Last Friday was a momentous day for me: at last my first dose of the new oral MS medication with the requisite 6-hour observation period. I’d been anxiously waiting since December!
Per the recommendation, I packed my backpack with items to stave off the boredom of sitting around that long: two books I am currently reading [one fiction and one non-fiction], a book of Sudoku puzzles [I’m addicted!], lip balm, crystallized lemon to be added to drinking water, 2 CDs [which, as it turns out, is old-school, replaced by the iPod!], emery boards and cuticle cream [inevitably when bored, my attention drifts to the sad state of my nails].
We also brought a cooler with yogurt, granola bars, and sandwiches. OH had brought a fingertip pulse oximeter so I could check my pulse regularly on my own. [It is bright yellow, so I will never misplace it!]
When we got there, we were ushered into a private, back-room. There was a TV with local channels, and an iPad for watching movies [we were never able to get it working].
I sat in a deluxe high-backed chair with a pull-out footrest that needed to be pulled out and pushed back by the nurse, who came in every half hour or so and took my pulse and blood pressure, both standing and sitting.
There were pillows and blankets but no place for OH to lay down. In the end, he sat at the counter and hunched over to lay his head down on his arms.
In the end, the whole experience was pretty anti-climactic, which is probably the best-case scenario, really. I read one book the entire time, and they let us leave before the rush hour started.
It was a record heat in SF, which lent the whole outing a surreal feel, and now that I’m onto Day Five, it is like it never happened, plus it feels no different. Sigh…