And the "Winner" is...

Tysabri!  I'm sticking with Tysabri. 

Yeah there's a possibility of PML, but at least i know that that exists and there is a plan in place to mitigate.  My feeling is that Gilenya is just too new and i'm willing to bet my last dollar that something is going to emerge that they didn't anticipate a few months/years down the road.  I may lose that bet and with any luck i will, but u know how drugs go!  There already have been some things happening too... a few people have died including 1 person who died 24 hrs after taking their first dose - HELLO!  there is still investigation pending into whether the drug had anything to do with it but...

I'm not stupid, i know that there are risks with all drugs and death probably is the extreme case but i'd rather deal with the known risks of Tysabri than the unknown (for now at least) risks of Gilenya.  We (my neuro and I) talked about the 2 therapies and he was also somewhat against my starting Gilenya.  *side bar* Sometimes the way he talks about Tysabri tho, i wonder if he's on the baord of directors or was instrumental in creating the drug.

Anyhoo...so i will continue to endure the games with my veins (got stuck twice yesterday), the MRIs every 3 months (did i ever mention that as far as I can tell, i have NO side effects from the Tysabri?) and the knowledge that i'm at a higher risk for development of a brain infection to stick with "the devil i know".

To Do or Not To Do...

1/2 of dealing with MS (and i suspect any chronic disease) really is about making good, well informed decisions.  July was a blur to me...i was on vacation, OB was here, I was limin up a storm right thru.  I blinked twice and it was over - time really does fly when u're having fun.  Anyhoo, so this past weekend, i decided i wasn't going to do ANYTHING!  i was going to keep my ass quiet for the 1st time in a month and just stay home and relax...try to get over July.  Of course, errands and normal Saturday stuff doesn't count, so when i finally woke up on Saturday, i jumped in the car and moseyed on down to the barber shop - i have to get my hair cut every 2 weeks, or i'm a stark, raving, mad woman.

The shop i go to is not close but i've been going to this 1 chick since 1995 and she does a fantastic job, so i'm not about to go in search of another barber.  The shop is in a mall; mind you, not the nicest mall around, but for whatever reason, whenever i go down there, it is ALWAYS PACKED!  On Saturday, I actually had to park the farthest away i've ever parked and was actually questioning whether or not i should bother - but again, i'm a stark, staring, mad woman, so i pushed through.   Men give women a hard time about going to the hair salon and how long it takes, but i swear it's no different in a barber shop.  they get their beards groomed, their mustaches trimmed - it's not as long a process, but it takes quite some time and Miriam (my barber) is quite good so there are always quite a few people in front of me on a Saturday - unless i go at the crack of dawn and that eh happenin!  Well even though i was just sitting waiting (i swear it was about 2 hrs on Sat), i was ah lil tired by the time my turn rolled around.  She knows about the MS and for some reason, that day she asked me where i'd parked.  When i told her, she said that she'd get someone to go get the car for me - i could have jumped into her arms and kissed her!  The thought of having to walk back all that way in the 9something degree heat was making me even MORE tired!  I've learned to accept help sometimes even when i really don't need it!

I left the barber shop and went to lunch - a gal has to eat - especially when it's at Eclipse.  As i was leaving Eclipse, i was still feeling a little tired, but had to go get the brows done...so i headed there.  Well i got there, got out the car, took 2 1/2 steps toward the place and decided that it wasn't worth it...nice arched eyebrows vs bussin my ass in the place because i was tired?  i chose to not chance bussin my ass.  i was also supposed to make 1 more turn that evening - instead i entered my front door and set my alarm for the night because i knew i wasn't going another place for the day, not even if they paid me!


P.S. the eyebrows are still not done- ugh!  maybe i'll go tomorrow.