Darn The Optic Neuritis!

The most annoying symptom of my MS has got to be this optic neuritis. Other things may come and go but I can always count on it to keep me company. The only break I ever get from it is from taking some OTC pain meds (and sometimes prescription ones, but not very often; I don't want to be on Intervention.). For a while there I thought I was having trigeminal (sp?) neuralgia, the horrible, stabbing, shock-like pain in the face, because it hurt so bad. But my neurologist said it was just this stupid ON. I would be more accepting of the pain if it did not mess with my vision, but alas, that is not the case. I have spots that are dark (I don't know how else to explain it), my vision on that side is not as crisp, and I get double vision when looking over my shoulder on that side. The dark spots are kind of like just before getting a migraine, or when you look at something bright and it leaves spots on your vision that you can see around but not through clearly. When I am trying to see something well, I have to move my head around to get the object in view between the dark spots. If you have ever seen Hairspray with Rikki Lake in it, it makes me think of the part where she goes to the beatnik's house and Ric Ocasik (sp? from The Cars) is moving his head in circles and painting a picture. That's how I feel when I am trying to see something, I just rotate my head until I get it in my sights. The only time my eye does not hurt is when I first wake up--I should say my best chance of not having it hurt because even that is only about 50/50. And the headaches from it... but I think I am done crabbing for today. I can only take so much negativity and then it gets old, which reminds me of what a friend asked me not that long ago. He asked me why I am always in a good mood. The answer is, why aren't you?