problems with blog

Having a few problems with Blogger so no posting currently..

Time flies

Wow, it's been a couple of weeks since I posted..... I have been infatuated with getting my current cross-stitch finished... I have been working on it at least 6 hours per day.... only got one more person to stitch and then it is done.... We also have a big trial here in Orlando and I have been glued to the television where they have been trying to pick a jury.  Now that a jury has been picked, the trial starts next week... so I will be missing in action for a while (unless I have to vent. then I'll be here)

This was Osama Bin Laden's last post on FaceBook

What am I, Who am I?

(Preface  - long and probably very boring post)
I was born and raised in England until the age of 19.  I have been in America since 1979, almost 32 years.  I still have my British passport.  I wanted to become an American citizen many years ago, but just never took the test.  Now, it seems that will never happen.  My MS causes loss of memory pretty bad and there is no way I know the names of President's past or much of any historical times.  So I guess my quest for becoming an American Citizen is out the window.  Technically I'm English, but in my heart I'm an American, although I'm not quite sure that is a good thing.

Of course I was up at 2:30am on Friday, getting all ready to watch the wedding of the century.  It was all it was expected to be and beautiful.  The biggest surprise was the car as they were leaving the Palace.  To see all the crowds in England happy and waving their flags made me a little homesick, but that was over in a flash.

So I spent most of the rest of Friday watching replay after replay and different television perspectives of the wedding.  Saturday was a lazy day but ended up watching the White House Correspondents Dinner which I found hysterical.  Whether it really was or not I'm not sure, maybe it was my lack of sleep from Friday, but I thought the President was hysterical and extremely clever with his jokes.  All in all it was a pretty relaxing weekend but I was so tired (still trying to catch up from Friday - those with MS know what I'm talking about).  Sunday night I went to bed very early, around 8:30pm.  Hubby came in to kiss the dog goodnight around 10pm (yes, I said the dog, not me) which was strange in itself, but I think he was hoping I was awake and because I rolled over when he opened the bedroom door, he told me the President was coming on the tv with an important announcement.  Yeah, so whatever, is that a reason for waking me......grrrr then he said something about OBL... so in my haze of sleep I clicked on the remote and turned to CNN and there was Wolf (what a name) saying that OBL was dead (although still no official word - waiting for President).  Obviously, I was now awake so up I got to go watch the "big" tv in the living room to find out what had happened.  At 3:00am I am still watching TV... yep that's what happens once I'm awake, I stay awake for a loooong time.

I realize this is a long post (and probably very boring for most of you) but I have gone from Loving being British, (wedding) Loving being American (great President = remember I am not bias as I am not eligible to vote - but from all the past president's that I can remember - he is a GREAT speaker) to a WTF moment.

After doing something so spectacular by sending in the SEALS, now I hear, "it was illegal"  "Bush should get the credit" "why give him an Islamic ritual burial".  Can we just let it go. It was DONE and OVER.  Who really cares if it was legal or not... was it legal when OBL flew into the World Trade Center or killed thousands of others through his terror antics.  The saga with Trump wanting Obama's birth certificate.  WHY.  I was surprised Obama gave it up but it all worked to his advantage (watch the president speak during the white house correspondent's dinner - you'll get it).  I used to like Trump but think he is now an idiot, a moron, an egotistical.... well I can't really say it here but you get what I mean.  Is he really that stupid, or is this just another show.

Aren't we all grown ups here.  I watched the guy from the White House do his briefing yesterday (I have nothing else to do I'm so bored) but I was astonished and disappointed with the american reporters that ask questions that OBVIOUSLY cannot be answered.  Why would any reporter think that we should give them information about HOW, WHEN, WHERE and what the SEALS saw during the raid.  I'm sure many people of America want to know, but deep down, isn't it safer that it's done, it's OVER.... whatever info is given to reporters is also given to OBL followers.  These reporters just don't know when to let it go.

So, back to the question at hand - am I English or American.... I even have to get my pills from Canada as it is 1/3 of the price - WHY...(let's leave that for another rant).  I miss my job, hate not working and as it's just me and the three dogs every day until my hubby gets home, you are my audience for my vents and rants.

OK, i'm done venting now and off to find something to eat for breakfast.  I hope you all have a wonderful day.

PS:  Got an email while writing this from my blackberry page for a new app for today - Memory Booster for Blackberry - deal of the day.  (Wish it worked on my brain instead of my phone LOL)

Funeral Expenses

 Obama goes on a State visit to Israel.  While he is on a tour of Jerusalem, he has a fatal heart attack.
               

The undertakers tells the US diplomats: "You can have him shipped home for $1 million or you can bury him here in the Holy Land for $100."
              
The US diplomats go into a huddle and come back to the undertaker and tell him they still want Obama flown home.
              
The undertaker is puzzled and asks:  "Why would you spend $1 million to get him home when it would be wonderful to be buried here in this religious country and you would only spend $100?"
              
One diplomat replied:  "More than 2000 years ago a man died here, was buried here, and just 3 days later he rose from the dead.  We simply can't take that risk".

How do you explain being tired

My parents are on their way over this afternoon after traveling from West Palm Beach to Atlanta and now they are in Orlando to take us for dinner.  But today I'm weak, tired, blah... and I guess she could hear it in my voice, yes being MS tired gives me no energy to talk either.  She said to go take a nap, you will feel better.  Go take a shower, that will wake you up.  My husband says the same thing.  No-one seems to understand this "tiredness" feeling with MS.  Can any of you explain it to me in a way I can explain it to my family and friends.  My MS is the cognitive kind, not immobility, therefore I cannot seem to explain things properly.  I hope you can understand what I'm saying and I look forward to your comments.  Thanks guys.

My Blackberry peeps

I know this is really my site about living with MS, but I have noticed that I have a lot of visitors from various Blackberry sites I belong to and if you are one of my Blackberry peeps coming to visit, please check out the Z-Man Blog and Forum (you will find links over on the right ---------------).  I know a lot of you have been already, but if not, head on over there and have some fun.

Now back to me (LOL).  Haven't been riding much over the weekend as it is so friggin hot and I am barely able to breathe in this weather and I have been managing to sleep late, so by the time I wake up, it's hotter than hot.  I am making a roast today for Easter.  I don't celebrate but since today is Easter and I have a roast to cook, it has become the Easter Roast.  I am also gonna try Yorkshire Puddings.  I have never ever made them, even though why I was born and raised is in the title, I figured the roast was a good way to try them.  I have the recipe and instructions from my friend and I'm going to try it out.  Hubby has no idea what they are so they will be a surprise and if they don't work out, he will never know the difference.  The hard part is figuring out how to make gravy, so after this post, I'm on a mission. 

For some other unknown reason, I keep getting requests for Twitter followers... I feel so loved (ha ha).  Nope, I'm not interested in those porning their sites!!! nor am I interested in sex enhancement items, but to know someone is waiting with bated breath for me to tweet a twit, it feels good.  (Keep waiting as I don't tweet much).  Anyway, I hope you all have a great Easter and that you find lots of eggs... and for those of us with MS, please keep the MonSter away.

This is what MONO left me

I forgot to mention it on the last post but if you take a look at the picture you will see a "grey" spot in my hair.  I got that when I had mono and the doctor told me it was because my temperature was so high it killed the hair in my head and that it would eventually fall out.  Needless to say, for the past 36 years it just grows gray and no matter how much I color my hair, that spot does not color.  It is also odd because that spot of hair is on the left side and all my symptoms and brain lesions are on the left side.  Just wanted to share LOL...

Multiple sclerosis tied to low sun, mono virus CBCCBC – Tue, 19 Apr, 2011 12:40 PM EDT

I had a serious dose of mono at 14, I remember being so upset to miss the beginning of high school.  I was bedridden for four or five months.  This article is interesting reading.  Would be interesting to see how many really did have mono at a young age.  Oh, and being from England originally is another common cause.


Multiple sclerosis tied to low sun, mono virus

The odds of developing multiple sclerosis may be higher in people who’ve had infectious mononucleosis and been exposed to low levels of sunlight, a new British study suggests.
Multiple sclerosis is the most common disease of the central nervous system in young adults of Northern European descent, research shows. MS cases are also more common at higher latitudes in temperate climes.
Dr. George Ebers of the University of Oxford and his colleagues found mononucleosis and the effects of exposure to less intense sunlight together explained 72 per cent of the variance in MS prevalence across England.
The study in Tuesday's issue of the journal Neurology also showed the intensity of ultraviolet B exposure, a type of radiation from the sun, alone explained 61 per cent of the difference in MS cases between those living in northern and southern parts of the country.
"When our data are taken in combination with others, it gives confidence that there is a pressing need to investigate the role of vitamin D and [infectious mononucleosis] and their interaction in the pathogenesis of MS," the study authors wrote.
"At present there are no effective vaccines or treatments targeting EBV, but their development could complement vitamin D supplementation as potential interventions that might result in a reduction in the prevalence of this often devastating disease."
To come to those conclusions, Ebers' team analyzed hospital records of 56,681 cases of multiple sclerosis and 14,621 cases of mono over seven years, as well as NASA data on UV intensity in England.
Given that our bodies make vitamin D when exposed to UVB, it is possible that vitamin D deficiency may lead to abnormal response to the Epstein-Barr virus, Ebers speculated.
The Epstein-Barr virus is a herpes virus that is extremely common and causes no symptoms in most people. But when teens or adults contract the virus, it can lead to infectious mononucleosis. The role of the virus in MS, if any, remains unclear.
Vitamin D also plays a role in the immune system. Low levels of the vitamin may lead to an abnormal response to Epstein-Barr virus such as infectious mononucleosis, the researchers said.
The study was funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.

634 yards

Once around the block - and I'm POOPED... or should I say out of breath - BUT... I did it.  Lulu isn't on the bike yet as I have to get a basket and some mirrors, being partly deaf, and a little unbalanced, I can't really turn my head to see if anything is behind me (LOL).  but once around the block is enough for right now.. maybe I'll go out again when the sun goes down.  PS:  Thanks for ALL your comments and encouragement, I will keep you all posted.  it is YOU that gives me encouragement and someone to report to with my progress.

Getting on a bike - after 30 years

After reading many of the MS blogs in depth, and I mean in depth (having been up all night, I just couldn't stop reading some of them), I have come to realize that I need to write more about my life with MS.  While I haven't felt the urge to write about my MS and it's consequences, I feel that by my sharing it will a) get some stuff off my chest, b) maybe help others with similar problems and c) get to "talk" to more of the MS bloggers.  I spend my mornings home alone, just me and the three dogs.  Hubby gets home around noon or 1:00pm but that makes no difference because as soon as he steps out of the shower he takes a nap for a couple of hours.  He does get up at 5:30am and comes to bed pretty late at night so no biggie to me.  I get pretty bored although I do have my cross stitch to keep me occupied but some days I just don't feel up to it.  And talk about energy, I have NONE.  I tried walking around the block with the smallest dog but it is so hot here in Florida, especially in the afternoons.  But today I am going out to look at a bicycle.  A two-wheeler.  I haven't been on a bike for about 30 years so maybe some future stories will be of some "falls".  I want to get a basket on the front so I can put Lulu in for the ride.  Now I just need motivation to get up and go....

Two and a half months to go before Medicare kicks in (can't wait).  I haven't seen a doctor or had an MRI for two years (since Cobra expired and while waiting the 29months for Medicare to kick in).  I'm kind of dreading all the dr visits but I guess it's got to be done.  Although it's going to hurt monetarily, at least I can see if my MS has progressed in the past two years with being on no medication.  I tried the LDN route, but it didn't work for me.  The Copaxone, forget it, I could not physically do the shots day after day.... I stopped after three months.  The Rebif caused major relapses with a steroid drip for three days which I'm still getting the bill for so who knows what, if anything, I will try next.  If there is no change in the past two years I will most probably stay off every MS drug, although I have a feeling it has become worse.  The pain in my left leg comes more often now and the pins and needles and numbness are almost constant.  I am hoping it may be because I don't do much during the day and hopefully the "biking" will help.  I really really want to exercise but I just have no energy.  I tried doing the exercises on my Wii game but the jumping up and down (I don't wear a bra) ha ha is no good and the bending up and down is even worse... I feel like such a failure.  I am putting on weight but not from eating... from not exercising.  I rarely eat enough, although what I do eat is all wrong.  Went food shopping Friday and bought nothing for myself to eat because I wasn't really in the mood to shop so I just bought the essentials.  At least with a bike, I can ride to the store if necessary before hubby comes home with the truck.

I have blocked all unknown numbers from my phone as I can't take the stress of debt collectors.  I know I owe... but what can I do, you can't get blood from a stone.  But if you really want my blood, come and get it.

I hope you all have a good day.  Thanks for reading my blog... i will keep you updated on the biking.  (My biking partner (below) - Lulu)

Side by Side

A woman's husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day.  One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer.

 

As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, 'You know what?  'You have been with me all through the bad times.  When I got fired, you were there to support me.  When my business failed, you were there.  When I got shot, you were by my side.  When we lost the house, you stayed right here.  When my health started failing, you were still by my side...You know what Martha?’

'What dear?' she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth.


  'I'm beginning to think you're bad luck...’

I let my son see my paycheck and this was his response

Exacerbation - do you know when you're getting it?

I have that feeling... when my teeth/gums start aching, my left leg feels like it's carrying a cement block and am fatigued (having done nothing today).  I remember for many years I would go to the dentist complaining of terrible pain in my gums at the back of my mouth where my wisdom teeth should have been and they could never find any problems.  Same when I used to get the tingling on the left side of my face, I was constantly told it was Bell's Palsy.  Amazing, now that I've been diagnosed with MS, every illness falls into that category.  I am guessing 20 years ago MS was not as prominent as it is nowadays.  Got off topic sorry, but anyway, does anyone get that "feeling" before getting a flare up?  I'm hoping not, but if today is anything to go by, I am doomed.

A pirate's life is not a happy one

---

A  pirate walked into a bar, and the bartender said, "hey, I haven't seen you in a while.

What happened? You look terrible.

"What do you mean ?" said the pirate, "I feel fine"

 "What  about the wooden leg? You didn't have that before."

"Well,"  said the pirate, "We were in a battle, and I got hit with a cannon

ball, but I'm fine now."

The  bartender replied, "Well, OK, but what about that hook? What happened

to your hand?"

The  pirate explained, "We were in another battle. I boarded a ship and

got into a sword fight.

My hand was cut off. I got fitted with a hook but I'm fine, really"

"What  about that eye patch?"

 "Oh,"  said the pirate, "One day we were at sea, and a flock of birds flew

over. I looked up, and one of them shit in my eye."

"You're  kidding," said the bartender. "You couldn't lose an eye just from

bird shit."

 

"It  was my first day with the hook."

The coat - watch closely

The first time you watch this, you won’t believe your eyes.

The second time you watch it, you won’t believe your eyes.

I want my mommy

OK, so just because I'm 50, I still want my mom.  I want to go back to when i was a little girl and feeling down, mom was always there with your favorite foods or just a hug... today is one of those days.  22 years ago today my daughter was born, maybe that's why i'm feeling a little low today.  She has her own life, she lives about 2 hours away, is working full time and going to school... (those were the days)  I'm craving my old favorite, fish and chips wrapped in newspaper with vinegar which I would gladly go get it, except England is quite a long long way from Florida.  Mom is about 2 hours away and too far for me to drive plus she's at the doctor's office every day with my dad.  So here I sit with the three dogs, my sewing and my computer and waiting for the rain.  Ok, i've vented, got it off my chest, and now going back to my cross stitch.... Hope everyone is feeling well today.

Sciatica - - - - ouch

I thought I'd just pulled something in my back when I lifted up a bag (40lb) of soil.  The first three days were excruciating (or so I thought) but now it's 10 times worse and going down my leg, but not the normal sciatic pain where it goes down the back of the leg, this is the front of the leg.  None of the over the counter medications are working and am currently sitting here sitting on a heating pad.   Sometimes I think, "what's the point."  I can't work, I'm doing nothing all day (except my cross stitch), money is getting tighter and tighter, the heat of summer is coming... I have a lot to look forward to.  Sorry guys, pity party for one today.

This should make you smile....

I've had a lousy couple of days and am in an even worse mood today, until I received this joke.... enjoy

White House Bathroom

Before the 2001 inauguration of George Bush, he was invited to a get acquainted tour of the White House. After drinking several glasses of iced tea, he asked outgoing President Bill Clinton if he could use his personal bathroom. When he entered Clinton's private toilet, he was astonished to see that President Clinton had a solid gold urinal. 

That afternoon, George told his wife, Laura, about the urinal. 'Just think,' he  said, 'when I am President, I too could have a gold urinal.  But I wouldn't do something so self-indulgent!' 

Later, when Laura had lunch with Hillary at her tour of the White House, she told Hillary how impressed George had been at his discovery of the fact that, in his private bathroom, the President had a gold urinal.

That evening, when Bill and Hillary were getting ready for bed, Hillary smiled, and said to Bill, 'I found out who pissed in your saxophone.'

MS Bracelet

I received my MS bracelet and love it.  I will be getting more in and if you are interested in one (or more), let me know (leave a comment or send me an email).  They will be $7.00 each. 

Had to go out food shopping today and boy the heat here in Florida is a killer.... again as soon as I stepped out the door my arms and legs started tingling.  Not the tingling like pins and needles, this was quick short pinpricks, like ants crawling and biting over the body... I have to remind myself to ask the neurologist is a part of MS as I've not noticed it before, but then again, it's almost 90 degrees here today.