Multiple Sclerosis Treatments Different In other Countries/Provinces??

I have learned something new in the last 24 hours and I want to share it with you.

I never really thought about how other provinces handle the treatment of long-term chronic illnesses. I knew things like Medicines are cheaper in Canada and a lot of people in the US talk about why they can be so much cheaper there and yet we have to pay a fortune.

I posted a blog about the "NEW POLL OF THE WEEK" the other day and I got some interesting feedback from Lori about how programs are different in Canada and also other Countries.

I would love to learn how different countries/provinces handle the treatment of long-term chronic illnesses.

Please help us, that live in the United States, learn how your country/provinces handles your treatments. I will also, from this point, try to include the rest of my fellow MS'ers that live all over the world in my "POLLS OF THE WEEK". For me to do that I have to learn more.

Thank You!!! And Thank You Lori for bringing this to my attention.

Multiple Sclerosis and Muscle Spasms

If you have Multiple Sclerosis, then you know about Muscle Spasms.

I have severe muscle spasms and I take Baclofen for them. I am over the dosage for treating them. My Neuro last year said I should consider getting the Baclofen Pump. I told him I would not have anything permanently inserted into my body for MS until I absolutely had to.I know that some people find heat works for them and others cold works for them. I have found a few things that help with tolerating my muscle spasms.

Ice Packs - I bought something called TRIO Hot and Cold Wrap. I bought it at Walmart for I think 9 or 10 dollars and it has the pack you keep in the fridge or put in the microwave. But is comes with 3 different Wraps. Different lengths.

I also have my Ice/Water Machine that I use in my bed. - It is a motorized cooler that you put water and ice into it and plug it in and then there is a flat rectangle pad that continuously circulates the cold water and then it forms to the area you put the pad on.

I want to know what you use or have found that works for muscle spasms. Medications used and also other things you have found to treat them?

New Multiple Sclerosis Polls of the Week!!!

I have posted the New Polls of the Week

As you already know these Polls are very helpful to other MS'ers and Loved ones of MS'ers. They are completely Anonymous.

Please take Part in the Surveys!

Some of these questions have been asked in the past but since I lost all my polls I am asking you to answer again. There are 5 Questions this week

After each answer remember to click vote or it won't save the information
Thank You!
Tara

Multiple Sclerosis and Supplements

I am very interested in how Supplements help with Multiple Sclerosis and the Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. I have learned a few things and I have been taking a few different ones to help with the symptoms.

I am going to be very clear that I AM NOT A DOCTOR NOR HAVE I STUDIED ANYTHING ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS.

I have gone to the GNC store and they have told me a few things I also have a friend that sells USANA Supplements and she has given me a lot of help. Some things have helped and done what they were supposed to do and some I haven't noticed a change. However taking shots everyday for MS, I don't notice a difference but they are supposedly doing something.

I do not eat very healthy stuff and I basically eat 1 meal a day which is bad and I am working on that. I know that there is no way I can get enough of what my body needs in 1 meal a day. I have just found ENSURE!!! It is lactose Free which is good for me. So I have been taking one of those drinks in the morning.

I have been reading a lot about Magnesium Supplements and I thought I would share.

I have already spilled the beans that I have Intestinal Shut Down problems. I learned a little about this. People with either constipation or constant diarrhea is usually because of an imbalance of Calcium and Magnesium. For those with problems of Diarrhea usually have to much calcium and not a balanced amount of Magnesium. On the other hand, people Constipation or in my case Intestinal Shut Down, have a higher amount of Calcium and not enough Magnesium. Hence Magnesium Citrate as a colon cleanser. I know I have talked about the things I have tried and what has helped and what hasn't. So here is my opinion. I have found that by adding Magnesium Supplements helps with my problem. I haven't been on them long enough to know if it will continue but I will keep you updated.

On the bottle it also says "HELPS NERVE AND MUSCLE FUNCTION"
Here is what I am finding... I am having lesser muscle spasms and the burning sensations are slowly decreasing. I still have bad days but, hey, a bad day here and there isn't too bad. I have also found that it has been relaxing the muscles slowly.

I also have found that it helps with depression and concentration along with a lot of other benefits. You can see the benefits it has by simply Googling Magnesium Benefits Also you can research the benefits of Magnesium and Constipation and also Magnesium and Multiple Sclerosis


A Few other Supplements I take daily!

I take CoQ10 I was told it was good for the cells and energy - I haven't taken long enough to notice a change. I heard it takes a couple months

I take Flax seed w/ Omega - 3 Fatty Acids - I take the flaxseed for the bowel problems and honestly the Omega-3 just comes with it. I know that it is good for the heart.

Valerain Root - To help me fall asleep - It doesn't knock me out but within about a half hour to an hour I fall asleep and when I wake up in the morning I notice I slept very good. I do not take these every night but when I am having trouble falling asleep.

I do take the Probiotic Pearls - I take the Pearls only because they come in Lactose free. But Probiotics are an excellent source for helping your intestines. I was told about these by a nurse that was at my house giving me my steroid treatment. She said that in her opinion it is very beneficial for anyone that is sick or taking steroids.

I have never been a vitamin person but I was never a medicine taker either PRE-MS but I guess things change. I have found that I struggle with regular multi-vitamins due to the iron.

Anyways, that is what I have learned and been trying. Now, of course ironically it isn't helping me with this sickness. Who knows maybe they are and I would be worse if I wasn't taking these.

In closing...
If I can find natural alternatives that really do help, I would rather take those than all the drugs that the Doctors tell me to take.

Let me know what you think and if you have any to add please feel free to post away. On this one I don't care how long the posts are. I think it is interesting and helpful to all.

I couldn't figure out how else to get this link posted... But Lisa recommended a great blog site and I checked it out and found that Anne at http://vitaminsmineralssupplementsdiets-ohmy.blogspot.com/
Has a Post about Magnesium so here is the link to that blog. http://vitaminsmineralssupplementsdiets-ohmy.blogspot.com/2009/06/8-magnesium-62909.html

Multiple Sclerosis Versus Immune System

Multiple Sclerosis Versus Immune System????
OK... So I woke up from a nap on Friday And my vision was bad along with my swallowing. I know these can be normal MS symptoms. Not normal for me but in general. My vision stayed bad until Monday. On Monday my vision started to get better but my throat felt as though I had a rock in it. In the morning my eyes were puffy and 2 white spots on the back of my throat on right side. As the day progressed I was feeling worse. I left work (because my Boss is Awesome and understanding) and I went to the lab to have my blood work done that my Doctor had asked for after my physical last week. Ya know the physical from hell. (If you don't know about it go back and read about it. I told them at the lab about my throat and they called my Doctor to see if they should still take the blood work. She said yes and she said that the blood work would show what was going on if not she was going to send me to an Ophthalmologist and to the Neurologist for a fun round of steroids (which I would have fought that idea)

Then they called and said my Doctor wanted me to go back and have a throat culture just to rule out Step. I went back and had that done. I came home changed into my pj's and then another call that my blood work clotted up to fast and I needed to go back and have that done because it was the blood work for white and red cell count. So, I got dressed again had my daughter drive me back and had that done. By this time I thought for sure the throat culture was going to come back positive.

Results:
Liver enzyme test - Normal ( WOO HOO first time in 3 years that it was normal)

Throat culture - Normal

Blood work came back this morning and - Normal

How can this be? I have white spots all over my throat and I can't even swallow.
Last week when I went to my appointment from hell. I was running a temp. yet today sick as hell and no temp but having hot flashes and can barely stay awake but I have to because if I don't swallow at least every 10 seconds then it gets even worse. As today has gone on I now what sores in the corners of my mouth.

So the question is.... Can our white cell count be lower than normal because of our autoimmune disease and then when we get sick it elevates but only to what is considered normal???

Just like a normal temperature is 98.6 degrees but for me it is 97.6 degrees and when I went to my appointment from hell last week it was 99.0 degrees so the doctors didn't think anything of it....

I am so frustrated. My kids leave tomorrow and I actually am handling it ok at least for the moment maybe because I am so sick I could care less but I am not stressing or anything and trying to look forward to a some alone time. But now I am thinking I am going to be sick the whole time.

Has anyone ever had anything like this happen or have any advice???
How can this happen?
Could it be true what I am thinking about our white count be lower than normal and then get higher when sick but only to what Doctors think is normal???

Multiple Sclerosis Game!

OK. so lets take the initials MS and see how many names we can come up with.

MS = Multiple Symptoms!!
MS= Muscle Spasms!!

And I am being nice since I am really having a bad day with MS. I could come up with some really bad ones but you probably wouldn't read any more of my blogs ever. Come on I know this is kind of stupid but it can be fun to see how many we can come up with. And YES you can put more than one answer.


Today has been a big blogger day for me so feel free to click on my title and read my other Blogs of the day.

Still looking for more topics for this weeks POLLS! Please send me some more ideas!!!

Coffee Break Update...

I got the picture of the hummingbird. It took 2 hours for me to get the picture. Go to original Coffee Break Blog and you can see it.

Still looking for more topics for this weeks POLLS! Please send me some more ideas!!!

Coffee Break!!!

OH Cool! You can Click on the pictures and it will enlarge so you can see the "Special Garden" better











It is a beautiful day out side. I am bringing you into one of my "Special Garden" areas to write today's Blog. I am hoping a hummingbird might stop by for me to take a picture of that (Ssshhhh I can hear them flying over me but they may not be comfortable landing when I am this close)Did you know that as far as Hummingbirds go..As time goes on they will get used to you and land and eat even if you were right underneath them). This is a new Garden area or "Special Area" my Dad and my Son designed and made for me about 2 weeks ago. Ooops I just missed one. The hummingbird came to eat and as I moved to get the camera it flew away. So they may not be that scared of me. However one of my dogs, Gunner, is out here with me and keeps running after each and every bird noise he hears. He is a gorgeous dog but kind of one of those "Duh" kind of dogs. This garden is going to be beautiful next year when we get the rest of the ferns and hostas planted around the one and a half sides where there is no sun and then beautiful flowers on the sunny side. Right now it is just started and we can't start dividing the hostas and ferns until Fall. So, next year when I am sitting out here I will have to take new pictures for you.

So as I sit here waiting for the hummingbird to fly over. My thoughts are flowing so this could be one of those blog days. It's sort of weird. My Dad and son put this garden in for me to have a place to relax and yet I sit here and my brain is going of a hundred things. (Damn just missed two HB's) Anyways, back to my brain.

Take Yoga for instance. I do the breathing and focusing on an object and then you are supposed to be able to focus and clear your brain. Well, my brain starts thinking about the dishes I need to do, what I need from the store, something that I forgot to do or needs done at work, the garage sale I want to do, the scrapbooking that I need to get going on, Are the fish biting today, which bills I forgot to pay, what bird is making that horrible chirping sound, why are my tomatoes not turning red yet in the garden, I really need to wash all the bedding off all 5 beds, and that's just for starters. So I think to myself how do people really clear their heads and focus on a spot on the wall???

I can never just clear my brain. Does that mean I am ADD or does that just mean I have a lot of shit on my mind?

I have been sitting out here for 2 hours and can't seem to get a picture of the Hummingbirds. They are here, I swear... But anytime I move they leave. Soon they won't be afraid and I will be able to get the picture. Next Coffee Break will be in my other little hidden garden that my Mom and Dad made for me a few weeks ago while I was sleeping. Never mind I just got the picture...

So, anyways thanks for having coffee with me in my "Special Garden"!

Still looking for more topics for this weeks POLLS! Please send me some more ideas!!!

New MS Symptoms

I came home from work early yesterday because it was slow and my boss/friend new I have been having troubles again so he wanted to give me a break.

I came home and took a nap and when I woke up my vision was very messed up. I couldn't focus on anything especially words. I didn't realize how bad it was until I went to take my fish "Miss Charlie Pooh" down stairs to clean her tank. She is a Beta fish so she is in a very small tank. I was walking and not able to focus on the door and the floor, tripped. T plastic tank she is in broke and shattered every where. I of course let all the water and tank go as I tried very hard to find her. I saw something move so I knew it was her. I picked her up and as quickly as I could... I made my way down the hall and down the stairs to find some water to put her in. Luckily we have well water so I don't have to worry about chlorine. I got her safely in a cup and had to put her in the bathroom so the cats couldn't get her. My daughter and her boyfriend just made it home and oddly enough they went and bought a hamster. Their BABY!!! Glad its a hamster and not a real baby! Anyways they took me to Walmart and we found a new tank. Came home and got it ready and then put her in. Miss Charlie Pooh is a happy fish again.

Anyways the other symptom that started yesterday is swallowing problems. Weird but true. 3 different times I would swallow or try drinking..I couldn't swallow correctly and then started choking. One time with a mouth full of lemonade.

I went to bed and woke up this morning and my vision is still not all the way right but not as bad (Still blurry) but I went downstairs to pour myself some coffee and when I started drinking...Again trouble swallowing choked and coffee went all over my shirt. After a little while I tried drinking again and now it is fine. It is like last night... Comes and goes.

Now here is the thing... I am not stressed (As for my kids leaving this week. I am just pretending they are going to Wisconsin (driving)for a week w/ their Grandparents. Since I am not taking them to the "place" to get on a "thing" to take them up high into the sky and to a State far away.) Then I am not stressing about it. Work is going good so no stress there, bills are sort of paid so no stress there. It has not been hot so no reason for problems. I don't understandit. How can I be having very bad muscle spasms, leg numbness and pain, vision problems, bowel problems and now swallowing problems? There shouldn't be a reason for this crap to be happening.

I know that I have MS... So for those of you thinking Duh...you have MS!! I realize that but I have never ever had my MS act up for NO reason at all. It has always been triggered by something. Heat, Cold, Stress, Sick, Overdoing it and I think that sums it up. So why is it acting up all on it's own????

I have been taking vitamins, taking my medications, taking my shots, not working many hours and taking naps... So why is this happening???

Still looking for more topics for this weeks POLLS! Please send me some more ideas!!!

Poll Ideas Wanted for this Weeks Poll of the Week

I am looking for suggestions for this weeks Poll of the week. Please feel free to suggest some Poll Ideas. I don't expect anyone to respond directly to this poll. So feel free to do it anonymously or respond to the poll and tell me not to post and I will just keep a list of ideas and then on Monday I will take those ideas and start the new poll of the week. What questions do you have about MS or Information you might want to know about MS and how fellow MS'ers handle that question. This is also open for Loved ones of MS'ers. If you have questions Please feel free to ask.

Thank You!
Tara

Attitude

I Read this poem and found it to be inspiring so I wanted to share it with you!!!

Attitude



by Charles Swindoll





The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.

Attitude is something I feel helps all of us get through LIFE WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Update, MS Polls, and Life In General

Just an update on how the week is going! I feel like a tornado is in my head!!!

The MS has been flaring a bit. I am really struggling with the burning sensations,fatigue and the muscle spasms. The spasms have been more in my back then in my legs this time but spasms are spasms. I am wondering if it has been from the roller coaster ride of emotions this week or just because the MS wants to cause me troubles.

As for the stress this week...
I have tried not to think about the Doctors appointment too much. Every once in awhile it sneaks back into my head but I am denying what she had to say. That seems to be the only way I can cope with the news she dropped on me or the bomb... No Difference really!! I think everyone has to find ways to cope with MS. There are some parts you can accept or at least try to accept and then there are things you just can't do anything about. But in this case I find that news about what most likely will happen or could happen or even is happening...I tend to go into the denial phase. The denial phase is my coping mechanism to get me through that moment in time. I am not stupid. I know that what she said is probably true but I need to take it in slowly for me to accept it. Also by denying it gives me strength to fight it. I have said in the past and for those of you who might possibly follow this blog probably have gotten to know the fact that If you tell me something is going to happen and I don't want it to then I will do whatever it takes to prove you wrong. I guess it is the stubborn side of me.

As for the kids leaving a week from today...but who's counting??? I am trying very hard to act as if it is not happening. I can not think about it until that day. So next Wednesday will probably not be the greatest but so far I have managed to get through the week not thinking too much about it. Oddly...the kids aren't even talking about it too much. I think they probably have a sense of how I feel even though I try not to let it on.

I am just sending out a reminder to everyone to take part in the polls. Everyone that takes part helps out so many others. I am not even sure how many days are left for this weeks polls but I don't think there are many. Please take the time to help out others and also to help inform others that don't have MS. These Polls are helpful to all.

A New Day! A New Attitude!!

Yesterday was a huge sucker punch in the gut. But I am just waking up and trying to look at yesterday a little different. I know what the Dr. said is a reality for all of us MS'ers not just myself. I left there yesterday wanting to give up all hope. Thanks to some friendly advice from fellow MS'ers and my Mom. I have chosen to remember what I felt like on Monday. Which was sore from the canoe trip, sad and scared about my kids leaving but most of all feeling good about my MS. I may be progressing in their eyes but I am still working and I am still getting out when I can and doing some gardening and enjoying my garden spaces. For goodness sakes I sat in a canoe for almost 9 hours on Saturday. My life is not over nor is it near being over like the picture she painted for me yesterday.

I will continue to do whatever I can for my intestinal shut down and when that stops working I will continue to try anything I can before a tube ever needs to be inserted. But if that day comes. I will be sad but that too does not mean my life is over. There are many people in this world that have a feeding tube and they make it work. As for my legs... I will continue to Wii and do what I can. I was told last year that a wheelchair would be inevitable for me in the future. I thought that was a huge sucker punch then. But it's been a year since that comment has been made and I am still walking. (yes there are times I need my cane or wish I had a wheelchair for longer walking distances) but I am still walking.

My feeling the day the Dr. told me about the having to be in a wheelchair eventually (because of where the MS is doing the majority of its attacking) was "I WILL PROVE YOU WRONG". Now I am not in denial like the Doctors think. I know that these things will probably happen but if you take what the Doctor's say and truely believe what they are telling you. Then most of us would be laying in bed waiting for the inevitable. We would give up.

MY Conclusion:
We can not give up "HOPE"! I know I have said it before. Doctors don't know everything. We know ourselves better than they do so.... Please take the information from yesterday's blog and use that as an example (or prepare) for what you may hear someday at an appointment. But Most of all remember that they are so close to finding a CURE for this Sucky Disease. Don't ever give up HOPE! Yes you can be sad or angry or even scared about this disease But you need to be STRONG! In all honesty you are the only one that can fight what is happening to your body.

Dr Appointment Didn't go as Well as I Had Hoped For

I went for my appointment with my regular Dr. and it didn't go as well as I had hoped for. Why do Dr's have to be so brutally honest? I had my exam and we talked about the symptoms that I have had. And then we did some talking. Actually She talked and I cried.

I may not like what she had to say but I did find out some interesting stuff about MS. So I will share with you my appointment. ( You know me...I let the personal info out to help others)

First off she wanted me to know that 80% of MS'ers do not have or will not progress to the progressive phase. Good News! Except she does not believe I am one of those 80%. She is seeing progression. She did say that some of my original symptoms when first diagnosed are not as bad. However, there are many more symptoms that I have gained and also have progressed. She did explain that taking the shots are extremely important. They are the only thing I have going for me to help with the exacerbations and permanent damage. As for medications... Medications that we are given to help treat symptoms of MS are not always going to work nor will they take the symptoms away. If they do take the symptoms away or lessen the symptoms this most times is only going to be temporary. I am at the highest dosages for almost all my medications. Not Good! She explained that she has reached her ability to help with any more medications for my symptoms. She did say that the Neurologist might have a few more up his sleeve but probably not much more. As for my Intestinal Shut Down... I explained that with using the natural products I have been able to keep things going and also taking out the dairy seemed to help some. I asked about lactose intolerance. Her answer was that MS can cause lactose intolerance along with other reasons for intestinal shut down. Right now if it helps to take the dairy out of my system and take the natural products then keep doing it. But in reality, There will come a time that the lactose intolerance will lead to another intolerance and then another and then another. Taking the natural products if they help is a good thing but eventually they may not help either. She said that when I went to the Gastro Doctor he was stumped as well and that I need to prepare myself that there could come a day that I may need to have a tube inserted to feed myself so that my body will absorb and release what is needed. She did say that my balance has improved some and I told her about the Wii and she was happy about that however, she followed up with the fact that my strength tests were worse. You all know what I mean by strength tests. Resist as I pull or push. I could tell already that I didn't do so hot with that. She also agreed with what the Neurologist had told me a year ago and that within time I will probably end up in a wheel chair. By this point as you can imagine I was a happy person.

Then came the real kicker!!! She said that I have accepted some parts of being diagnosed with MS but I really haven't accepted the important parts of being diagnosed with MS. She called it Denial. I like to think that the Doctors are wrong and I will beat this and I will live a long life with a lot of pains. She said "Tara, I think you need to go for counseling because the reality of this disease is that it is a crippling and debilitating disease and can be fatal" Ok. This is when the tears turned into full blown crying. She also said that going to support groups is good. I told her I don't like them because they are to real to me. I don't want to see the possibilities of what this stupid disease can do. Her answer was then that is where you are in denial. You need to see what can happen so you can be prepared.

I quickly responded. I don't want to see what the possibilities are and I don't want to prepare for any of this. I want you Doctors to tell me that this is a nightmare or a mistake or even tell me yes, you have MS but we will be able to control it. And the answer she gave is... None of us Doctors can tell you this. She told me that she just buried her cousin age 42 last year from MS. She had it for 20 years and the last 10 years she was in a wheel chair and then became worse and worse. Ok. So at this point I am crying very hard and responded with "Why do Doctors say things like this? If you don't give encouragement or signs of hope then what do I have to hold on to? To keep me fighting and believing that I can win this and live the life I have planned. I am not stupid, I know that there are going to be changes that I will have to live with whether I like them or not.

She is changing some of my medications and is going to do a complete blood work up which I have to go in and have done very soon. She said that will give some info and then I need to go see the Neuro and get my yearly MRI test. I am just so excited about all this.

But I need to point out one more thing she told me. I explained to her that I did not call the Neuro the last exacerbation because I did not want to have the steroid treatment. Her answer to this was... "Tara, by not going through the steroid treatment can actually help progress the MS. Steroid treatments are to shut down the immune system causing less permanent damage and destruction. By choosing not to do the steroids I am choosing to let the exacerbation last longer and more damage to be done." In her opinion she said no matter what if you are having an exacerbation I should always call and let the Neuro know and if Steroids are recommended then it is better for you to do them. Causing less damage. Less Damage = Less progression.

And I will admit that she did get on me this time about the smoking. She said "Tara, smoking is also helping this disease to progress". I asked her if she had been reading my blogs? And of course I laughed through my tears and she said no. I explained and she said it is just the truth. I told her that I was in my phase 1 "Thinking Phase" and I will work towards "Phase 2" She said she wants to see me in 2-3 months and hopes I am in phase 2-3 by then.

She also said that she knows that I push myself to the limit most times and she expressed that when you have MS. You need to listen more closely to your body. If it needs sleep then sleep, If it needs to have resting times then do it, and if it says "STOP" then stop.

I will go have my blood work done in the next few days and we will see what that comes back like. I will continue to post how my next few appointments go and also my blood work.

Stressed, Sad, Sore and Updates

Wow! What a 24 hour period can do to you.

I will start with the updates...
Canoe trip was fun. Very long and tiring. What should have taken 4-5 hours took 8.5 hours. I believe I was the only completely sober person on the trip. "Interesting" is the word I will go with. I am so sore and worn out today. I am not sore from paddling because when you tie 7 canoes together and sit on rocks for 2 hours without noticing you have not moved then obviously we were not working very hard. We watched canoes go past us during this time so of course it appeared we were floating along. Once we realized the situation we all started paddling. However by this time most were quite drunk and so we were paddling in all different directions which led us into one giant circle. I think this was about the time that everyone was worn out again from the 20 minutes of paddling. We spent the next few hours going from one side of the river to the next and repeating it over and over again. At about 4:00 PM I thought we had to be close to the end. Within a few minutes I was informed we had only gone 6 of the 12 miles. So, I think it was about this time I finally decided that I had to take my medicines. I could not last any longer. Sitting in a canoe for 5 hours with major muscle spasms is very hard and sitting in a canoe makes the butt very sore. Did I tell you that we got on the boats at 11:00 AM. We finally arrived at the destination at 7:45 PM.

This morning I woke up sore all over. I made it out of bed and poured a cup of coffee and then strapped ice packs to me and went back to bed. I wish I could have stayed sleeping all day but My Hubby's family was coming over to our house to celebrate my son's birthday. I can't believe my baby is 10. He is about the size of a 6 year old but he is 10. So, I am back in bed with ice packs all over me.

Now to the stressed and sad part. About an hour ago I got a phone call from my Dad that lives in Florida. He has been asking me for a few months now for our family to come and see him. I keep telling him that I can't plan that at this point because first of all at that point I was in an exacerbation and he doesn't really get the fact that I have symptoms daily that don't allow me to plan all day long adventures for 7 days straight. 1 day of fun leads me to 3 days of sleeping and recouping. So an hour ago he called and asked again. I told him that with work right now it is to crazy for me to take a week off. So he then called me back and said that he was holding 3 tickets online and wanted my consent for my 3 kids to leave next Wednesday to go spend a week with him. 2 of my kids were sitting right next to me when he called back and could hear the conversation. They started jumping up and down when my heart was sinking into my stomach. Then my youngest son joined in and said he wouldn't have any trouble getting on the plane and go to Florida.

Ever since 9/11 I have had a fear of flying. Not just a little fear but a fear so bad that my Doctor had to put me on Xanax just to get on the plane to be with my Dad when he had his heart attack. I am scared and sick to my stomach. I am already having panic attacks all awhile my kids are jumping for joy. I also have a very hard time leaving my kids. Saying goodbye at the airport is horrible. I had to do this a few years ago with my 2 older kids and I cried until I could no longer see the plane in the clouds. Now it is all 3 of them and I am so sad and scared.

Why does my Dad do this to me. He knows how I feel but he tries to say that "I should look at it as a break from my kids. That I should enjoy it. Spend time with my Husband". He doesn't understand that my husband works second shift. I leave in the morning before he wakes up and I come home after is gone and I am asleep before he gets home. So I will be alone. Once my kids arrive in Florida I am fine but just getting them on the plane is so hard for me. I am already crying just thinking about it right now.

The stress of this is causing me burning sensations right now. I know I could say no and be over with this but my kids shouldn't have to suffer because of my fears but everyday that passes is going to be harder and harder for me.

I hate this feeling and I am dreading the next week and a half.

Oh did I say that I have to go see my Doctor on Tuesday? One more thing I am dreading. Nothing ever goes good for me when I go to the Doctor. So I am really really dreading this next week and a half

Multiple Sclerosis New Poll of the Week

This week is a Pish Posh of questions for the Poll of the Week!

I went through the topics that I have discussed and came up with the current Poll!

Please take the time to participate and sen me suggestions for future polls!!!

There are 4 questions in this weeks polls!!!

Tara

MS and Intestinal Problems

Let me start by saying this is a very personal Blog. My hope is to help at least one other person that suffers from these problems.

I know that MS can cause intestinal problems. It can cause constipation or incontinence. For me it causes complete intestinal shut down.I don't think this is very common but the others are more common.

Intestinal shut down is when you intestines stop working all together. The stomach bloats out and can appear as though you are 9 months pregnant. Actually there have been times I look like I am 24 months pregnant. The Doctors don't even know what to do. The specialist put me on the most powerful medications last year and they didn't even work. I could take stool softeners, laxatives, enemas and mineral oil all at the same time and nothing would kick start the intestines.

I know this is very personal but something I think I should share to help anyone else out there that may have some of the same problems whether it be constipation or complete shut down.

Over the last year I have found a few things that work. And you will be happy to know that it is all natural stuff. I do have to say that one time one thing might work and the next time it won't and you have to try something else. So this list comes in handy.

Freshly ground Flax Seed - Add a few teaspoons or in my case Tablespoons to yogurt or a smoothie and it helps. I have been trying the flaxseed capsules and I will let yo know how those work.

This last 6 months I have had a lot of troubles and have found a few more things since the Flax Seed alone didn't work.

1) Natural Calm - a newer product at GNC Store. It is about 25$ but well worth it. At night take a couple tsp in warm water and drink like a tea. CAUTION... It fizzes up at first so only add a little warm/hot water let it fizz and then add some more water. This also has helped a lot with the leg cramps at night. Mine is lemon raspberry. Very tangy tasting.

2) Smooth Move Tea - I have found this at the GNC store. $5.00 for a box of 16 tea bags. Try using one bag at night if it doesn't work enough then use two bags. I suggest using at night and then in the morning you should be good to go.

3) This is kind of weird sounding but it is called Turkey Rhubarb. All Natural product I buy from Innovative Medicine I take this at night also. This works very good also but sometimes can cause cramping. But when you are desperate....It is well worth it. This comes in a capsule for those of you that may not like tea this might be an option for you.

4)Probiotic Acidophilus Pearls- These are very important to take everyday. It doesn't have to be the pearls. It can be just a regular probiotic. I take the pearls because they are lactose free and I have found that if I eat anything with lactose it also triggers my stomach to act up.

And most of all drink lots of water.

So far between all these options, when my stomach starts acting up or should I say "slows down" These are what I have found that works. I will continue to add to this list.

I need to be very clear.. I do not take all of these every night together. I take the probiotic and flax seed everyday in the morning but the other 3 products...I pick one and see if it works if not then the next day I try another one. My intestines are stubborn and will work for one of these products but you never know which one it will work for each time.

I hope this helps at least one person.

Canoe Trip How to Plan For It

Tomorrow I am going on a canoe trip with a bunch of friends. I am very excited but a few weeks ago I was dreading it. Hot Summer day on a canoe was scaring me about what symptoms it would trigger for me.

Tomorrow oddly enough is going to be only 70 degrees. I have a feeling the other friends are dreading it more than me. They like the hot days to be in the sun. I am excited because 70 degrees is perfect for me.

I am still planning and preparing for me which means "MS PLANNING". I am taking lots of water. Everyone else will be drinking beer but I will fill up with the water. I take packets of Country Time Lemonade to add to it. I am bringing a bunch of fruit to munch on like fresh strawberries and fresh pineapple and a turkey sandwich. The others probably won't eat because...they will be drinking. I do have chips and Chex Mix also for the hubby to munch on. I am bringing ice packs which will also help keep the food in the cooler cold. And I will be taking my "boob coolers" also. I have talked about them in the past and they really do help a lot. I am packing up my meds in a zip lock bag so they can't get wet. I will be bringing a beach towel but also a hand towel that I can wet down if need be and put on my neck and shoulders which is where I feel the burning sensations the most. Of course I will also remember the sunscreen and a baseball cap.

It is supposed to be the 4 hour canoe trip which based on the river could be 3 hours or 8 hours. So I need to be prepared for anything.

I will let you know how I do.

Clinical Trials for Multiple Sclerosis

After this weeks botched polls about insurance and MS. I decided to write about a few different topics. This one will be about Clinical Trials for Multiple Sclerosis.

1) Clinical trials for Multiple Sclerosis:
I know I have thought about participating in these trials and for whatever reason I have not looked into these too much. Clinical trials are going on all over the world. According to The National Multiple Sclerosis Society "Clinical trials help to determine if a drug is safe and effective for people with MS. People with MS who are willing to volunteer in these studies make it possible for all of us to look forward to new and better therapies"

This information is from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Clinical Trial BasicsThe process is complicated. Many factors are involved in making sure that a study is conducted properly and that the results are valid. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires therapies to undergo three phases of clinical trials before they can be approved to treat people with MS:

Phase I – The first step is to determine safety. In a small number of healthy volunteers or persons with MS, the investigators determine how the human body reacts to the therapy.
Phase II – If the therapy proves to be safe, studies begin to determine the effectiveness of the drug in people with MS. These studies may last several months or several years, and involve larger numbers of people. The study is "controlled"—that is, the drug is compared with the standard treatment, or an inactive placebo.
Phase III – If an MS drug shows effectiveness, an even larger study is conducted in hundreds of people to gain a better understanding of the drug’s effectiveness and possible side effects. These multi-center studies can span several years and several countries.
Following FDA approval, post-marketing studies (phase IV) might be conducted to assess long-term safety and effectiveness.

This may be something you are interested in doing for your own perosnal reasons but also if you don't have insurance or troubles with insurance.

The following link will lead you to the Clinical trials in your area and also common questions and answers to Clinical Trials.

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/research/clinical-trials/participate-in-clinical-trials/index.aspx

And for those few of you that are still reading this...

I AM DOING MY OWN TRIAL CALLED THE
QUITTING SMOKING PHASE TRIAL

I am still in the PHASE 1 "THINKING PHASE". I will keep you posted as I move to
PHASE 2 - "Setting the Date"

Quitting Smoking Part 1

So now I have read articles about how smoking progresses Multiple Sclerosis. I also have posted a blog about my reluctance to quitting smoking. I have had feedback that has once again encouraged me to "THINK" about quitting. But how do you go about it??

When you have smoked for 20 something years and you really are reluctant to quit. I would guess the first stage is to think about it and to push yourself to make the decision to do it.

I will admit that I have been tossing the idea around for awhile but am not quite there yet. Just thinking about it stresses me out. I don't want to take more pills to quit and the patch is just adding another drug into your system and I seriously don't want to gain any more weight when I am working towards losing weight. So the question is... Where do I go from here???

I know there are others out there with MS that feel the same way I do but I/We need help figuring out how to get to the next step.

So I am going to work on convincing myself into wanting to do it. And in the meantime I am open to any suggestions as to how to go about it. But I am also open to getting others to join in with me and doing this together.

Smoking and MS????

I have been reading blogs outside of my normal favorite Bloggers and everything I have been reading has been about how Smoking can make Multiple Sclerosis Progress more rapidly. Is this really true????

I am coming out of the closet and admitting that I am a smoker and of course as you all know... I have MS.

I keep reading these thinking to myself..Self...You should quit smoking... Maybe your MS will slow down or heck maybe go away???

And then I think to myself... Self... If this was really true your Doctors would be really enforcing the issue and they aren't. My Doctors ask... Tara are you still smoking and I say... YES... And they say "I know how much stress you have been under we will not even worry about it at this point but you really need to cut down on the CAFFEINE!!!

What about Alcohol and MS?
What about the Sun and MS?
What about pets and MS?
What about the economy and MS?

The list can go on and on... As for Smoking you have one study that says smoking cigarettes is bad. But... Smoking Marijuana is good. Illegal but good for MS. Give me a break. There is a study for everything.

There probably is a study that says if you were 2 and picked your nose and god for bid ate it (yuck) that you probably got MS because of that.

Ok Government, and People who do these studies.... We know smoking is bad for us but so is an over abundance of drugs but the doctors are filling us MS'ers up with them... Which leads me to the next point.... When I watch commercials for all these drugs for different ailments. Have you heard all the problems they can cause. The list of problems is longer then the commercial.

1 Day Left for This Weeks Poll

There is 1 day left to participate in this weeks polls.

This week the polls are about Medical Insurance and Multiple Sclerosis.

Everyone with MS has had to deal with Insurance Issues at some point in time or another. It may be the Doctor you are forced to see or the treatments you are or aren't able to take because of the insurance. Please partake in this weeks polls.

Thank You Everyone that has participated and going to participate so that it helps other MS'ers and ourselves get insight on INSURANCE issues.

Tara

Accepting Help is a Part of Accepting MS

Accepting help from others is a very hard thing for me to do. In my brain I remember my self being able to handle and do things for myself. I wouldn't ask for help for anything. I don't know if it is/ was pride or just being stubborn.

Then came MS. I still wouldn't ask for help. My family and close friends tried to help. They would call all the time and sometimes even just show up. I was thankful but probably didn't show it because by excepting the help made me feel like I wasn't in control. Truthfully I wasn't in control and haven't been since August of 2006.

Giving up control has been the hardest part of the "Acceptance" part of Multiple Sclerosis. My brain and my body are like two different people. I still like to feel like I am in control but I know that I am not.

I walk around the house and yard and realize I don't have the ability to handle everything like I used to. I look at the yard and gardening, something I love to do, but weeds are everywhere. I go into the house and every room needs decluttered and cleaned and work done to it. That's when I get depressed.

The other day a very good friend of mine showed up out of nowhere just to check in on me and of course it happened to be at a time that I was trying to get my two boys to help me work on cleaning there rooms and rearrange them a little. My dear friend spent the night helping solve the boys arguments and helped me to accomplish getting their rooms done. He then came over last night while I was sleeping and helped work on their rooms some more to finish what I started.

A week ago while I was sleeping my Mom and Dad and my two boys worked very hard for two hours making me a sitting garden in a hidden little area. I don't mean just a chair... I mean plants, statues, a little fire place and a water garden along with bird feeders and hummingbird feeders. It is the most amazing place to sit at.

Yesterday was Sunday and I woke up all excited to be able to go sit out there in the morning with my coffee and enjoy the beautiful sitting garden area.

All of a sudden I began to think of how I loved to do these things. I started cleaning the front porch and setting it up with chairs and tables so we can sit out there at night or in the mornings. I filled the bird feeders and hummingbird feeders. I even went out and started pulling some weeds.

Out of nowhere my Mom and Dad stopped by again and my Dad told me he was going to be coming out 1-2 days a week to help out around here. He is coming tomorrow to make me another little sitting garden area and work on the landscaping. He is going to be coming out to work on putting in hardwood floors in the bathroom. Along with helping mow the yard and whatever else he can do to help us out.

I am so happy and grateful for them and my dear friend to do all this for me. I am excited to see things get done around here.

I know that I did not ask for help and they are doing it because they want to and to help us out but it is hard for me. Normally I am the one to do things for other people not people doing things for me. I don't know how to accept it and express how thankful I am. The "Old Me" or the "Pre MS" me would never have allowed this to happen. I don't know how to acccept help. It is very hard for me. I don't know how to accept help without figuring out a way to pay them back and I can never pay them back for what they have and are doing for me.

Don't forget to take part in the weekly polls. They are coming to an end.

MS and Insurance Problems - Polls

Just a reminder there are only 3 days left to take the poll on Insurance issues.


Last week I lost my blog and all the polls. I lost everyone's votes on the current Poll. If you took it before the page change then your votes are not included on this current poll.

This is a very hot topic and the poll had a huge response of course before I lost it all. So please take the time to retake or participate in the current poll on Insurance issues as a victim of Multiple Sclerosis.

Thank You!!!

Disability and Social Security When do you apply??

Three years ago when I was going through all the testing for what was wrong with me. I had to stop working. Apparently it is not good to work when you can not stay awake, wear clothes because they hurt and passing out whenever I would stand up or come in from outside.

I was told to apply for Disability. I looked into it and found out that I hadn't earned enough work hour credits to get any assistance from Social security and Disability. I have worked since I was 16 but from the age of 19 - 32 I did home daycare and then Real Estate. So even though I had worked I hadn't worked in the eyes of the Government.

So, as I progressivly got better over the last 2 years. My goal was to work as much as I could so that I could earn my credits.

Today I got a letter from social Security and guess what??? I have officially earned enough credits to recieve Disability if and when the time comes.

Now I know that getting Disability is very hard to do in Illinois. However, at least I have the credits to try for disability. They will still turn =me down but not for that reason. So I see it as a step in the right direction.



My question is that I have been told that there are 2 different types of disability. I dont' understand them. My Mom thinks I should just start the process now so that by the time I get approved then I have it in place. My feeling is wait til I need it. She thinks that if I wait til I am down and can't work then I will have a few years of waiting for the approval and at that point it is to late.

So I am confused??? If I am capable of working, maybe not full time can you still start the process?

How does this work???

When do you start applying??



Don't forget to take part in this weeks polls. We need as much participation as we can get.

Intersting Information I heard on the Radio

I heard an interesting topic on the radio this morning. They had a caller who worked from a Medical Insurance and Life Insurance company who said that when a person applies for the insurance the Company then has access to all the medical records and if they see that the client has not gone in for tests, or taken medications, or gone through treatments as their Doctor has reccommended. Then The insurance Company Declines them of the insurance.



Her reasoning is that the medications, treatments and tests are to help and are preventative care.



My thought (as you all know I have many of them) is that is a bunch of BS. If you are on medications, or treatments for something or best yet your Doctor reccommends a test to be run then there are the red flags right there for the insurance companies to NOT accept you.



Short Story but very true.

I never call my Doctor for anything... My Doctor has to send me letters or run into me at Walmart to make me come in to see her. Don't get me wrong she is an AWESOME Doctor. I just don't like going to them. Anyways in June of 2006 I started having these strange symptoms. I was very tired, I was feeling like someone was rolling a cactus plant all over me. Then came the best one... I felt as though someone was touching me over and over again with a hot curling iron. I kept it to myself for awhile and in September I finally said something about it to my Mom. My Mom told me to make an appointment because it doesn't sound right. (My Mom is the one who has her calendar for the next 2 years filled with all her apointments. She never misses one and always prompt about her tests and bloodwork). Anyways, so I call my Doctor who was ready to fall out of her chair when I said I wanted to make an appointment. She made an appointment available that day. (probably because she knew I would change my mind if she scheduled it any later than that. I told her my crazy symptoms and begged her to not think I was a lunatic. Her first response was to go directly to the hospital and have an MRI done. She was concerned about a brain tumor. (A What???....I knew I should have never called her). So I went to the hospital and of course you and I both know that you wait forever and then they tell you that you are normal? Never in my wildest imagination would I have guessed they would tell me that I had Multiple Sclerosis. Besides the scarey feeling and the look on my Mom's face when the nurses had to call her to come and pick me up at the hospital and that it was because they had to drug me to calm me down. Anyways I went back to my normal Doctor and she told me to hurry up and go get Life Insurance because the further they go with testing and that it would take awhile to actually get the true results MS or Not MS. I would have a good chance of getting Life Insurance. So I did and guess what???

I got declined because I did exactly what my doctor told me to do and the Hospital wrote in the report "Positive MS" . Now here is the funny thing If it is Positive MS then why did I have to lie bedridden for 6 months until all the test were run and the Neurologist and Specialist came to the conclusion.

New Polls & Updates From Past Polls and New Page

Wow!!! What a day this has been. Along with fighting a flu bug I also lost my whole entire blog. This morning I was up early early in the morning and was working on my blog. While playing around with it I stupidly pressed save with a new background without saving my back up copy. I have learned a huge lesson.



I apologize to everyone who has helped with the polls to help us and fellow MS'ers understand and learn more about MS.



I have started up again with the polls I started yesterday. I know they are a little different but please let's pick up where we left off and keep these polls going. Eventually I want to learn how to have one whole page with the polls on it but for now it can stay right here.



Please take the time to answer this weeks polls even if you answered them already because those results are lost.



Thank You!

Please Help!!! I am losing my mind on what to do.

I have lost everything and cant even get the page to look somewhat normal. I am stressing so much over this that my burning and prickling sensations are going nuts. I need to get this back to somewhat looking decent and I have no idea what to do or where to turn. I have tried all these places but it is nonsense words to me. If anyone can help I would truly be grateful.

Tara

OMG!!! I lost everything!!!

Please help!!!!!
I stupidly woke up early this morning and decided to try to change my blog. I never saved my old blog and I lost everything along with all my polls. So from this point forward this is under major construction. And now the tabs at the top of the page don't even work.

I am so sorry and when I get this back and going... Hopefully I can start over with the polls. Thank Goodness for yesterdays post. At least it helps somewhat about how the polls were doing.

I need serious help if anyone can help me get the tabs on the top to work and get this set up so it is working again....

Please Help!!!

What I have learned from all the Polls.. Interesting!!

I was looking back over the polls from the last few weeks and I am finding a few things very interesting. I know that I have not had huge amounts of participants but still it is interesting to me.

When it comes to how long we have been diagnosed they range from less than 1 year to 15+ years. - I think to myself... I have only been diagnosed for 2.5 years and some days I can't imagine living like this for 15 + years. Other days I hope and pray that I will be around for many years to see my children grow and get married and have grandchildren.


To the question... Does anyone else in your family have MS? 76% said NO while 23% said yes. I think to myself...Would it be easier to have someone else in my family have MS? I would never wish it on anyone but I think it would make it nice to talk to someone that truly understands what you are going through.

70% of the participants showed they had Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. Which is currently where I am also. I think and wonder to myself...How long will we stay in this phase? Will it stay like this forever? Or will we start to progress?
The thing I wonder the most about is .... Is there a time frame. Do people get diagnosed with RRMS at first and then in 3-5 years we progress to the next stage and continue like that or can we stay in this phase forever? That is the most frustrating part of this disease... There really is no answer. Some will progress rapidly and others may not at all.

Fatigue, Balance Problems and Muscle Spasms were the highest ranked symptoms that we all deal with daily. So I wonder.... If this is the case than why can't the doctors and Scientists find something that works for those symptoms? A cure is probably going to be found in our lifetime but you would think it would be easier to find treatments for these most common symptoms. If they would a lot of us with MS may be able to enjoy life a little more and be able to do things that we used to do Pre MS.

Another one that is interesting to me is that 60% of the participants are not able to work at all. Again that brings me to finding medications to treat the common symptoms. If 70% answered that they have RRMS and 60% can't work then to me that is a really big problem and scary. If they are that close to finding a cure then why are they so far away from getting the treatments to the most common symptoms that cause us not to be able to work. It seems to me it would be easier to find treatments for the symptoms then finding a cure.

That brings me to this next interesting fact...83% of us agree that our family and friends "KIND OF GET IT" when it comes to our family and friends. I will be the first one to admit that it is very true. The people that are around us daily see what we can't do but still don't really "get it". What is the trick to teaching our family and friends or is it what I have said before... "You don't get it...Until you get it"? I know that I have found myself to be a lot more understanding to others with their problems or illness's. It is sad that people just don't try to understand it until they get slammed against a brick wall and are diagnosed with something. That is how it feels when you get diagnosed with MS and probably any other disease.

STRESS!!!STRESS!!!STRESS!!!STRESS!!!STRESS!!!STRESS!!!STRESS!!! Yep 93% of us agree that Stress is a MAJOR trigger for MS Symptoms. At the same time 71% of us agreed that we were type A personality people before MS. I remember living for stress. If I wasn't stressed then I was bored. If I couldn't get enough stress from my own family issues I would borrow and take on other people's stress's. Even now after being diagnosed and hitting that brick wall I still think that I can handle stressful things the same as before but within a few hours or a day I am down for the count.
We MS'ers do need to find ways to avoid stress or learn to destress because STRESS does trigger a lot of our MS Symptoms.

I won't touch the Insurance questions yet due to those are still taking place

But I am going to end this with how I viewed being diagnosed with MS.
I am still Tara, not the same Tara that everyone knew so well. I feel that "OLD" Tara died and it has taken me 2.5 years and still going to find out who the "NEW" Tara is. I can't do all the same things I used to, I don't let people walk all over me like I used to, I have learned to be able to say NO when I need to and also when I want to, I don't borrow other people's stress nor do I look for stress, I have made difficult choices and have chosen not to allow people that were bringing me down or causing me stress to be a part of my life, I have learned to be appreciative of life and realize how short and precious life is, and probably a lot more but I can't think of them at the moment. But all and all I think I like the "New" Tara better.

Update to Poll - Medicare/Social Security and Disability

Just a quick update to the poll of the week.

I had to add another poll due to the fact that I did not consider Medicare, Social Security and Disability.

So for those of you that this would apply to please go back and answer that question.

Thank You for bringing this to my attention. Feedback is great for these polls.

Tara

New Poll of the Week- Re: Insurance Problems

This topic was brought up by another fellow MS'er and I think it is a great one.

When It comes to Insurance and MS, there are a lot of problems that arise. So the poll for this week there are 5 questions all related to Insurance and Multiple Sclerosis. I think this will be very interesting and helpful information for most of us.

Please take the time to take prat in the poll and help spread the word to encourage others to take part.

Again, there are 5 questions. Your answers are completely anonymous.

Remember that any topic ideas are greatly appreciated. You can e-mail them to me or post to the blog and tell me not to publish.

A MS request for a 15 year old's project about MS

I recieved this letter and thought I could pass this along to fellow MS'ers to answer these 5 questions. I just did it and it is completely anonomous and very easy to answer.

My name is Anthony. My Dad was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis almost 7 years ago. It has taken over his life. MS has drastically changed my family’s life forever.

I am 15 years old and attend High School in MI. I am conducting research, for my Science Fair Project, on the risks of getting MS by geographic location (where you were born and where you grew up) along with birth month.

Below is a link to a short 5 question survey for people with MS. Please take the time (less than one minute) to complete the survey.

The survey is completely anonymous. Your answers will be looked at on a group basis, not individually. Your e-mail address or any other identifiable information will not be collected. Again, thank you for helping me with my project by taking the survey. Please forward this email to anyone you know who has MS.

Hopefully one day we can wipe out this disease!

Click on link to fill out survey.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=qiI8MdTvioDo9S4bkOfHLg_3d_3d
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. If link doesn't work, just copy and paste the link into your address browser.

Anthony
anthony.multiplesclerosis@gmail.com

What I have learned by reading others post's today!!

This morning I woke up and instead of posting I decided to read up on some of the blogs from others. I don't think I will make it through all of them but I think I read up on a lot of good topics.

* How to write your own truthful obituary

* wearing satin pj's to bed may make others think you are sexy

* breaking up or taking a break from a friend or boyfriend can really bring you back together again. I never knew if that saying "If you love someone let it go and if it comes back then it's meant to be" was true. I guess it really is true

* breaking in to a movie your kids are watching and plopping down on the couch can really make your kids uncomfortable and embarrassed. I love it and will have to try it just to see there faces.

* You can flip a coin to tell you which job to take or not to take

* Doing the "WIFEY" things around the house can exhaust you and make you fall asleep and put off til tomorrow the rest of the "wifey" things

* Eating delicious mackerel roll and drinking lemonade can make you really happy and enjoy a day.

* On a serious note... One is having her first Tysarbi infusion today and I am hoping for the best for her and waiting to see how this goes for her

I have learned so much this morning that I am exhausted even before my first cup of coffee is done which I also learned that there is at least 1 other person in this world that wakes up grouchy until her first cup of coffee has been had.

Thank You everyone for teaching me such wonderful things. And now I see all the wonderful information I have been missing. I will be back tomorrow same time and place to learn more.

I am hoping someone will talk about how to redesign my blog so that I can have tabs on top to take to different pages. I want a page just for my polls and then one for my tips and hints and another one to put something more on. Oh and also how to design the blog to have a cool back ground. I want a notebook or journal.

I love all you guys for your postings each day.