. I actually mentioned it to my doctor. I thought that I was having heart problems. He brushed it off. oops.

Anyway, I was really tired. I thought that I could fall asleep. Didn't happen. Watched TV. Turned on the computer to look up the "myoclonic jerk" thing. Now I'm starting to hurt again, and think that I should get back into bed.

This is just so exciting.

Fuck the MS. I'm going to bore myself to death.

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9:33 AM - 1/14/06
~More on jerks

So, I'm searching around for more on being attacked by jerks, and I find a page saying that it's not really a "Myoclonic jerk" but a "Hypnic jerk". Either way, it's a jerk.

I do get the ones that go on repeat, but the ones that scare the poo out of me are the ones that happen at night, just before I fall asleep. It is a lot like a hiccup, only more intense. It is like when you're falling asleep, and suddenly you feel like you're actually falling, and you brace yourself, but it's, again, more intense. It's like your heart forgot to beat and your lungs forgot to breathe, but then they suddenly remembered.

It's seeming tough to find information on it, but I'm sure that I'll eventually dig something up. With MS, it's usually more the repeated jerk/twitch thing. I get that, especially lately, in my arms. It's like my arm is listening to disco, and it dances for a while. I think that it might be called "myoclonic jerking"... either that or just "spasticity". The "before I sleep" ones don't have a rhythm. It's usually just once that it happens. Then, I'm wide awake and pretty freaked out. It doesn't always happen the next time I start drifting off, but sometimes it does, and goes on like that for a while.

I guess that whatever the explanation, it has something to do with my brain, and well... I really don't need any more information to know that my brain is indeed fucked up. It'd just be handy to have a name for what is going on. Helps bridge the language gap with Neurodude.

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5:39 PM - 1/14/06
539pm011406 ~comment

(in "100 things" entry)

I read all 100. It would sure be difficult to put a label on you. I bet you make a great friend.

Well, if nothing else, I suppose my friends are never bored.

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7:59 PM - 1/14/06
~chunks

Being that ~blog will be down tonight for maintenance, I'm sure that I'll be up and wanting to write then. Right now, my brain is moving a little slow. Maybe it's the weather. It was in the 50s today. That's just not right. It's supposed to snow overnight. Wednesday it's supposed to be near 50 again. This is New England. This is NOT RIGHT.

One of my neighbors is really sick. He's been puking all day. I don't know which apartment it's coming from, but it's pretty loud. Not that I haven't had pukey nights of my own, but... eew. I really shouldn't have to hear that.

Choppy's been at it all day too. I wish I knew what the hell she's chopping over there. It goes on every day, and it goes on for quite a while.

This is a perfect night for Scotch. No, I don't have any. I'm going to have to buy some. Monday is food store day... and Al Keyhole store day.

Sounds like a plan.