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 35° I contacted my doctor and explained these new
 developments° He became very concerned and immediately placed
 me on Prednisone8 a powerful oral steroid medication. I
 noticed little therapeutic benefit from this new drugo How-
 ever, as soon as % took the Predisone, % began experiencing
 several adverse effects. These effects were similar to those I
 associated with ACTH; only they started sooner and were much
 more intense. In less than a week I gained more than eighty
 pounds.
 36° My MS, this abrupt change in my body weight, the
 diureticse and the steroids were reacting against each other.
 These were side effects ! could easily identify. However_ I
 did not know that these d_ugs _ere also stripping my body of
 critically important trace elements_ especially potassium.
 37. One day I was sitting in my living room when I
 realized I could not talk. I could not express anything but
 emotion. I could not externalize anything. I was semi-
 catatonic. One of my children walked up to me. I couldn't see
 her but I was sure I heard her. She spoke to me but I could
 not respond no matter how hard I tried. All I Could do was
 emote (cry)_ I was dumb and mute. My daughter ran to get my
 wife.
 ..... 38. ! do not remember being in a car, I do not have
 any memory of where I was taken or how [Long it: took to get
 there or where I was once we arrived. X have since learned it
 was the hospital emergency room. i remember being slumped in a
 chair, alone. Then ! was suddenly surrounded by nearly a dozen