First I want to share this. Yesterdays topic i received several comments from my readers. it made me realize that I am not alone. It is unfortunate that their are so many of us that feel overwhelmed. I wish there was something I could do to help everyone. No one should ever feel overwhelmed and at their wits end. One reader told me reading my blog was a highlight of her day. She has a chance to laugh and forget just for a moment. This touched me deeply. This is the reason I started my blog. To help people learn to laugh more.
I received this joke from one of my readers Cindy B.
If I knew having multiple sclerosis was gonna be like this... I would have stopped when I had singular sclerosis!

I am so tired of having periods! I started when I was 9 so enough!! 34 years is too many years! I am over it! I assume I am getting close to menopause because my periods are showing up every 3 weeks. A couple months ago I was having bad ones. I became anemic. Lately much better but a real pain in my butt!

As I have said before I have to wear a pee pad and a period pad. One on top of the other. It is bad enough to have the bulk of a pee pad then add a maxi pad on top. I feel like I am wearing a folded hand towel in my underwear! Almost every time I go to the bathroom I have to peal off the maxi pad because urine and a maxi pad do not mix! Even if you are wearing deodorant maxi pads it still omits a strong odor of ammonia! The ammonia is so strong that if anyone passed out around me. If smelling salts are not available I can quickly tear off my ammonia period pad and save them! Can you just picture that....? Someone passes out and I waddle over with my bulky pads and plop out my period pad and stick under their nose. They wake up to find I saved them but they have my pad stuck under their nose! That video could win on TV! Lol

I asked my husband to get me more maxi pads when he went to the store. He normally has never complained. Today he tells me that he will loose a little "manhood" if he does! So I tell him specifically what kind to buy. Apparently he was not listening! He comes back with maxi pads with wings! REALLY! We have been married for 8 + years now. In all that time I have never bought maxi pads with wings! I wanted to say take them back but I didn't! So now how am I going to wrap a frickin maxi with wings around my pee pad? The frickin wing is not long enough to reach my underwear. If I cut the wings off it may cause leaks out the side! Gee thanks honey!!! So as I lay in bed finishing my blog. I am wearing my pee pad with two frickin maxis with wings. The first one the wings are stuck to the side of the pee pad and the other one (added for length for extra protection) is stuck flat to my underwear! What a sight I am! I hope I don't fly off with my wings! Did I say thanks honey!

Have a wonderful day! Thank you all for reading my blog and laughing with me!

Follow me on Twitter!
@mywonderMSlife

Do you take care of other people? Even though you are sick? I do and today it has gotten to me. I am feeling tired of it all resting on my shoulders. Bills, cleaning, laundry and making sure everyone has what they need. At times in order to ensure everyone else has what they need I go without. I am sure some of you do the same. Tonight I just wish it was all off my shoulders for awhile. Sometimes I feel like I am a wife and his mother. I hate having to be the adult all the time! Do any of you feel that way? I just want to run away with my dog. I would love to see how they can survive without me!

I think people forget we are sick because we try to forget we are. I try to forget it so I don't dwell on it and get stressed out over it. Maybe being strong is allowing others to take advantage of me. No one helps me clean, mop, laundry or worry about how everything will be paid for. I just know from experience that my husband goes not deal well with any change. He can not go to work and then help me around the house. I know this and have dealt with doing it alone for 7 years. Normally I handle it fine. Today I think the build up of frustration has gotten to me.

So what do you do when your stressed and frustrated? Do you ever feel like you tolerate more then you should because we are sick? Are we afraid if we push it they may leave us? I know I have felt this way before. I just feel that before I got sick and was able to work I could speak up more. Am I alone in this feeling or do you feel this way too?

Let me know your thoughts on this!

Have a great day and remember to laugh!

Also follow me on Twitter!
@mywonderMSlife

Stress, pain and discomfort are very common in MS. Some studies suggest that over 55% of people living with MS have “clinically significant pain.” Almost half (48%) were troubled by chronic pain.

The National MS Society in conjunction with Rhoda Olkin, Ph.D., a Distinguished Professor at the California School of Professional Psychology and a nationally recognized researcher on disability, is conducting a study on the effectiveness of a self-paced internet education program, combined with a weekly group phone support session.

This program provides education about different successful and well- researched non- medical pain management methods. Participants will be randomly placed in one of two seven- week groups. Participants must be willing to participate in pre and post research interviews.

Dr. Pearl Werfel developed this program and will also facilitate the weekly phone groups. Dr. Werfel, a psychologist with over 25 years of experience, has expertise in living well with MS and anxiety, stress and pain management. Dr. Werfel is currently President of the San Francisco Psychological Association and also serves as a member of the Clinical Advisory Committee of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Northern California Chapter

If pain and discomfort are symptoms that you experience, we invite you to contact the Northern California Chapter today.

To register, please contact Zoe Edwards, Program Coordinator at 1-800-344-4867 option 2, extension 75201 or e-mail [email protected] Program begins as soon as October 9th.

I am a reality TV junkie! I especially for all of the Housewives of shows. I am not sure what it is about the show that makes me watch them. I mean it seems like on each show none of them really like each other. They are always fighting and talking smack about each other. Ok that's what I like! Lol I watch almost all reality shows. Well I tried to watch the Bachelor but it was too stupid for me to watch. I think it is the stupidest thing EVER when he picks the ladies he wants to stay by giving them a rose. He should give it to the lucky one leaving the show! I love all the cooking ones too. Top Chef, Top Chef Masters and Chopped. Although its a bad idea to watch these at night. I swear they have subliminal messages that make you eat while watching them. I draw the reality line at music or singing competitions. I do not like any of them!

I would love to see a "real" housewives show. I am willing to be the first. I can see it now!! Real Housewives of Modesto, California! It would be great also because the show would cover my struggles with my MS. Here is what a day on this real reality show would go.

First the camera crew would have to learn how to function on just a few hours of sleep. On this show no one wakes up with their hair all done and full perfect make-up. That's not reality! Reality for me is waking up in my t-shirt and cottony soft shorts. No make up of course...it would have been sweated off throughout the night...that is if it had been wore the day before at all. My hair would be far from perfect. I put my hair in a high pony tail at bedtime. I can not stand my hair blowing from the fan. By the time morning comes around or noon. My hair is only slightly still in the pony tail. The rest is going in all directions. In real life people wake up with morning breathe. So there wouldn't been scenes where I roll over in bed all perfect and jump on my husband and start kissing. Plus my husband doesn't have the standard required 6-pack abs! I am very fortunate...he has a 12-pack and 12 is better then 6!!

So after I wake up and change my pee pad. I come out and then sit on my couch and drink a Dr. Pepper. No fancy teacups being used here! For an adventurous episode I could venture out with my camera crew to Walmart. Maybe I could get a crew member to carry a fan to blow on me. That way all my sweating wouldn't show. That could be scary if someone watching has a 3-D TV! The crew could catch all the fancy products I buy...like the bottles of laxatives and the Poise pee pads! They could unload my cart for me. That would be helpful of them. After that adventure I am afraid the crew will have to film me napping on my couch. Snoring with my dog sleeping too! The crew would be exhausted from chasing me to the bathroom all day long to go pee!

It would be strange to see a housewife that actually cooks. Well sometimes I just heat up food but my husband says that's not cooking dinner. I think it is! Then at 11:00pm they could film me waking up my husband for work. He is not a morning person. It may be night time but its morning for him. Then they would film us watching the news and then Jay Leno until my husband leaves for work. Wow a housewife with an actual working husband. What a concept! The show could show the struggles to afford all my medicines, food and bills.

Ya I don't see any network showing what a "real" housewife goes through. It sure isn't the glamor they make it out to be on TV. Maybe that's why I watch it. To imagine my life in their life for an hour? Who knows but my show would be "must see TV"!

Have a great day and remember to laugh!
Follow me on Twitter @mywonderMSlife
Thanks
Christine

Wow I can't believe I have not told you the story of Leonard. I met Leonard in 1986 in Pensacola, Fl. My good friend Candace who reads this has met him.

I was 18 and had just gotten out of high school. My mother and younger sister (the one who slept with my ex) and myself moved from Pace, FL to Pensacola, FL. We moved into an apartment. This is where I also met my close friend Candace.

Leonard lived in the complex with a guy he worked with. I can not remember his name. We called him Vietnam because I think he talked about it a lot. He wasn't old enough to have been there. So I am not sure why he talked about it all the time.
Anyway let me start off by describing Leonard. He was not tall. I am 5'8 so he must have been 5'6 or so. He was biracial. He was very pale but had quite an Afro. Maybe he was using his hair to make himself look taller? He was a thin man. At the time I thought he was nice. Not very attractive but he seemed kind.

We met one night at the pool. I guess you could say we started to date. My mother didn't care for him much. Which looking back I think made me want to spend more time with him. I left Florida in June of that year.

Leonard had wrote me a few letters. One day out of the blue he calls me on the phone. He claims to miss and love me. He tells me he wants to come to California to be with me. It must be around 8 months after I left.
I was sharing an apartment with my older sister and mother.

I can not remember how he got to California but I am guessing Greyhound. He was there for two days before problems came up. My older sister came to me and said She kept catching Leonard staring at her. He was making her very uncomfortable. I mentioned it to him. Thinking he would quickly say she was mistaken. Well that's not what he said. His exact words to me were "I can stare because there is nothing wrong with fantasizing"! I was shocked and sickened. In what world did this fool think telling his girlfriend that he was fantasizing about her sister? Oh boy I sure can pick them can't I!

The next day I told him to leave. He said he had no money. I said not my problem! Unbeknownst to me he called my mother. He asked for a ride to the freeway and some money. She gave him 40.00 and dropped him off at an on-ramp by the freeway. The last she saw him he was standing on the on-ramp trying to hitch hike!

I was so glad he was gone and out of my life. About three weeks later I received a call from a bail bondsman. I don't know how they got my number but he did. Apparently Leonard didn't want to come see me. I was just convenient. He had jumped bail! Yes that's right!!! I was harboring a fugitive! They wouldn't tell me what he was wanted for but said they could send me one of his wanted posters! This was just too much!

So you ask "we'll what did you do"? I told them exactly where this fool had just mailed me a letter from. Yep!!!! I sang like a canary! Teach that fool to use me and fantasize about my sister! They picked him up and I have never seen or heard from him again. I never got the wanted poster in the mail. I still don't know what he was wanted for. Creepy still to this day!

I am proof that GOD watches over fools! I was quite foolish! I can laugh now at how stupid I was back then. I try to forget about times when I was foolish. Wouldn't you?? Lol

Have a great day!! Have you laughed today?
Christine

My husband and I went out to dinner with my brother and his fantastic wife. It was nice to have a date night. It's been too long since we had one. It was at a restaurant that hosts beer tastings with 5 course meals. I am not a drinker. I will taste the beers. I smell them first. Some of the beers have a strong odor. These ones I learned are much to bitter for my liking. I learned after a few sour-puss faces and hands flailing the air! They all think its hilarious when its too bitter for me and this happens. They all just crack up laughing and ask me to do it again!
The food is always fantastic. We have gone once before to one of their Beer Tasting events. They have them about every two months. Like I said I am not a drinker I just go for the food! Last nights was an Oktoberfest celebration. Don't ask me what beers we tasted. In my opinion 2 were ok and the rest I didn't like.

Now the food was screaming! First we had a soft pretzel bun with bratwurst and a great grainy mustard to dip it in. It was delicious! Then we had sweet potato fry's. I have never like sweet potato fry's but these were good. Then we had gourmet Mac-n-cheese. It had bleu cheese, cheddar cheese, Alfredo sauce and bacon in it. Everything is better with bacon! Oh my goodness was it good! Then came the pork chop. It was on a bone. Not a fan of meats still on the bone. I do not buy any meat on a bone! I cut it and took the half with no bone. It was on a bed a mashed potatoes. I don't know what all was in these mashed potatoes. All I knew was I wanted a pot full of them. Must have had a ton of butter, cream and maybe sour cream too. Oh man I wish I had some right now. They didn't even need a gravy or salt & pepper. Perfect the way they were. Sorry am I making you hungry? Lol then finally for desert we had well they called it something strange but it an oatmeal cookie baked in this tiny tin with a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It was great it was just TINY! Funny I could have all the beer I wanted but one TINY desert for two to share. I thought it was a quarter serving for one! Lol I love my sweets!

Okay this was a 2 1/2 hour thing. The chairs were just wooden! I swear I thought my lady parts were going numb! The guy behind me was sitting so close to my chair. I couldn't move. Finally it was over but we all just sat there talking. I just wanted to stand up. Lady parts were begging to get my big ass off this wooden chair. It was hurting as if it had suffocated! Grateful we decided to leave. Oh it never felt so good to stand upright in my life. The blood was again flowing through the veins in my lady parts! When we walked outside the air had a sewer like odor to it. I leaned in towards my husband and say "boy it smells like s#%$ out here". He says "oh sorry I just went in my pants"! (He was joking he does not wear diapers! Lol) I replied "ohh great cause I am leaking in my pad right now"! He looks at me and we bust up laughing! It's great that my husband can also laugh with me through the good times and the leaky times!

I hope you all have a great day!

Follow me on Twitter! I need more followers! Lol
@mywonderMSlife

Today I was online looking for new treatments or studies on Multiple Sclerosis. I found these two interesting.

Multiple Sclerosis associated with sodium build-up in the brain.

The accumulation of sodium, which can be detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), may be a biomarker for the degeneration of nerve cells that occurs in MS patients.

The study, published online in the journal Radiology, found that individuals with early-stage MS showed sodium buildup in specific regions of the brain, while those with more advanced MS showed buildup throughout the entire brain.

According to the researchers, the accumulation of sodium in motor regions of the brain were directly associated to the severity of disability observed in patients with advanced MS.

In the study, the team used a specific type of imaging technology that provides information on the sodium content of cells in the body, known as 3 Tesla (3T) sodium MRI in order to study relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

For patients with early-stage RRMS, the MRI results showed abnormally high concentrations of sodium in the brainstem, cerebellum, and temporal pole regions of the brain. Abnormally high sodium accumulation was found throughout the entire brains of patients with advanced-stage RRMS - even in brain tissue that appeared to be normal.

Dr. Zaaraoui said: "In RRMS patients, the amount of sodium accumulation in gray matter associated with the motor system was directly correlated to the degree of patient disability."

At present, there are only treatments to slow down the progression of MS. According to the researchers using sodium buildup as an indicator of neuron degeneration may help in the development of potential new treatments.


Another study I found: Cannibus Saltiva for spasticity from Multiple Sclerosis.
It's states its a mouth spray. They claim it showed no benefit but to me if your muscle spasms are bad and your current muscle relaxers are no longer cutting it. Then I say ask your doctor and give it a try. Very one is effected differently and it may help you. If your insurance does not cover it or its too expensive. Contact the company and see if they offer a program for low income to get it free with a doctors note. Most drug manufacturers have programs like this.

The extract from Cannabis sativa, which contains the active ingredient combination of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), is approved as add-on therapy to the already used antispastic drugs. Usually, drugs such as baclofen or tizanidine are given to treat muscle spasms. The cannabis extract can be considered when, despite an individual, patient-tailored use of these drugs, the symptoms caused by spasticity cannot be adequately relieved.

The G-BA specified an optimized standard therapy containing baclofen, tizanidine or drugs that are approved for the treatment of spasticity in underlying neurological diseases as the appropriate comparator therapy. At least two previous attempts at treatment were to have been made, in each of which different oral antispastic (spasmolytic) drugs had been used in an optimum way. Again, at least one product was to have contained the active ingredients baclofen or tizanidine. The aim of the assessment by IQWiG was to compare the additional administration of the Cannabis sativa extract with other available possibilities for optimizing treatment and to assess the added benefit.

If you want to read the entire article here's the link.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/250359.php

I hope you all have a wonderful day!
Keep laughing!
Christine

Follow me in Twitter!
@mywonderMSlife

American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Patient Site
aan.com
Dedicated to helping people understand neurology and the available treatments for neurologic disorders, including multiple sclerosis.

Can Do MS
mscando.org
Lifestyle empowerment programs for people with MS.

MS Atrium
msatrium.com
MS Atrium is an educational site, supported by Genzyme, a Sanofi company that presents emerging trends and innovative topics in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA)
msassociation.org
A national, nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the quality of life for everyone affected by multiple sclerosis through free programs such as a Helpline, equipment distribution, MRI funding, award-winning publications and videos, and tools to help individuals better manage their MS.

Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (MSF)
msfocus.org
MSF offers a wide range of free services including: national toll-free support, homecare, support groups, assistive technology, and more.

The National MS Society
nationalmssociety.org
A 50-state network that helps people with the challenges of living with MS. "MS stops people from moving. We exist to make sure it doesn't."

National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA)
www.familycaregiver.org
Educates, supports, and empowers those who care for a loved one with a chronic illness, disability, or the frailties of old age.

I have dated my share of strange men. I have had a guy tell me "he was only half attracted to me"! I didn't know what this meant. I asked him was he attracted to the top or bottom or split down the middle! He was an idiot! He was one of those fat guys in denial. He thought dating a plus sized lady was beneath him. He didn't care what she looked like as long as she was skinny. That's what I call a "butter face"! That means everything is great..."but her face"! Lol! It turns out he was obsessed with my older sister. She wouldn't give him the time of day. In case your wondering no this is not the same sister who had sex with my ex husband before he was my ex!
One guy told me he couldn't see me anymore because I used a fan in my living room. I am not sure if he really was serious or if he was trying to come up with what he thought was a better excuse for dumping someone. He didn't need to do anything I was grateful he didn't call me ever again! It's funny though. If he was serious then he really had some serious issues. I mean I admit I have dumped some guys for vain or stupid reasons....but how can you hate a box fan?
The best of the best is the guy who was upset when he found out I wore maxi pads! No I am not joking! This fool was really mad. He ranted on and on that I should have informed him of that before. Really I guess he thought upon meeting his dumb ass. Oh sure....hello I am Christine and I have a son and oh ya I wear maxi pads!! Frickin idiot! I wonder what he has against maxi pads? Thank goodness I didn't wear the ones with wings...he may have lost it!
I know everyone is made differently and unique but they had the added CRAZINESS too! It's just weird to me. I wonder what happened in their lives to have such animosity towards fans and maxi pads? Obviously they all were not the brightest crayon in the box. Stop laughing you know there are a few in your life you would like to forget! To be honest there are a few I can't remember their names. Sometimes I am out shopping and I come across a guy that looks familiar. I look at them and think to myself....oh lord did I sleep with him? Ya....I am not the only one who thinks that either!! You can admit it I don't judge!! Lol

Have a wonderful day!!
Christine