MS 150

 Multiple Sclerosis  1 Response »
Mar 302013
 

ChrisGMy coworker Chris has been biking the MS 150 for years now. I received an email the other day that he is again doing the ride and seeking donations. If you are looking to give to the National MS Society I recommend you donate through Chris. I am thankful to Chris and the other bikers for their efforts. Safe travels.
You can click here to quickly contribute or here is an excerpt from the email he sent me:

As a past donor I want to thank you for your support in prior years and ask for your support again this year. I had the opportunity to hear a wonderful speaker with MS address the Ride Marshals group that I volunteer with and your contributions really do make a difference in the lives of those stricken with this debiliting disease. – Chris

Every hour, someone is newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system.

I registered for the 2013 BP MS 150 because I want to do something about MS now. I’m asking you to support my efforts with a tax-deductible donation.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to creating a world free of MS and they need our help. It’s faster and easier than ever to help: Simply click the link at the bottom of this message or, if you prefer, send your check payable to the National MS Society – P.O. Box 4125 – Houston, TX 77210-4125. Be sure to write my name and “BP MS 150” in the memo section of your check.

Your contribution funds crucial MS research and helps families with MS lead powerful lives. I appreciate your support and promise to update you.

For more information about the National MS Society, how proceeds help and other ways you can do something about MS now, visit MakeYourMarkMS.org.

Click here to visit my personal page.

Inexplicable

 Lyme, Multiple Sclerosis  No Responses »
Mar 252013
 

I was trying to think of a word that best described MS/Lyme and I think the word is inexplicable. For me, years ago, life was going along normally and then out of nowhere big problems started. I tried to write them off, and some went away. But much like the old adage problems that go away by themself will also come back by themself. So now as much as life is full of inexplicable things I now have the MS/Lyme which is a constant on and off for no reason. It is better, but not gone.

While not new news the weirdest thing, other than getting MS, was when Katja was “upright” again. I like to hear inexplicable stories of things going good for a change.

Salt vs MS?

 Multiple Sclerosis  No Responses »
Mar 132013
 

I see all the new articles that they have found a new link to what causes MS: salt. Sadly super sizing the fries causes more than high blood pressure and cholesterol issues. ;-) I read the article, and I should get an award for not going to sleep, and still fail to fully see the issue. A T cell that helps regulate your sodium levels increases with heavier salt intake. Sounds like the body working normally and well, but in the “mouse model” it was bad. If they would have just said that a bad diet is bad for you I could go with that, but linking it to an essential chemical for the body has jumped the shark.

I have noticed two other correlations with Multiple Sclerosis: Breathing and Water Consumption. Both of these happened in 100% of people with MS. This should also be investigated for possible links to the disease.

Headache

 Multiple Sclerosis  No Responses »
Feb 132013
 

As I was trying to go to sleep the other night with a MS headache I was wondering if that is the most common symptom. I have written about headaches (9 years ago – time flies) before and this one fit the pattern. Like other people I get normal headaches which are usually sinus or caffeine I guess these are just a bonus. This last headache was a good example of a MS headache because it repeated for days and only affected my right temple which I believe is a first for me. Caffeine headaches for me are always both temples. The most common type of MS headache for me is one affecting the parietal area, back of the head. I have had a repeated lesion in the back of my brain so that seems to makes sense. This last headache was low on the pain scale, maybe a 3, but it was not compatible with sleep because apparently I am a pansy. Fortunately ibuprofen has always taken care of the headaches.

Neurology and Astrology

 Lyme, Multiple Sclerosis  No Responses »
Nov 202012
 

Back in February I was contacted by someone wanting to discuss my MS condition and when I was born, etc. In my post I noted that Ron the astrologer predicted a flare up, with no personal information from me. Maybe he is psychic too. ;-)

Apparently per this article Ron was onto something. Neurologists now links birth month to your risk for getting MS. Paraphrasing the article if you are a Aries or Taurus you are in trouble, but if you are a Scorpio or Sagittarius you should be fine. No doubt some time soon your neurologist will use Tarot cards for treatment and diagnosis. I eagerly await my reading.

Less scandalously this is just another Vitamin D study and linking it back to pregnancy. I am all for blaming my parents but this is a bit of old news.

Nothing Can Be Normal

 Lyme, Multiple Sclerosis  No Responses »
Nov 172012
 

For a few days I had pain in the balls of my left foot. I had this type of pain back in 2007 which my LLMD, at th\e time, blamed on gout. No surprise the antibiotics/antimalarials fixed the problem with no diet change. The pain had never come back until recently. Even though it had been years I immediately wondered if it was MS or Lyme. Probably just a weird pain. I am sure most people have weird pains occasionally. Having been diagnosed with a chronic problem I think my natural inclination is to “worry” more over normal pains/things. Maybe that is another complaint I have with the diagnosis. Nothing can be normal again.

Interferons are They a Rational Drug

 Multiple Sclerosis  No Responses »
Aug 262012
 

I think Canada study brings up a great question because in hindsight are interferons even a rational treatment? What are the interferons treating? Interferons are not the best understood thing in the body, but importantly they are already made in the body. Why when we are already making interferon b1a do we want to inject more? And if I recall it made out of Chinese hamster ovary cells. I was never checked to see if my interferon levels were low and needed boosting with a shot. Furthermore, in the body interferon is made as needed as an immune response to viruses, etc. Is the contention with taking the interferons that I have an infection that they will fixed. I certainly know the injections certainly never kept me from getting sick with other “infections.”

I decided to take a different approach and called MS Lifelines for Rebif to ask about this. I spoke with Karen. Karen emphasized that it is an immune modulator but I could not get any more detail, just the nebulous immune modulator. She did agree that it is a naturally occurring protein but the exact mechanism by which it works is unknown.

It may be that the drug that they do not know how it works never worked at all, and that is why no one knows how it works. The Canada study seems to point that the placebo effect was not working either. Maybe people just like injecting things. Later this year I will be selling injectable saline specially made to treat MS.

Some MS Treatments are Worthless?!

 Multiple Sclerosis  No Responses »
Jul 192012
 

I guess not based on how much I had to pay for Rebif, just worthless in efficacy in preventing long term disease progression. What I do like is that they used all records of people on the drugs and those off and compared results. Overall it was a fairly large study and can be repeated elsewhere. In the minimum it does not bode well for the Interferon users for MS.

I liked this quote: “Researchers are quick to point out that this is just one measure of these disease modifying drugs and there is still potentially significant benefit to patients.” Maybe I am missing something. I thought one of the key purposes of taking the drugs is to prevent disease progression. I certainly did not enjoy taking a shot, and would not consider it a benefit. I did not enjoy the site reactions. I did not enjoy the side effects. What else is left? I was even tested for Rebif antibodies because Rebif was not working that well at controlling lesions. Now we may know why! ;-) Now I wonder why did did these drugs ever make it to market? Will the FDA just rubber stamp anything?

I am in the wrong business. I need some seed money to start a drug company. Obviously the drug does not have to be that safe or even work to get approved. I am thinking about sweet tasting pills like M&Ms but medicinal. ;-)

Angry Birds Boosts Brain Power

 Lyme, Multiple Sclerosis  2 Responses »
Apr 112012
 

No. Well maybe, but I would not know because I have never played Angry Birds. If it does I am willing to give it a try. Regardless I read this article about computers boosting brain power and thought they were not investigating anything new. Today the computers are helping our brains while beating us at Jeopardy and Chess so tomorrow they will rule the world. Well I welcome my computer overlords.

I was having a conversation recently with someone who was having memory issues and the doctor said it is gone forever you and only maintain. I told him I did not believe that, but you must exercise your brain. No one likes memory problems (unless you could selectively forget ;-) ). You can mitigate memory issues by keeping notes etc. but there is a limit. I do not think the computer training are the solution. I think they used in the computer study the same thing I told him. You must exercise your brain and that is all the computers did. Sitting around all day watching TV or surfing the Internet is not exercising your brain. Worse than that I think some TV shows and some Internet sites actively destroy your brain. Read good books, play board/card games, etc. There are thousands of fun ways to exercise your brain. Do not blame everything on age or disease. Some memory issues may be the result of watching too much “reality TV”.

Expensive Sugar Pill

 Multiple Sclerosis  No Responses »
Apr 062012
 

Teva is rushing to get an oral MS drug to market, and their drug is about as effective as a sugar pill. Today I read an article, although a little old, taking the stand that Laquinimod is an effective oral treatment for Multiple Sclerosis. I think the author is a shill and it was basically a paid advertisement. On the other hand Laquinimod while probably being a very expensive sugar pill will hopefully be a lot safer than Gilenya. I have no doubt that Gilenya is effective, but it may kill you in the process. Laquinimod sounds like a drug you can feel safe taking.

Also, I am apparently in the wrong business if you can sell sugar pills to people at exorbitant prices to make them feel better.

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