I have been compensated by Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC for this blog post including for sharing information about XEOMIN® (incobotulinumtoxinA). I am not currently being treated with XEOMIN.
So, we wanted a dog…
I sort of miss the subtle scent of kitty litter silently hinting to people visiting our home that a cat is under our loving care.
That, or perhaps I’m just confusing these aromatic memories with the times our tuxedo cat, Cooper, was the center of our attention and a key to our happiness. At times, we also were the focus of his attention. Oh yeah, and then there were the other moments when Cooper made it unflinchingly apparent that it was all he could do just to tolerate us because we merely were the keys to his cat food.
The last week of August 2021 marked five years to the day that Cooper crossed the proverbial rainbow bridge and left us devastated, heartbroken, and all-but-inconsolable. All because of a four-legged feline who had a love-but-sometimes-I’m-so-indifferent-about-you attitude toward us.
We knew that someday we’d get another pet, most likely a dog because we’re dog people. That, and there will never be another cat like Cooper.
Still, Jennifer and I had spent the past year paying more attention to social media posts from our local Humane Animal Treatment Society. Each time H.A.T.S. posted pictures of new dogs available for adoption, Jennifer forwarded to me Facebook images featuring the cuddliest of canines who deserved a home like ours.
Heck, we even submitted paperwork to potentially foster a dog or two. Did you catch that? Cats weren’t even considered as part of our pet acquisition equation. We were talking about adopting a dog. A dog.
Then again, all we were talking about in late June with our podcast producer, Ryan, were topics for upcoming episodes of A Couple Takes on MS. And then we discussed Bean.
Bean & our offer to Ryan
Bean is a tiger cat that Ryan has had since Bean could fit in the palm of his hand. Ryan was talking with us about not knowing what to do with Bean as he was planning to take an extended vacation and eventually move into a new home.
The three of us talked about it. It had been several years since we lost Cooper. We wondered: would it be hard for us to have another cat? Would all of the emotions from Cooper come flooding back? And then, when Ryan brought Bean over, Bean didn’t seem like he was eager to leave his Ryan’s side.
Yes, we were excited to watch Bean, but the realities of living with multiple sclerosis still gave me a few reasons to paws, er, I mean, pause about fostering him.
But it got me thinking: it most definitely will be less demanding to take care of a cat. After all, the work involved with taking care of a dog—from giving regular baths to taking walks every day (including in the middle of a merciless Michigan winter)—is what deterred us from moving forward with our dog-filled daydreams.
Dealing with symptoms and an abundance of cat hair
When it comes to caring for a cat, we’ve been there, done that. While the bulk of the work involves filling the food and water bowls daily, I do worry about how MS symptoms might affect this journey.
I was worried that we might not be able to care for Bean—especially in those not-so- charming, litter-involved ways.
With symptoms like upper limb spasticity or muscle stiffness, caring for a pet isn’t always easy. There are a lot of adjustments to be made and at times, it may feel impossible. Of course, Jennifer and I knew we wanted to help Ryan and foster a new feline friend.
But the decision was a little scary. Sometimes, taking care of a cat—or taking care of a household or a child—may be hard for people living with MS or movement disorders.
So, I did a little digging and research about symptom management to see if there was anything out there that might help others dealing with upper limb spasticity.
That’s when I learned about XEOMIN, a medicine that may help treat adults with muscle stiffness in the arm due to upper limb spasticity.
While XEOMIN does not treat MS, it is FDA approved for the treatment of upper limb spasticity in adults, which may be a symptom of MS. Those with certain disorders can talk to their doctor about XEOMIN to help manage their symptoms.
What is XEOMIN?
Well, XEOMIN is one option for adult upper limb spasticity. It is a prescription medication that is administered through an injection. It’s used to help manage symptoms for various movement disorders, including muscle stiffness in the arm due to upper limb spasticity in adults. It works by interfering with signals in the muscles that cause spasms. It’s also made using a state-of-the-art process that removes unnecessary bacterial proteins, leaving just those with active therapeutic components.
Of course, I’m not an expert—so if you’re interested in learning more about how XEOMIN works, click here or talk to your doctor.
For me, learning about how to manage symptoms is a part of what it means to be an informed patient. And I thought I’d spread the love and help inform those living with a movement disorder—especially if any of you are struggling with what options are out there for upper limb spasticity.
As cliché as it may sound, it’s true that taking care of yourself makes it much easier to care for someone else. For Jennifer and me, that means doing everything we can to make sure our next furry friends—whether feline or canine—live an incredible life.
It was settled, then. Finally, we decided.
After “parenting” Bean for three months, we knew we could take on adoption. Together, Jennifer and I plan to take on this opportunity and share in the responsibilities of caring for a new cat. While MS symptoms might make pet parenting difficult at times, we aren’t afraid to ask for help if we need it or seek symptom management options.
So please join us in thanking the one, the only: Bean! Before watching him, we kind of accepted the fact that our MS symptoms might mean the end to pet parenting for us. Without that stoic, (and, for the duration of his stay, very spoiled) furball, we might’ve never had the confidence to move forward with our plan to adopt a cat … or two 🙂
We can’t wait to bring the wonderful scent of kitty litter back into our home.
The effects of XEOMIN may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as difficulty swallowing, speaking, or breathing can be a sign of a life-threatening condition.
Do not take XEOMIN if you are allergic to XEOMIN or another botulinum toxin, or have a skin infection at the injection site. Side effects may include allergic reactions or, depending on the FDA approved indication, including adult upper limb spasticity: dry mouth, diarrhea, high blood pressure, seizure, nasal congestion, sore throat and runny nose, difficulty swallowing, neck pain, muscle weakness, pain at the injection site, muscle and bone pain, drooping of the eyelid, vision problems, or dry eye. For additional important safety information for XEOMIN’s FDA-approved indications, please visit xeomin.com.