Visual Guide to Multiple Sclerosis

I received an email from WebMD on multiple sclerosis. One of the topics/links in the issue contained a link to a visual guide to MS. I think it is very helpful and maybe you will too. Please, check it out: http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/slideshow-multiple-sclerosis-overview?ecd=wnl_mls_012111

What, contaminated prep pads?

Five days ago, I received an email regarding a recall notice pertaining to the brand of alcohol prep-pads, Triad, that come within my Copaxone packaging kits. The recall is voluntary but it was saying how the manufacturers of these alcohol pads have issued this voluntary recall due to potential microbial contamination. Umm... voluntary... what?! No - all of my prep pads were immediately tossed upon reading that email. Using the benefit of Casey being a doctor, he picked a small stack of replacement prep pads up at the hospital for me. They're a different brand, of course. Things are back to normal now, but what a horrible thing.

Wow ~ 1/1/11

Had my 6-month follow-up appointment this morning. Everything went well and my doctor, Dr. Alka Sha, said she is very happy with how things have been and are going. So, again, same ol' same ol'.... nothing much to report on.

May 3rd will be my last visit with Dr. Shah before Casey and I move back to the West Coast (yay). Then the work begins to find a new neurologist with Kaiser in CA. After we move, Dr. Shah said she would continue to prescribe my Rx until I find another neurologist. Sound familiar? My neurologist in NY, Dr. Nabil Aziz did for me when we moved from NY. Moving moving!! Anyway, I asked Dr. Shah if she wouldn't mind giving a recommendation for a neurologist once we know more on where we will be moving to. I will have to get back to her with more information once we know more on our end.

Keep on keeping up :)

It has been quite some time since I've posted anything...what, 4 months now? There just has not been much going on in the MS front *yay*. Besides, my last visit with the neurologist was early July and the next appointment is not until January '11. I have graduated from going every 3 months to every 6 months! Wow, just in time - we move and I start over again with another doctor. *sarcastic laugh* Well, since there isn't much to report on I might as well share some miscellaneous happenings going on with us....

Monday, 9/27/10, Casey and I will be flying into Las Vegas for the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) convention. We arrive around 7pm and will be there until the early afternoon Friday, 10/1. It will be a great opportunity to do some networking and hopefully acquire additional places to interview. It isn't like the nine-months-until-we-move deadline is all that far away. (wow - really... moving again?!) Oh, and of course we are not going to be all work and no play... we're also are viewing this chance for a mini vacation to have a bit of fun. Why not - after all, it is Vegas!

Casey has an interview for 11/9 lined up at Kaiser Permanente located in Walnut Creek. He is waiting for the time off to be approved before we can book his flight. It is our number one choice so it's pretty exciting. Please luck, be on our side.

Our first wedding anniversary is coming up (9/26), right before we leave for Vegas. In a way it's perfect timing because Casey is working on our anniversary (but has the prior day off) so we figured why not celebrate Vegas style. The trip is sandwiched between our wedding anniversary and the 'since we have been together' date, which is 10/3 and marks 13 year. CrAzY cOoL!

Anyway, Happy *early* First Day of Autumn (9/23)!

Multiple Sclerosis: Advances in Research and Treatment

One of the more common questions people as is 'how did you get MS?" I always explain that currently, there are a few factors (i.e. environmental, genetic, viruses) that may be the cause; however, no one really knows the answer... yet. **To read on 'What Causes MS' click: http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/guide/multiple-sclerosis-causes**

Anyway, the purpose for this posting is to give awareness to an article posted on WebMD about some additional research finding some "genetic underpinnings." The article also discusses a few other topics such as repairing damage (remyelination) and new drug treatments of which some do not involve needles; however, as I posted in my 12/8/09 post, the new drug(s) are not ideal for my situation. Besides, my neurologist is happy with how my current medication is working for me. Hopefully there will be a day I will be without needles, the accompanying sharps container AND get some remyelination. :)

Check out the article (the URL is listed in the sources below) it is very informative.


Sources:

• http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/features/advances-ms-research-treatment?ecd=wnl_mls_052110

Interesting article..

My friend, Amanda, shared the following article with me that I wanted to post the link to for those who might interested in a short read:

~ I Have Multiple Sclerosis ~
http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-i-have-multiple-sclerosis/

There were portions of the article I could definitely relate to. I liked this one: 'Unfortunately, most MS medications come in shot form, and I am not talking about tequila. Not only did I have to remember to inject myself with medicine daily, but I also had to overcome my fear of needles.' Very well put!

After reading this, I have to say, I have another perspective and am grateful to how my individual experience with MS has been. To me it just seems relatively more pleasant than the female who wrote the article. It just goes to show that MS is not a one size fits all disease - everyone is impacted so differently, even if they have the same type of MS.

******

I recently read an article out of Momentum Magazine, the magazine of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, titled The Worst Thing Anyone Ever Said to Me. The article was about readers responding to a previous article, "Things you may want to avoid saying to someone with MS". Momentum asked clinical psychologist Dr. Peggy Crawford for her perspective to the responses. I will provide the URL for those interested in reading the entire article; however, I wanted to share a small portion from the article that stood out to me:

Handing people printed information about MS didn't go so well. Instead, many family members want to learn directly from you. "They don't want to know how MS affects everyone - they want to know how it affects you." Ask them how they would like to learn.
{Momentum Magazine (Summer 2010)- http://www.nationalmssociety.org/multimedia-library/momentum-magazine/index.aspx}