2 months in...

Okay, so not quite two months since I got the diagnosis, but it's over six months since my first (unrecognized) episode, so we'll call it even. The Betaseron injections have been going well--just some soreness at the sites and some very mild muscle ache early on, but at this point, almost a month in, there's not very much reaction at all. I had been feeling pretty depressed thanks to the Betaseron, so I'm now taking Doxepin (a tricyclic antidepressant) to counteract the depression, itching, and insomnia--it's been pretty effective, although the itching continues on and off. Not enough to keep me up at night, but it's always there. Now of course, I'm dealing with the side effects of the Doxepin--mainly the possibility of weight gain due to my hunger and dry mouth). My hands are the main problem--Right hand still worse than the left, but they are stiff and numb in turns. I think they're slowly getting better. I try to gauge my right hand's sensitivity every day, but it's three steps forward, 2.9 steps back, so it's possibly just my imagination. Cooking dinner tends to make both hands pretty tight and numb, but I can't really do too much about that.
The Swank diet is going well--I don't really miss any of the red meats or milkfats, etc. as long as I have enough good fats around. Been cooking everything in olive oil and eating lots of nuts, avocados, and the like. I think I'm getting some of my concentration back--that's been one of the real, unexpected, problems. Okay, that's enough for now. Later.