1 January 2000

Stayed awake to watch the ball drop in Times Square.  Went to bed and was awake for an hour while the neighbors set off fire works.  I FELL ASLEEP without taking anything.  Awoke a few hours later to use the rest room and fell asleep again.  Woke a few hours later which is my normal time to get up.  I'm very tired.  Avonex # 22 tonight.

2 January 2000

I slept again without taking anything.  Normal sleep is great.  However, I am tired and the spasticity over my stomach is worse.  I took a Baclofen in the morning and got some relieve.  Also, my vision is blurry.  No bad effects from the Avonex.

3 January 2000

Tried to sleep naturally but after an hour and a half  I took some Ambien.  Woke up early and had to use the rest room.  Tried from not sleeping.

4 January 2000

Tried to sleep naturally but after an hour and a half  I took half a capsule of Sonata.  Saw the urologist and he confirmed what I thought.  My bladder has pretty much shut down.

5 January 2000

Extremely stressed so I took the other half capsule of Sonata.  Woke about 12 and could not get back to sleep.  Called in sick to work.

6 January 2000

Slept without taking anything because I was exhausted from the night before.  Woke at about 1 to use the rest room and then woke again about 4.  Also, my tooth is killing me.  The earliest appointment I could get with the dentist was Monday.

7 January 2000

Went to bed an hour later than normal.  Finally slept (about 2 hours later) without taking anything.  Tooth doesn't hurt as bad.

8 January 2000

Slept again without taking anything.  I hope I finally have this sleep thing beaten.  I did wake up twice during the night to use the restroom.   Avonex # 23 tonight.

9 January 2000

Slept again, but woke at 3.  Stayed in bed until 6.  No bad effects from the Avonex.  Tried to squat down to change the barbecue gas and couldn't do it.  Ended up sitting on the concrete.  When I went to get up, Cindy had to help me.  My legs are getting weaker and weaker.

10 January 2000

Had a hard time sleeping.  After an hour and a half  I took half a capsule of Sonata and a half-hour later the other half.  Work up with the sleeping pill hangover.  Had a tooth pulled today and decided to take the rest of the day off.

11 January 2000

Really felt like I could sleep.  After about an hour I took some Ambien.  My left calf muscle is getting very sore.

12 January 2000

Really felt like I could sleep again.  After about two hours I took some Ambien and a half-hour later some more Ambien.  I went to work very tired.  My thigh muscles are starting to get sore.

13 January 2000

Took some Ambien before I went to bed.  Slept, but woke at 2 to use the rest room and couldn't get back to sleep.  The spasticity in my stomach area is getting worse.

14 January 2000

Had a real hard time sleeping.  After an two hours, I took half a capsule of Sonata and a half-hour later the other half.  About a half-hour I took some Ambien.  Work up with the sleeping pill hangover. 

15 January 2000

When I went to bed, I was so tired my head was throbbing.  After about three hours I took some Ambien.  Have to keep trying to sleep normally.  Avonex # 24 tonight.

16 January 2000

Was falling asleep on the couch, went to bed and laid there for an hour before I gave up and took a Sonata.   I don't know which is worse, the hung-over feeling or lack of sleep.  All I know is I'm so tired.  No bad effects from the Avonex.

17 January 2000

Although I was tired, I stayed up two hours later than usual.   I took some liquid Melatonin and could feel it working.   After about an hour I gave up trying to sleep and took half a capsule of Sonata.  The yard looked like hell so I took the riding mover and mulched the leaves.  I prefer to rake and burn the leaves, but I know that would not be possible.

18 January 2000

Took half a capsule of Sonata to get to sleep.  Spasticity over my stomach is still getting worse.  I now take three, the prescribed amount, Baclofen a day to get some relieve.  Also noticed both hands seem stiff all the time.  That would explain why I can't write legibly anymore.  My writing was always sloppy, but even I can't read it anymore.

19 January 2000

Took half a capsule of Sonata and some Ambien to get to sleep.  Three day weekend coming up, so I'll try to sleep naturally again.

20 January 2000

Took half a capsule of Sonata and some Ambien to get to sleep again.

21 January 2000

Went to bed without taking anything.  I was kind of sleeping and got up about 12 to use the restroom.  The rest of the night, I was half out of it.

22 January 2000

Went to bed without taking anything again.  I was kind of sleeping and got up about 12 to use the restroom.  The rest of the night, I was half out of it.  I must have slept some, because I couldn't have just laid there for seven hours.  Avonex # 25 tonight.

23 January 2000

Went to bed, I was falling asleep on the couch, without taking anything again.  I got up about 11 to use the restroom.  Didn't sleep almost all night.  A possible bad effects from the Avonex.  It seems like I have a killer headache every Sunday that will not go away no matter how many Advil or Tylenol I take.  One Sunday I even tried a pain killer the Dentist gave me.  It didn't put a dent in the headache.  Leave for a trip to Mississippi tomorrow.

28 January 2000

The trip to Mississippi didn't go well.  I had trouble sleeping every night.  I would take a full capsule of Sonata and wake to use the restroom two hours later, but couldn't get back to sleep.  One night I had a nose-bleed.  I had that hung-over feeling every day.  I got along all week on two to four hours of sleep.  Just laying there, thought of suicide kept going through my head.  By the time I got home, I was exhausted.  I'm going to try and see the neurologist and see if he can't do anything to help.  Had a killer headache all day.  Six Advil didn't help.

29 January 2000

Went to bed without taking anything and slept most of the night.  I was absolutely exhausted.  Even though I didn't take anything to help me sleep, I still have that hung-over feeling.  Fatigue I guess.  The headache is still there, but not as bad.  Avonex # 26 tonight.

30 January 2000

No bad effects from the Avonex, but feel like a killer headache coming on.  Didn't take anything to sleep.  Got some sleep but still feel tired with that hung-over feeling.

31 January 2000

Took some Ambien after trying to sleep for two hours.  Woke a little tired.  Made an appointment to see the neurologist Wednesday to see if he can help me with the sleep problem.