Day 28

Back to the Research Centre again. A short visit this time. I needed to not take that day’s tablet until after a blood test, so they could see how much of the drug was left in my system before the next dose. I guess that’s a way of helping to work out if the dose is right, with the right length gaps between taking it. The trial’s been quite a slog so far, but it’s only the beginning that it’s this intense, then it eases. Next set of assessments after today will be at Month 3, then Month 6, Month 9, etc. until the end of the trial in three years’ time, or thereabouts.

People keep asking me if I’ve noticed any improvement. All I can say is that I’m either tolerating the drug or I’m not on it. I’m not having any adverse side effects, so that’s good. Even if I am on it, it’s not meant to improve anything, only slow the progression. So I’m still not going to know, until the end when all the results are compared.

What I do know, through regular and thorough assessment, is exactly where my health sits. That and the knowledge that I am helping to further MS research makes it worth doing. As far as I’m concerned, the only thing I have to lose is a bit of blood and a bit of time. And it's interesting to learn how research works.

I bumped into Andrew again. He was also doing ok and not having any side effects. I had a bit of a scare, though. A few days before going up for my Day 28 assessment, I started having increased numbness round my middle, at the base of my ribcage, commonly known as the “MS Hug”. So the Research team were a bit concerned that I might be going into relapse. They wanted me to go in for an extra assessment. It had better not threaten my holiday.