And now for the conclusion of this adventure....
And with
that, I took on my newest case. What can
I say, I’m a sucker for a pair of beautiful, pleading eyes, even if they do
belong to such a divisive woman. So
that’s how I ended up two nights later waiting out in the dreary rain for someone
to make a move.
Nancy
had been right, there was something strange going on, something very strange
indeed. I started by checking the CNS stations
to see what I could uncover, and, sure enough, I found tattered shreds of the
beautiful white coats in a number of dumpsters around back. When I asked around, no one would give me a
straight answer. Instead, my questions
were always greeted with shifting eyes and a nervous laugh. Something had these neurons all shaken up and
I was going to find out what.
Making
up my mind to finally get some answers even if I had to force it out of people,
I marched into the last station on the edge of the city. Walking right up to the counter, I was
greeted by a woman in a white coat, Nelly, who was more than willing to talk,
but she had nothing to report except the same rumors I had already heard. Nelly didn’t seem to be rattled though, at
least not yet.
Suddenly,
I heard a commotion outside and saw some of the T Departments “Specialists”
forcefully entering the CNS station. I quickly
motioned to my new friend to keep quiet about my presence and ducked behind the
counter (none too soon it appeared)…
“Hey, hey
you there!”
“Um…. Me?”
Nelly questioned nervously.
“Yeah you. We know who you are… you’re a foreigner! A diseased agent of the CNS! We’re gonna take you down!!”
“Hey, a…wait
a minute Tony, what’s going on here?
We’re on the same team, remember?
Don’t you recognize me?
“Hey, no
names Traitor! We know what you are and
we will destroy you! Hand over your
coat, you don’t deserve to wear it anymore.”
“And if
I refuse?”
“That’s
just what we were hoping you’d say… get her boys!”
At that,
I tripped the alarm system. With alarms
blaring throughout the station, the T members slowly backed up and, as they
were leaving, said, “Just you wait… we’ll come back for you… You’ll never be
safe so long as you’re a foreign agent in our city!”
Sinking
down into a chair, she exhaled loudly and held a trembling hand to her
forehead. “I can’t believe the rumors
are true! The T cell department really
is attacking our members!”
“Shh…
Nelly. I promise that I’m going to get
to the bottom of all this as soon as I can.
Now, do you know anything about that Tony character who was talking to
you?” I questioned.
“Um, yes,
I don’t know much, but I do something that might be helpful Mr. Tracer. Tony has a little office off of spinal and
axon that you might want to check.”
“Perfect
Nelly! I’ll see what I can track down!”
On a hunch, I hurried over to
the little office and waited for Tony to show his squirrely face. And that’s how I ended up out, in the rain,
on that dark, miserable night. I was
just about to give up my little stakeout when people started furtively filing
into Tony’s office. Then I saw him, the
leader of the Multiple Sclerosis gang walking proudly into the office of
T cell traitors. It was all I needed, so
I quietly sneaked back to my car and left to fill Nancy and Mr. T in on the
details.
“Well, well Jack. It’s much worse than I thought, much
worse. Hmmm…. Too much damage has
already been done then to make this an easy clean up and I’m afraid things are
only going to get worse from here. Thank
you for help in figuring it out for us Jack!
Here’s your fee. We’ll let you
know if there’s ever a time in the future that we could use your help
again. You’re a first rate detective
Jack.”
“Not a problem at all Mr. T, but
how about next time setting up a meeting with a little less steel and a lot
more politeness?”
“Haha, Jack. Such a kidder… until next time then.” With my hard earned pay in hand, I made my
way back to my little apartment with a mind for a warm fire and a strong cup of
nutrients. Life as a detective is never
dull.
That’s all for the adventures of Jack Tracer in The Strange Evening. Were your suspicions confirmed? Tune in next time for another exciting episode of
Jack Tracer – Private Eye.
Medical Morales to Remember:
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) - Autoimmune, progressive disease which destroys the cover (myelin sheath) surrounding neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and the neural axons, most commonly affects females age 20-40
- “The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another.” – National Multiple Sclerosis Society
- Signs and symptoms (destruction causes interruption in nerve impulse conduction = symptoms) – fatigue, muscle weakness, numbness, tingling, burning sensation, visual disturbances, tremor, lack of coordination and balance, dizziness, slurred speech, bladder and bowel problems, pain, spasticity, emotional changes
- Treatment – medications (immunosuppressants, antivirals, corticosteroids, interferon-alpha, glatiramer, anticholinergic drugs and antispasmodics), avoidance of stressors (heat, fatigue, infection, etc.), and supportive care to help maintain independent functions
- Nursing Considerations – patient education, monitoring for infection and side effects of medications, fall prevention and safety, coping skills
- Myelin sheath – insulating layer of protein and fatty substances which surrounds nerves to improve speed and efficiency
Additional Resources:
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