The drugs do work!

Sometimes the anticipation of waiting for the results of an MRI make me completely numb.

Just tell me straight up...are the drugs working as intended, or is it not a case of 'third time lucky'?

YES! No new lesions.

What a hectic few months.

Here I am getting my 6th infusion, only a few days before our house is being packed up and we make our way to Radelaide.

To be honest, I was not too surprised about my results. I haven't had a relapse for a long time - although the last MRI showed progression (damn you Mad Sascha!) but I had zero physical real life here and now, there and present symptoms. That was infuriating.

I was, however, sick for a good 2 weeks. First with laryngitis which is far from ideal when you're a teacher who likes to be heard between the classroom walls. Then too closely followed by a bout of parapertussis. Say what? It's a less severe and shorter lived strain of whooping cough. That was a lonely 2 weeks in the spare room!

The most stressful thing that has been going on is my agonising over having no work next year, after all the preparation needed from the administrative side of becoming a newly registered teacher in SA. (Plus leaving an amazing workplace!). Mad Sascha made it worse. I mentioned her in the process because...because I am too fucking honest. The registration board called me and asked me questions in a seriously awkward manner. The woman was trying her best to be PC. "So, ahhh, Sascha, you have mentioned ahh that you can't do yard duty outside when it's very hot due to a medical condition?". All the details were in the enveloped labelled confidential addressed to the registrar, as per the the instructions, FFS. "I've got Multiple Sclerosis"

Oh god, then it just was the worst drawn out line of questioning.

"So, okay. Um, errr, Sascha do you need, any sort of, um, like ...."

"I look completely normal, and you wouldn't know I had MS"

Then her laugh suggested I had broken the ice. I'm not precious love, just spit it out.

She basically wanted to know if I needed any extra aides and stuff - again, all covered in that confidential letter to the registrar.

Oh and I am basically a 'new teacher' in their eyes as NSW is the ONLY state SA do not have a 'mutual agreement' with. Yup. Back to square one. I'll need to be observed and all that jazz. Painful.

So that was that. But hold up, there is more...

Next in line was the SA Department for Education and Child Development.

After filling out all the boxes and scanning all the certified documents ensuring they were all under 2MB then attaching them on their ancient looking clunky online application, I sent an email asking to  provide and estimate of when my the application will be processed.....oh it's been blocked. Okay thanks, why? And when were you going to let me know of this? Um, errrr, we need you to get a medical clearance from your neurologist. Again, FFS. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE BEEN TEACHING FOR ALMOST A DECADE WITH HALF THAT TIME SPENT WITH MAD SASCHA BY MY SIDE!? And the question about when I was going to be notified of this new road block? That question was avoided.

Just breathe.

So I emailed the 6 pages to my neurologist and received a letter in the mail two days later.

Your neurologist's letter is not very specific in how your MS affects your teaching.

It doesn't. My not doing duty in the direct heat is a minor, preventative modification. Again people, these details were outlined by myself in the original application.

So now, I am all good. I've paid my monies and ready to throw myself at any suitable teaching position. Come at me now. Please. Seriously.

Next drama has been the housing.

Luckily, my psychologist is a caring, amazing, intelligent and compassionate woman who was able to write me a letter outlining the need for me to live close by to my new treating specialist in Adelaide, and my in laws, and my husband's place of work, due to my anxiety (which is often thanks for Mad Sascha). An important letter that my neurologist basically refused to write. Let's not even go there right now. Let's just say my last appointment with him today was short and sharp in tone.

So at the end of it all...I'm super excited to move, but I want to be there already. And I really want a teaching gig. Like real bad.

I'm stoked I can stay on this drug Tysabri. And as long as I can stay JC Virus negative, I can stay on it for years, and avoid the rare brain infection that I freak out about.

Cheers. And thanks for taking an interest and reading.