Surgery In My Own Country

Here is another reason I won't go overseas to have surgery.

More CCSVI News (not all good)

Here more news about clinical trials for CCSVI

I need to do a little more research about the two recent studies that found no link between MS and blocked veins. It's disappointing and hard to believe, what with all the anecdotal evidence  out there from those who have had the surgery and feel much better.
It's SO HOT today!! I think the hottest day yet. My brains are scrambled

Cannabis For Migraines

Here's an intersting article about an average woman who decides to try cannabis to treat her migraines. A person like me, who wasn't very keen on the idea, but tried it out of desperation.

Very similar to the result I get when I use it for my MS. The only thing that bugs me is at the end of the article  they list the negatives of smoking dope. The most annoying one being that habitual use may cause a pyschological dependence. Is that any different than taking  prescribed pain killers for years? or cholesterol drugs that once you start you are on them  for life?  Of course a person will develop a dependence on something that works for them!!


My MS isn't going away and I'm stuck with symptoms that interfere with my sleep. One of my doctors thought it was perfectly fine to prescribe: pain killers, sleeping pills, anti depressants, anti fatigue drugs(that cause insomnia) and anti spasmodics AND I was suppose to take all this stuff everyday "for as long as I needed it".  I'm already a space cadet and this guy wanted to boil my brains even more. Every time I went to see him he got the prescription pad out

Well that doctor is long gone and  all that stuff ended up in the toilet. Now I am happy to smoke my dope.  If I become an addict, that's OK with me. Just hope they let me use it when I'm in the old folks home.

Walking Fail!!

On Monday, which was a civic holiday, Simcoe Day, I went for one of my usual nature walks.
Oh how awful it was!!

It started out fine; the day was overcast, with  intermittent rain, which was very pleasant to walk in.

When we got down to the harbour I started to feel overheated. I sat on a bench to cool down but nothing worked. Not my cooler packs, cold water, nothing! It took all of my wits to stay calm. I stood up and fortunately, a cool breeze from the lake helped. I stood there with my eyes closed and concentrated on that coolness. I also thought about what I would do when I got home.

This is a technique I have used all of my life when I'm in a bad situation. I concentrate on something pleasant that I will do later in the day, or next day, or even next month. Anything to get me through an ordeal and it works.

So there I was thinking about how my son had promised to make a barbecue that evening. I imagined going home, having a nice cool shower, enjoying a good meal and even treating myself to some ice cream.   Great !

OK so we continue walking. I  slowly climb the stairs  from the trail back up to the street. I stand and look out at the harbour, once again enjoying the breeze. Then I started getting these awful pains in my feet. So sudden and so painful. I thought "What the heck is this?" Well , I was thinking in much stronger language, but have to keep the blog somewhat respectable.

I  kept walking even though my feet hurt so bad, like I had these huge blisters, only I didn't. All I could do was keep walking and say in my head " I MUST GET HOME".

  Now I'm sure you're thinking "Why didn't she call a cab or a friend" and I suppose that would have been a smart thing to do.  At the time, all I could think was that the pains would go away and I would be fine. I also hate looking like an invalid around others, especially because my so called friends and family always razz me about my MS. My son, the only person who doesn't. He did make his usual jokes about me "putting" and "Where's the golf cart?" ( inside jokes, Sorry).  That made me feel better but also cautious, because I know it means he's worried. Humour is how he copes. At that point I said that I would have an extra large dose of THC that evening!! The perfect thought to get me going again!

Finally made it home. Had my cool shower, my barbecue dinner, some ice cream, and Yes, a really huge portion of dope before I went to bed.

The next day my feet were fine. No pains.  I 'm staying indoors for now. I don't think I can handle another episode like that for awhile

Is MS  crazy  or what?

Showing No Mercy...Unless You Control IT

I WILL BEAT YOU DOWN IF YOU LET ME!










This heat wave is no joke! If hell is hotter than what it has been for the past three months...I pray living my life by the Golden Rule is my ticket into heaven. :-)

Multiple Sclerosis and I have been battling during this heat wave. IT is getting upset with me because I have not allowed IT to take over. IT needs to know I am in control of my body! There was a time I allowed IT to control my body, but I did not like the way IT played. I use to go about my daily routine as if I was not living with MS (IT) during the summer months and would have to be injected with 3000 mg of Solu-Medrol two to three times during the summer because IT would affect my body in a negative way for days.

This is the first summer in years; I have not had to have an IV Infusion. I know that is because instead of allowing IT to control me, I took control of IT by LISTENING to MY BODY. I have learned to say NO, and still be productive in my LIFE and that is the greatest feeling ever. When I was forced to quit working in my dream job eight years ago, I thought my life was over. I like my new non-paying job better. I now utilized the skills I have learned over the years to help and be a voice for others and work with disadvantage children.

Yes, I have Multiple Sclerosis, but to me MS mean I AM Mighty Strong!

Be Careful What You Post

Another reason why I'm careful with the photos I post. 

Think twice before you send and post photos, especially of children.

It's Simcoe Day, a civic holiday I'm having a great time doing nothing. My son cooked breakfast and says he will cook dinner. I could get use to that. 

Walking

Here's a few shots of different places I go walking.   If I look cool and collected it is only because I have my shorts and top stuffed with frozen cooler packs!! The pictures are not as good as I would like. I took them with my camcorder that has a photo option. Very handy, but also very inconsistent as to the quality of the shots.

The top picture is a tree that I thought looked interesting.Located at  Dundurn Castle, where you can see they are doing repairs on the stone entrance.

The next two photos were taken on the Sassafras Trail, which was closed for two years to restore it to it's natural state . Often the woodlands are over run by non native plants, most of which are weeds. The Royal Botanical Gardens does controlled burns to eliminate the bad plants and restore the good ones. They did a good job here.

Of course I had to throw in a view of the ugly side of Hamilton Harbour, where the steel plant is located. Steel is no longer the major employer in Hamilton.  Like other cities, the service sector, which pays minimum wages, is now the major employer. The steel  plants have been taken over by multi national corporations. What else is new? Soon there will be nothing left that is Canadian owned and operated .  Do we really think we can sustain ourselves with the majority earning low wages? Half the population of Hamilton only survives thanks to government handouts of one kind or another. The other half are government workers like me. Surely that can't last. I don't know, but I don't thik we should brag that a donut chain is the fourth largest employer in the city.

Last is a view of the Chedoake public golf course. The paved trail runs right through it, which means you have to be on the look out for stray golf shots!!