White Lightning Axiom: Redux

Ahhh, yes ... it's been quite some time, no? My tendency to be a slug about these things has left my 'elite wordsmithy' skills a tad rusty. Typically, I would open with some sort of titillating concept and then troll through the cornucopia of MS blogs to find posts that I could tie together with a common theme. In the end, I would prance and pontificate as a closing barrage of what would have seemed like an obvious point by that time. So, now that I've laid out the mysterious workings of my usual approach, I shall diverge from it and do a slap-dash cop-out version where I cherry-pick postings from various locations I have not listed on the Cabal roster (lazy turd, ain't I?) as of yet and a few of my favorite haunts.

First, Joan at ShortInTheCord notes that when giving blood at the Red Cross, reading the fine print may be something you will have to do yourself. If you have been anywhere that has an Irritated Bovine population, you should not give. Mad Cow has been spread around the world now and honestly, unless you were a test-tube baby and raised in a vacuum, you were probably exposed. Chronic Illness isn't just for MS suffers anymore! Time to throw another steak on the grill. I wonder if those 1 pint blood iv bags have consumer warnings or nutrition content labels. Ewww.

Stephan at Electrical Disturbance has been diagnosed for over a year now and has been blogging about it ever since. Wonder why I did not see him sooner! He has a little one bouncing about so that whole stress and MS thing ... yeah, well ... wish him luck. He's taking a flight to Salt Lake city with a baby in tow. Airports, babies ... all he needs now is a kettle for all that potential stress! Wish him luck.

One of my recent favorites, Liz (yes, I'm fickle, so what!) at 'Finding Life Hard', is in the snake oil business. Cures for whatever ails ye! As a consumer of that vile business, wine, I note that her "prevention is worth a glass of warm Castor oil" quip rarely seems to be adhered to. Ah well, it's not as though she is providing the wine from which the hangovers will sprout forth, eh?

So, 'the aspiring optimist' had a few things that set her off recently. I love her blog named "MsAllInMyHead" and it's corresponding tag line. You'll have to go see what she had to deal with and nod your head in agreement. Things like this happen all to often. Ever get that urge to just haul off and let someone have a good tongue lashing!? Yeah, it's one of those things, but she seems to handle it with much more finesse and grace than I could muster.

A recent inductee into the Cabal, Sharon, has set up shop at Living Life as a Snowflake. She has a quick post up about being 'sick and tired of being sick and tired'. I believe that I can speak for all of us here and give out a big 'AMEN' to that one. She speaks of the downward spiral of stress and distress causing the MS monster to grip tighter onto our very being ... dragging you further into the muck. In the end, she asks what you do if you did not have MS for a day. Of course, that depends on how bad your MS is doing on the day before ... and if you are on the lamb from the law for stealing hub-caps off cars .... I've said too much.

Yet another one of my daily reads, Merelyme, is a very prolific scribbler. She hit that point where the denial and anger about having MS is starting to fade, and the painful introspection and exploration of a new world begins. But she is doing it with style and a who lot of fellow travelers. She sure has a lot to say, and her questions beget more of my own. If you want something to think about, make sure to visit her daily ... the comments are good too.

Ok, I've made the final cut for my last featured MS blogger and it will definitely be Anne. You see, she is a neighbor of mine (just up the street, more or less). She is going through all the same absurd weather issues. Of late, the heat and humidity around our parts has been nearly unbearable. Even with ac (expensive!!!), it's hard to stay cool. Just try strolling out to the metal hot-box of a car and you start to feel faint opening the door! I usually cajole my Mrs when she complains about how cold it is and I retort that if I cannot feel my feet, she shouldn't either! At that point, she'll put her cold feet on my back. I won't let on that I enjoy that, of course. But back to Anne. She is going though a few issues that complicate her body's cooling capabilities so she is looking forward to winter almost as much as this old Minnesota Boy. Ahhh, give me 3 feet of ice and a fishing rod and I'll be good for a week.

In conclusion, I'll try to spend some of my time updating the blog listings for the MS Cabal, but in the mean time, go over and visit these fine bloggers. They have much to say and we all have so much to learn from each other.
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So, have you complimented your MS Hero today?

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

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Labels: Heros, Multiple Sclerosis

There is a whole bag of goodies I get to share with you all from this past weekend. Friday night included! Well, Thursday too if you want the dull details of me sitting about and drinking beer after beer from 1615 hours till 0015 the next morning. Yeah, that's a lot of beer and It's hard to keep a good buz going when your super-accelerated metabolism burns through everything you put in your maw before it even gets to the gut. Either way, I pretty much bumbled through the next day half aware and partially uninterested in doing anything but making it to quitting time. You have to abuse yourself every once in a while so you realize just how 'glamorous' this kind of lifestyle really is. Fabulous! I did get to talk to some interesting people while I was there though. Yep, I can almost remember their names too!

Speaking of toxic lifestyles and products, I've gotten a few emails from friends and family about Jovial Jake's collection of Thomas the Tank Engine toys. Apparently, putting arsenic in tooth paste and substituting paint for baby formula was not good enough for the Chinese export fraud ... they now go the extra mile to find paint with lead in it for children's toys. Trying to find paint WITH lead in it is like trying to proselytize the joys of Jihad to the Buddhists. Futile here in the States and other industrialized nations. Indeed, we are getting our just deserts. Ok, ok ... off the soap-box. We went through the 1000 or so items that Jake has and found about 5 or 6 items that were on the list. Fortunately, they were recent acquisitions and were barely out of the box so no 'chewing' had occurred. He's over that behavior, but sometimes things are too tempting. Going to have to introduce him to chewing gum, but the Ever Patient Mrs knows that he will end up doing the same thing I do .... swallow it. Yeah, I know, 'ick'. It HAPPENS!

Speaking of parental oversite, the GrandParentalUnits came down from the FOB on a resupply mission. You see, they were running low on hugs-n-kisses from the grand-kids. The Tyrannical Twins immediately began clamber all over them the minute the Big Black Truck came to a stop and the cab portals opened. Fortunately for me, This meant that I would get an extra few sets of hands to help wear down the twins over Father's Day weekend. Gramps went to town and sanded nearly all the 1000sq foot floor that will be Jakes room and helped me set up the polyurethane containment work-room for the chair-rail and molding in the garage. With all that out of the way, we got to kick back and sit in the shade for a bit while the Twins engaged in mortal combat to see who got to sit closest to Gramps. Ok, have I ever mentioned that my Dad is my biggest Hero? No? Are you sure, I'll have to have the team do some research on that. You know that Gramps is the Shiznaz when you wake up at 0915 on Sunday to find that the Tyrants are happily eating breakfast and are already dressed for church. 0915 already!? But, but, the Tyrants usually start pounding on my head at 0515 on Sunday morning! So yes, Grams is a Hero figure that is a suitable role model for my children AND can get them to sit still while he tries desperately to give a disquisition on opening gambits in chess involving Knights, Pawns AND Bishops with the Queen as an anchor. Kinda like family life, where the queen is both revered and feared for she is the gateway to the King. King Dad.

This week, I'm on the Russian Roulette pager duty of 'on call' 4th level support. I could get no calls, I could get 3 a day. Sun spot activity could cause massive network failures and the switch-board will light up and klaxon alarm will sound out proclaiming that the beleaguered public is no longer able to view Girls Gone Wild : Blondes at their leisure. Yeah, that happened once before. Priorities folks ... not predilections for strolling Piccadilly. In any event, if I actually post ANYTHING, it will be due to the whims of fate. As an upbeat ending, I'll give you this: I was demonstrating the first staff form in TSD for my parents and for giggles, I gave Jake a walking stick (about 3 foot tall) so he could 'play' along. He did his best and darned good job of mimicking my every move. Some of the more complicated maneuvers were short-circuited, but he was about as happy as a puppy with two peters. Damn sharp of him.

UPDATE: I read this over at Sand in the Gears and it really should be a required read for all fathers:

I lay awake for a time after the house was completely dark and silent, thinking thank you over and over in my mind, whispering it to God. And he must say I know when we think him for our children, because he is a father too. It is good to be a father. More fathers should try it. If I can get this right, I keep telling myself, the rest of it doesn't matter. Be a good husband. Be a good father. The rest of it fades away almost as soon as we are cold in the ground. Help me get this right. That's what I whisper to God in between the thank yous.

Technorati Tags:Family | Karate | Children | Fathers Day

Labels: Banalities, Children, Family, Heros, Tang So Doo

Wow .. 2 in 2 consecutive weeks!? Call the press, levy your wagers and check the heavens for signs of the second coming! Heh, or just consider that I'm due for a streak of on-time deliveries. The postal service should take a page from my book, eh? But enough of this dry and rather entertainingly bland offering ... lets get down to brass tacks. I usually take a topic and try to bend what I find on other MS bloggers postings into a cohesive (in my warped mind) pov. This time I'm just going to lump a bunch of 'New to Me' bloggers together and welcome them to the big tent of the cabal.

I would like to introduce you to Merelyme who has been doing a SPLENDID job of making her rounds and introducing herself to us. Recently diagnosed, she is familiar with the long and arduous journey to gain that dreaded pronouncement of illness. Her freshness of words and views should make for an entertaining and thought provoking discourse.

Jaws, off the coast of Florida, has also come into focus. Big, nasty teeth! Also, his blue motif matches the Rebif box label he is now saddled with. Big, nasty needles! Of course, his 'Suck it up' attitude reminds me of some others here. And as somebody once said, 'Lean into it'. Yep, that pretty sums up Daddy Jaws. Lately, he has been more interested in the sucking of Dyson Vaccumes and not the suckage of MS. Good man, good husband, good daddy. Damn, still cannot figure out who he reminds me of.

Brooke has MS. She will be taking Tysabri. That's from February 26. I'm not sure if she is going to post again, but if we all gang up and give her 'hello' comments, perhaps she will.

Here in the Philly area, Gina at Angst on a Shoestring just got a new symptom. We know it as the 'MS Hug', but she has aptly named it The Girdle. I never knew she was around till I picked her up in another comment thread. Ain't the internet something else? Along the same lines, I happened across an outgrowth of Joolys Joint called Diary of Ms X. A collaboration of 4 different authors just to keep things moving. Hey, if you can have a post titled "Peeing in the wind", you are my kind of blogger!

Of course there is Liz over in GB/Wales recording her every thought on Finding Life Hard. I believe she was previously posting at another location, but has opened up shop here. That or my failing grey matter is making me delusional. Either way, she has a pretty keen eye for the banalities and bromides of life. Yesss, I like that in a blogger. Nothing too shocking or scary. Nice, easy .... zzzzzz.

Finally, but not least of all, there is 'Jammy'. She posts at Jenn's Journey with MS and of all things, is a Mom of six children. I feel like a wuss now. And after reading her posts, I cannot imagine having that many spoons at my disposal. She just plain kicks major MS heinie! Read through some of what she has to say and see what I'm trying to say in a much more erudite and visceral representation.

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So, have you hugged your MS warrior today?

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

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Labels: Heros, Multiple Sclerosis

It's been quite some time since I've had any time to make a pass at a roundup. The forces of the universe tend to act against me in ways that are completely undefinable. Whao ... serious déjà vu! But I swear, this type of thing NEVER gets in the way of my hobbies. Heh, I should go back and see how many weekends I complain about how it was too hot or too rainy to mow the lawn. A nice ven diagram of my topics and the bleed between posts would probably be rather pedantic. Weather, gardening, lawn-mowing. I suppose substituting leaf-raking or snow-blowing for lawn-mowing as weather dictates would be ok. The incipient kvetching will continue until further notice.

Speaking of snow, I understand that Linda is having a bit of a heat-wave over at Brain-Cheese. She does mention that her previous life in the warmer climes had given her the steel temper to match that of the demons from the lowest planes of hades, but her new Blue State environs do not usually let the local thermostat vary much between the 45-75 zone. The fact that we here in the swamplands of the Haupertonian Heatsink had 45 in the morning and 85 in the afternoon would have driven much of her fellow Emerald City Edenites swoon. Go over and offer her a glass of mint julip.

Zoom down south a thousand miles or so and you'll notice a slight warming trend. Not that Miss Hot-Hot-Hot Stuff Chris would notice. What? 120 degrees in the shade? The sun wearing Bermuda shorts and whisking sweat from it's brow? Burr, get me a jacket! And just because it's not quite toasty enough for her, she takes a vacation to temperate Las Vegas!? Now granted, most of that town is covered with a gigantic Tupperware lid and air conditioned to preserve the clients in a semi-cryogenic state (just mobile enough to pull those levers and play keno), but JEEZE!? I hear if you stand still on the streets of Vegas, if you wait long enough you will sink into the asphalt and become one with the town. Nova Scotia anyone?

A bit closer to EST, YodaMomma is also in a cooler world, but must contend with the insectoid invasion that comes along with a more temperate clime. I too encountered a tick this past weekend with was quickly pointed out by one of the Tyrants and disposed of in a rather brutal and final manner. Lyme disease; no thank you - I've already got a heaping plate of hurtin'. And I certainly hope that her 'tater bugs stay put up there in the hinterlands. My own taters are doing just fine and have not been exposed to those fiends. Sure, the weather is nice up there, but man, the resident fauna is not to be envied!

Scan a bit more to the East and you find yourself in the back-yard of the FOB (Forward Operation Base: Ithaca, NY). Pat at the MS Companion is struggling under the icy glare of the Glassy corporate eye. Not so much the chill of a bitter NE spring morning, but the even greater freezing effect of a stone-cold corporate entity squeezing a few more drops of blood out of a dessicated turnip. Funny about the printing.paper-media industry, they are all for the little-man so long as the little guy is not working for them. Pat, I'm sorry for your situation there ... some times living on the cusp of a change in the social dynamic just is not fair. Bop on over and give her a morale boost, we all could use one every so often.

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So, how is the weather in your neck of the woods?

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

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Labels: Heros, Multiple Sclerosis

It's been quite some time since I've had any time to make a pass at a roundup. The forces of the universe tend to act against me in ways that are completely undefinable. Of late, I've been feeling a bit glum. It took a turn in the weather and a bit of physical activity to snap me out of it. Sometimes, the mountain of responsibilities and unfinished chores crush your spirit in so many ways. Sisyphus seems to have had it easy in these times, he had only one insurmountable task in front of him. With these low times, we all seem to fall prey to the various illnesses and nasties (Read: MS Attack) swirling about us like a gossamer fog.

One of our own, Deb Grey, writes often about the vicissitudes of depression and she has a unique perspective being that she is a fellow traveler on the MS path. Run on over and read through her offerings ... they are quite extraordinary. A clarion of reason amongst the chorus of chaotic klaxon bleating out deafening defeatism and senseless clamor.

Out there in the cabal, there are some of us who could use a boost every now and again. Stephen at 2 Buddhas cum One Life has expressed his general opinion of the impediment that MS has become within his life. We, the members of the cabal, have a peculiar argot when speaking of our affliction. In general, we tend to chant the "MS sucks" line made quite popular by our contemporary bastion of witty quips at Multiple Sclerosis Sucks.

Another bastion of high spirits hit a snag of late. My dear compatriot over at WordSalads needed a boost for when times are tough. And tough times are laid out in front of her like dog poop on a sidewalk. She is not letting her typical gregarious nature become yet another victim of the curse though. No matter how many orifices may be in trouble, she tries to make sure to have a healthy rant every so often. Good lesson in mental hygiene.

Then there is Miss Suzy. If anyone is the antithesis of depression, it is her every bubbly, effervescent attitude in the face of adversity. It seems that no mountain is too high and no valley of darkness can bedaub her belief in the future. Nay, not belief, but faith. No matter what she says, her faith is like a rock for herself, her family and those of us lucky enough to know her. She even goes so far as to pass on her recipe (both written and in deed) to cure what ails you. Personally, I need to confer with her on the potential for substituting the apple cider vinegar with grain alcohol. Talk about high spirits!

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

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Labels: Heros, Multiple Sclerosis

This is LONG over due, but I have lots of good excuses. You see, Elvis came to me with his band of merry aliens and asked me to help him fight off an impending invasion of Thetans. You see, the Scientology Advocates are all wrong about them. These ghostly invaders are actually Ethereal Spirit Suckers who are causing the MS plague. REALLY! So, I went with Elvis but he wanted to stop off in Vegas first to grab a bite to eat at one of the all night 'All you can Eat' Buffets. I thought he was talking about Las Vegas but instead, we ended up on one of the resort moons of Vega-7. Well, Elvis managed to get thrown in the Pokey for double-parking his space-cruiser in a tow-away zone and then throwing a hissy-fit when the Lesser Vegan Moon Parking Authority put it in the impound and SUPPOSEDLY scratched his ablative paint job. Sooo, I had to bail him out and we apparently missed the gigantic space battle where the Thetans were dissipated and the Galactic Bikini Team were the hero's of the day. Turns out, this is his Modus Operandi. He misses the battle, shows up late and gets to date the surviving chicks. I, of course, had to catch a slow freight barge back to earth that was hauling bad romance novels and DVD's of Barry Manilow's greatest hits back to an Export/Import Business located in Philly. Apparently they got wind that Barry's original name was 'Pincus' and that is a vile insult to your 3rd mating partner for some odd species that is protected as 'underpriviledged' in the Vegan Commiseration Act. Go figure.

Enough of that heap of banality, let's get down to the business at hand. At the top of the list is my long time blog buddy Tyron. She got caught up in the Great Blogger Inquisition and had to jump ship to the Typepad refugee camp. Change is good ... sometimes. I suppose though, when it is not crammed down you throat like a magazine at the hands of a deranged cyborg. Damn cyborgs ... always malfunctioning. I wonder if BlogSpot/Google has them on staff. In any event, make a note of Tyron's new (temporary) home.

Now, for some new (to me) MS blogs. First, Allison over at NetXperiment pointed out Splodge down in New Zealand. So then, we are going to circle the world with this Cabal!? The Sun will never set on our empire. Most unfortunate. Another addition is Sophie via Dave. She is a more video oriented blogger so I'll have to grok her offerings to get a better idea of what her experiences are like. Should be an interesting journey, I'm looking forward to it.

Now onto the chronicles of the hero's who walk among us. We have a set of very ambitions folk who are hotfooting it over the finish line that signifies the defeat of MS. Support them, in any way you can. Be it a friendly word of encouragement of a spartan financial donation. Libbi and Jamie (look here too) are committing themselves to the MS Walk challenge. Bold indeed. It gives me an idea that I'm going to work on myself. If everything works out, I'll speak of it more in later updates. Now, not to be outdone is Sean who is doing his bit by trekking over land on his bicycle so It's going to be quiet on his blog. I cannot imagine covering 50-100 miles a day on two wheels and a prayer, but he must have a legion of supporting well-wishers watching for him. Both Charles and I hope to bask in his triumphant glory when he rolls up the East Coast. Finally, there is a brief article posted by Allision about sky-diving. Hey Dave, ring a bell? Going to give that a second try? Personally, I'm a big chicken when it comes to heights so I'll leave my rump glued to this comfy seat and watch on in envy as those with more intestinal fortitude traipse through the sky where angels dance.

UPDATE: Pam is doing the MS Walk too ... not sure how I missed THAT!

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

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Labels: Heros, Multiple Sclerosis

I'm back in black and ready to do a bit of catchup ... or mustard ... in the field. There has been quite a bit of activity out there amongst the faithful and if you inspect the left bar, you'll find a few new faces (URLs) in there. Lets do a bit of meet and greet with our compatriots in the Great MS Battle.

First off, lets see who is new (to me and you). I'm going to do this alphabetical so as to not incur the wrath from the wrongly attributed of low ranking. At the top is Crippled Monkey (aka Damon Rose). This is a professional blogging endeavour (like that ... the extra 'u'?) supported by the BBC. This is mostly a mish-mash of disability news with a healthy helping of the European view. I'm thinking this is something Dave could possibly get involved with.

Next, we have Dissonance (Shannon) who also likes the Dresden Dolls. Drop in and peek about. She is not the most prolific writer, but there is plenty of well crafted posit postings to chew on.

Homer, who has already replied to one of my standard comment quips, is a kindred soul who has battled MS for what seems like an eternity ... or 10 years depending on how you look at that sort of thing. He has a lot of homeopathic ideas to consider so take your time while going over what is offered. I find that his path is similar to mine in a preponderance of ways.

Me&Mine has much to say and the literary force to do it. It's good to see someone with both the background and where-with-all (and probably no need of a spell checker) to get up and start blogging. I'll certainly be going back again to partake of her offerings.

Finally, YodaMamma (I'm sure there's a story behind that) is an adherent to bee sting venom therapy! I'm fairly excited to have finally found someone with first-hand experience with this. Of course, my own interaction with stinging insects has been less than acceptable. I still shudder at the memory of getting a hornet caught in my throat after swallowing down a drink of canned ice tea on that hot summer's day. Not quite the treatment either party had in mind, I'm certain.

Now for the risen dead; those who have come back from OTL status (Out To Lunch). At the top of my list is Stephen at One Life. He's back and still trying to make that work transition that will make for a less stressful life. I'm not going to steal all the thunder from his first post in nearly two months, so head over and welcome him back. Additionally, Joel (Tai Chi Management) has popped back into circulation. He's indicated that pain management with the use of reiki has been a saving grace over the last 8 years. Looking it up on the Internet will bury you with data so I'm hoping he'll post more on his experiences and direct references with this. I'm getting a bit tired of my meals of aspirin, ibuprofen and sodium naproxen.

And finally, a change of address. Maggs, our South African Friend has had enough of the Blogger experience and is moving over to Wordpress. You will find her at http://www.maggsbunny.wordpress.com/ so make a note of it and catch up with her going's on in the heatwave she is enduring while we in the Northern Hemisphere shovel out from the drifts of snow.

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

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Labels: Heros, Multiple Sclerosis

It's been quite quiet out there. An eerie preternatural form of quiet, like one you experience right before a violent act of nature. Such as a tornado, or earthquake ... or Christmas. Yeah, that's it. Everyone is busy buying me GIFTS! YEAH! And I want a reciprocating Milwaukee V28 Sawzall ... and a new Husqvarna 3120XP 119cc chainsaw ... and a 10K watt Briggs & Stratton 9801 Portable Generator ... and earplugs. With all that noise amongst the silence, you'd need them. Yep, just like the ones that Libbi needed for her cat. Only difference is that the utilization of earplugs in her case was not typical. It makes me think, if a cat horks up a hairball in the hallway and nobody steps on it, did it really happen? Check the vet bill, it won't lie.

On the religious side, Miss Chris is starting to speak in tongues, or at least she is giving it her best effort. I'll expect her happy household to re-enact the Tower of Babble some time soon as the various languages of the world echo through the hallways. Like a Micro UN ... with out all the bickering. It would be nice if all members of the UN were required to have martial arts training ... the debates would be much more entertaining!

Speaking of entertaining, it seems that one of our highly regarded diplomats of the MSBlogosphere has recently been admitted to the hospital. We all cannot have good days all the time, but she deserves one more so than not. The prolific writing she has done is an inspiration to many of us and we pray for her rapid recovery and the return of her to the rightful position of High Chancellor of Literary Tomfoolery as soon as possible. It's just not the same without a healthy helping of BrainCheese from the Cornucopia of Crap. Drop her a note and let her know we miss her terribly.

The noise of silence continues to haunt me as I read through the ordeal that Wendy (GandKsMom) had to go through. A less than proficient doctor (beside manner? wazzat!?) has sentenced her to solitary confinement within an MRI. We love those things, no? Personally, I fall asleep in them every time. Although, I have the sneaking suspicion that the staff behind that mirrored glass window is looking up my gown or making faces at me. Mom always told me to make sure to wear clean underwear. It was her great fortune though, that she also fell into a blissful slumber with the help of Prince Valium. Me thinks that the Good Doctor has spent much to much time trying to terrify her about the Dark Hole of Calcutta and not enough time contemplating that a great part of being a physician is treating PEOPLE as well as the disease they suffer from.

Finally, Kim speaks up sans her podcast format to run down a list of all the wonders that research has produced this year. Not the Top 10 list you would expect either. Her efforts to keep this community informed have garnered her much silent approbation. Even in the harried days leading up to Christmas and New Years, she still finds time to pull out the bull-horn and keep us abreast of news that directly impacts us. So tune in, read her product, and sample the fruit of her silver tongue.

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

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Labels: Heros, Multiple Sclerosis

Late again! I'll be late for my own funeral, no doubt. The universe is applying full force in keeping my from my appointed rounds. I shall have the last laugh though. Oh yes, arrogant universal oppressor, I shall post and post vividly of my electronic traversal of the MSScape of the Blogosphere! By the way, if I'm missing anyone here (my mind is like a sieve), just ping me (comments, email, smoke signal) and beckon me to to come hither and perused your literary offerings. Jeeze, that almost sounds dirty.

I found a 'new to me' blog the other day. Sean Spence has dedicated himself to a Missouri to Manhattan cycle trek that puts any manual locomotion I have ever done to shame. All of the proceeds will be donated to the National MS Society. Damn fine man be you Sean. Good luck and God speed.

On the other side of the world, Maggs is feeling the weight of the world slowly slip from her back as she counts down to her Chiropractic visit. Isn't that the way it goes? The second you step into the waiting room, your veins disappear and your symptoms fade. It must be something they put into the air like the smell of cookies vented out on Main Street USA at Disney World. It's a dirty plot to collect co-pays I tell ya!

While the King may have no robes, both Dave and Jamie are busy slipping something more comfortable on at their sites. Of course, you'll need to use IE to get the full effect, but such are the vicissitudes of the technical world we are all denizens. Check it out and ask questions should you feel that a change of scenery is for you. Me? I'm a stoic spartan so I'll stick with my command line arguments. I'll leave the aesthetic appreciation of an elegantly crafted template for the more artistic of the audience.

Speaking of artistic and appreciative of the arts, Beth's babe, Nehemiah, is really making his presence felt. If I ever get too full of myself, I just need to take a look at how a single, spiritual new mom with ms and a very interesting career is taking on the world and doing a very fine job of it. She makes me want to be a better person, and that's not just some bromide or platitude! She posts when opportunity presents itself so stay tuned!

Finally, my favorite 'pole dancer for MS', Sherry, is strutting her stuff at the PT bar. If I knew that PT could be so intriguing I would have signed up years ago. I see a business opportunity here for a new type of bar. MS folk stumble in to have a drink and strut their stuff. Would be hard for the local constabulary to determine if you had too much though ... we always stumble and slur our words. That being said, make sure to cheer her on as she sashays her sassy self to and fro. Odd, I think I know just the country song that would go good on her cybernetic iPod.

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

Technorati Tags:Heros | Multiple Sclerosis

Labels: Heros, Multiple Sclerosis

Since everyone out there was fairly wound up with giving thanks (except Zen, of course, for her own good reason) on Turkey Day, it was fairly quiet out there on the wire. I had to pick through and find those hearty souls who were dripping gravy on the keyboard while watching the inflated characters float down 34th Street. For the 80th time apparently.

Speaking of hot air blowing, apparently the Fall Wind Season has finally come to a halt up there in Alaska. AK-Michelle is more than relieved to be able to go out and not be whisked away to Oz along with the disgruntled cattle. She, of course, denies that she is a Snow-Bird in the making. And you know, I never heard of someone hoping it would warm up a bit so it WOULD snow. Damn, that's cold! Reminds me of that one winter in Minnesota where Gramps went out to the barn to light up a heater for the cows and the damn flame froze on the match!

Sister Jane has finished her migration and finally arrived here in the land of Eastern Standard Time and is busy rattling around her new empty house like a BB in a gnat's ass. The problem with moving into a new, large and rather empty space is how your fill it. Ikea will have a good quarter.

UK-Dave is busy with preparing for the arrival of his favorite bird. Not the US variety, but quite the catch for him. I'll expect to hear very little from him in the near future but the after-glow will probably shine for quite some time. Speaking of an irrepressible glow, Zee has found that as you age, certain things you could once eat become verboten. She has a bit of an issue with the veggie that is a fruit, and I do feel quite sorry for her predicament. No more hot tomato soup to chase away the winter chill ... she will have to stick to chicken soup. A bird of a different feather entirely.

Speaking of birds and migration, Suzy has a little open thread going on over at her corner (and ever expanding corner it is!) of the web. A little issue that seems to be getting only one side of the argument exercised about illegal immigration. If you have an opinion (who doesn't?), go on over and leave a note. She could use the input. Think of it this way, you have an opportunity to influence one of the influencers!

And now for the peanut gallery. Not so much that they have not a spec of influence, I just cannot seem to find any reference to birds, migration or and avian theme to tie them in. So here is the grab-bag of featured bloggers: Karyl cum Noah is finding that a 21 year old son, a 90 lb 'killer' dog and 3 cats in the ark can make for a very interesting holiday season. Perhaps she can send out the dove with an olive branch? (Ah-HAH! I got a bird in that hand, now for 2 in the bush.) Heidi over at just above the abyss is a MS blogger new to me so drop in and read about her Ducks Unlimited banquet ... she has a lot to say and puts me to task with the length of her posts. Yet another Nanook-Canook in the Haupertonian MS Cabal. I swear they are taking over. Finally, shoester, the legal eagle (HAH, three birds with one stone! Damn I'm good.) has a clip from an article regarding the newest anti-inflammatory potential product ... from of all places, Avon. Apparently, this has been tested on animals. Gorillas ... by their own accord! I wonder what the animal activists will have to say about our cousins w/o opposable thumbs crashing the Vioxx/Celebrex/Bextra market. And if it causes health issues, will they be liable for fraud!?

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

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Labels: Heros, Multiple Sclerosis

What to say, what to say. Recently, I've been running into some commentary regarding the fiction of free will. One author postulated that we are merely a gaggle of fleshy robots grinding our way through existence though the whim of our programming. We only do things that our brain has been set up to allow us to do. If we are genetically predispositioned to be an alcoholic, a pedophile, be overweight, a gambling addict and so forth, then it will be so. What this nihilistic philosopher of the electron bully pulpit has forgotten is that we have the free will to choose NOT to do these things. If you like to eat (like me) and you see that cake, you know it will be particularly delicious. Sure, you can shove the whole thing down your maw but you'll know there are CONSEQUENCES for that hedonistic engagement. Likewise, if you are genetically marked to get MS, what happens after that (if you should be diagnosed) is really up to you. You can lie down and die or you can take charge and move on. I get really wound up whenever some bit-rate blow-hard jumps on the kitsch pop culture bandwagon and blathers that we are just mindless robots moving through a time-line. No, I have will, I have choice and I have a goal. To fail so absurdly to adhere to critical thinking is a crime ... a capital crime, against the higher mind. So let these myopic twiddle-bots spout their slander against humanity, I have not the inclination nor the self-doubt to sop up their vitriolic spew. With that, I will engage in some free will and selfless acts that are NOT within my programming. Charles was the recipient of a cry for help and I feel compelled to pass it along.

Marlene Askew asks for assistance in finding 2 escapees from NO-Katrina. Last seen in flight from I-610, in the Gentilly section of the city. No names, just a young Man and his MS wife. I'm pretty sure it is not Friday's Child (who has just moved back into their home ... cheers!), but if you are out there, just send a note to Charles to let him inform Mrs Askew that all is right in the world. In this age of stolen identity and medical data clearance ... bloggers have become the Ham Radio Operators for finding lost souls.

Sancho Knotwise (jm) has found that MS is full of little nasties. One of the less damaging, but entirely annoying symptoms has been his unwanted companion of late. A pestiferous nagging companion at that. As a fellow sufferer of facial tics, I really can identify with his annoyance. Especially with it is one of those sensitive muscles about the eyes. That kind of thing is only interesting when the Tough Cop Movie Anti-Hero has an uncontrollable facial tic, not when you are trying to read a book.

Speaking of small annoyances, Mouse (no, she is not a small annoyance ... SHEESH!) has been spending some time with a new hobby. Squirrel Spotting. Now, the abundant population of these buggers on the Haupertonian Grounds tends to result in an aggressive Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom Live Trapping and Relocation program, but when they are not chewing up the bird feeders or digging up the flower bulbs they can be quite a treat to watch. See what she has to note about her crafty clutch of furry neighbors.

Of course, Miss Suzy has her own issues with the varmint population near her homestead. Like that strange cousin from out of state or the Creepy Uncle who likes to use the bathroom without closing the door, the uninvited and unwanted guests are stating to show up for thanksgiving. Of course, even the most egregiously uncouth relative does not leave droppings in the cereal or chew holes in your pantry provisions. Like white blood cells chewing at your myelin, they (the rodents) tend to spoil everything. Of course, this is has more to do with the pockets of little boys than anything. Give it a read, I had a pretty good laugh.

Back to Free Will. I seem to write much too often about Miss Chris. The Ever Patient Mrs is starting to get jealous! Of course, the affection is a mere interest regarding children and karate. Recently, the Scion of Chris has been dealt an administrative defeat in a martial arts tournament and the nature of fairness in the world is a hot topic in her comments. In an academic sense, it has analogies to MS that can be quite obvious and not very pretty. Life can be quite unfair given the nature of man. But much like our attitudes regarding MS, it is how we handle our defeats that defines us as successes or failures.

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

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Labels: Heros, Multiple Sclerosis

It's that time again. Pull up a chair, unwind and let me assail you with a few of the bright burning lights of the Roman Candle we call the MS Blogosphere. You know, it is so much easier to rifle through the experiences, hopes, dreams and triumphs of others than to try to fabricate your own. Of course, when you get into the electronic peeping-tom habit of living vicariously through the blog-lives of others, it highlights the things in your own life that you may take for granted, or initially thought were really insignificant. For example, Stephen over at One Life (Two Buddahs for the old-timers) is transitioning from ESpace to MeatSpace (not the VideoDrome meatspace, but the act of dealing with people w/o a keyboard as the medium) in his working environment. The life-style change is one very effective way of keeping snapping jaws of MS at bay. One thing my karate instructor told me (after popping me in the mouth with a high-punch) was that the best way not to get hurt is to 'Not be there'. Great advice, wish him luck with his paradigm change.

Once again, Vicki posts some exceedingly good material pointing out Yoga resources. And, of course, along with that particular type of physical exercise, there is the Tai Chi branch that Miss Chris is trying out too. Either way, it's good to keep active. Of course, if you are an utter maniac, you could go for the royal flush (no, not you Linda, honest!) and do the Karate/Tang Soo Do/Tae Kwan Do route. Not for the timid or those with awful balance such as myself. But hey, I'm a bit on the crazy side and there are mats on the floor (and walls ... and doors ... hey, is this an insane asylum!? I'm wearing a white jacket with belts and straps!). Oh, and while we are on the subject of tumbles, it looks like Karyl in Colorado took a bit of a spill and found herself at the mercy of her cats for a good while. Let her challenge be an example of patience and humility for us all. Personally, I'm going to make sure that I try to put on a nice heavy overcoat before letting the hounds out in the evening. I could find myself at the mercy of the circling buzzards should the Mrs not wake for a few hours while I bide my time in the back-50. I'm sure the Cybernetic Hounds would tend to me for that time but I'm not up for testing the 'Three Dog Night' sleeping arrangement.

And on to new business. Through my internet browser travels, I've come across a few blogs (new to me) that could use a spotlight. First off, Michael posted his url at Karyl's and he is dealing with the unpleasant cruft that comes with being a recently diagnosed MS sufferer. Sometimes, the people that you need the most cannot help you. Also, sorting through all the treatment options can be quite unpleasant and sometimes just plain dangerous. He's fairly young, active and, like many of us, just starting out in his new life. Now the next two I've gleaned from both BrainCheese and Jamie's blogs. PJ, who is a prolific commenter at BrainCheese's place just opened up shop at an 'over 50' community. You can sign up to comment, but you will need to lie about your age. I went from 38 to 50 in just a few seconds. Ugh. She just put up a very interesting post about silver wear, dogs, and compromising positions. Then there is Wendy who was just diagnosed about a week ago. Let her know that it's a beginning and not an end. For me, and I say this honestly, I believe that MS actually made me a better person. No, really. It FORCED me to re-evaluate what was important in my life and what I should not be taking for granted. Life is hard sometimes, but all suffering is not necessarily bad. Let's just hope that any suffering we are all subject to will be amply rewarded by the choices we are required to make. Sorry for the somber tone, but you just cannot joke about everything all the time. Mostly. Aw hell, who am I kidding. Remember folks, when you take a tumble or find yourself wedged in a dish-washer, just laugh heartily. For if you don't someone else will! Probably in the comment section.

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

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With this week, I think I'll get started by focusing on an AUSLANDER community and some general information blogs. At the top of the list is a LiveJournal community that has so many contributors it can safely go up against the Moonies or Latter Day Saints in the membership rolls. You will need an LJ account to comment, but they are free so go right ahead and register. Just be aware though that some of these folks are a bit rough around the edges so don't get turned off if you find that some of their blogs are 'For Friends Only'. A lot of recent Diagnosed MS folk travel through there..

Two other treasure troves of opinion and data that I've run across are Vicki who just posted about Disabled Skiing trips. You know, it has been a long time since I competed or even strapped any waxed slats to my feet but I might get motivated enough this year to give it a crack. At least I could show the Twin Tyrants of Turpitude that I'm just as good as they are at SOMETHING. Vicki also posts a lot of other information so make sure to visit her at least once a day. You never know what she might unearth.

My other breakthrough blog is a site by a fellow named Stu. I found out about him via Lauren's blog who is also a big Tysabri Proponent. She is making an excellent comeback into the world of 'Highly Mobile MSer'. Wish her luck with her progress. But back to Stu's World ... he has a few tips up for us folk that could probably be taken to heart by anyone. For such common sense things it's unfathomable why we can be so damn hard-headed about it. Take a gander at what he has, but his comments are closed for now so bide your time and say Howww-Deee! later.

On to Heather, who is having a bit of a rough time with her shots. She is getting better, but could use some real-life success stories to keep her hopes high. The rough times with the drugs are the windows in which we usually give up hope and fall off the wagon. I'm sure a little encouragement would go a long ways. Keep it up Heather, I want to run against you in the NY Marathon some day. Charles will be there to cheer us on for sure.

Mmmm, a bit more time for some of our snow-bound brethren. AK-45 Michelle is back from San Fransisco and is announcing that home is where the heart is. Looks like Alaska is a just as good of a place to be a 'Bike Bum' as the more temperate locales of central CA. Her flight was a bit rough on the courage front, but she made it back to the land of ice and snow in good spirits. Speaking of Golden Sun and Snow ... Sherry is making Lemon Snow Cones with her Golden Retriever for anyone who is interested. No? That's ok, she'll make more for you when you change your mind. And with that, I'll sign off and trundle off in the flash-flood rain of a Pennsyltucky fall. I'd wish for snow, but all you western folk stole it all.

Crossposted from Charles's site as a service to mankind!

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