- Objects, as coins, tools, etc., used by a teacher to illustrate everyday living are called Realia plural noun [ree-ey-lee-uh, -al-ee-uh, rey-ah-lee-uh]
- Muscle memory is real
- Get free online classes from prestigious schools like Yale
- One recommended place to get your prescription eyeglasses online for $15ish
Category: symptoms
Stress and my “clutter threshold”
- A Slob Comes Clean | website and podca
- 4 Triggers That Can Cause MS Flares | article
- Study Shows That Stress Can Lead to MS Flare-Ups
Today was a four
- MS Fatigue NMSS topic
- A Closer Look at Managing MS Fatigue MSAA video
- Debunking Myths and Misperceptions MS teamworks video
- Risk alleles for multiple sclerosis identified by a genomewide study. N Engl J Med. 2007 Aug 30;357(9):851-62
- Interleukin 7 receptor alpha chain (IL7R) shows allelic and functional association with multiple sclerosis. Nat Genet. 2007 Sep;39(9):1083-91
My spastic leg
MSers: Resist brain atrophy
- Get B-vitamins. Any kind but especially B-12. Take supplements if necessary. Low levels have been shown to accelerate brain atrophy, so eat at least the Recommended Daily Allowance.
- Sleep a full night. Strive for a large chunk of uninterrupted sleep. I try to wake up naturally, without an alarm clock. (One study actually shows that it is optimal not to go over 8 hours!). And take a nap every day—no more than 20 minutes.
- Practice regular, sustained exercise. Even just a regular walk around the block. One study found it was vital to participate in a sustained way. I’m starting to view this as creating and reinforcing a neural pathway.
- Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Lots of leafy greens and bright, jewel-colored produce. The brighter the color the better.
Keep fighting
If you need short-term nursing
I urge you to check out the medical facilities and services around you that you can go use for a short stay when experiencing an exacerbation.
Underwear and pills, oh my!
When I was first diagnosed, ATMs existed and there were 24-hour grocery stores. I remember thinking that of all the times in history to be struck by this disease, this was the best.
- LSS Products
Learning, Sight & Sound made easier - parentgiving
Home Care Products
Would you rather?
Just two years after diagnosis, my friend has died. Ovarian cancer. Kinda ironic because she was the least girly-girl I knew, so this seemed like a desperate attempt by her organs to gain her attention.

D.: The chemo that breast cancer patients get often causes lymphedema. That’s one side effect I don’t have to deal with with the drugs that I’m onme: its wry-funny how we view other things as worse then what we haveme: i don’t have pain which a lot of MSers haveme: but they might still be able to walkD.: I know. Lymphedema is awful. It’s like having a beach ball of fat hanging off of you that’s not even really fat and you totally didn’t deserve it. But it looks like fat.me: so would i trade?D.: I don’t give a f@#$ about being bald. But apparently there a class action lawsuits filed by breast cancer pussies because chemo made them bald. Breast cancer has a 90% survival rate. Ovarian cancer has a 90% death rate. And the breasties are whining about hair loss.D.: Good question. Walk or pain? I often ask myself if I could get something back would it be my hands or my legs. I would love to feel runners high again. I would also like to be able to cut my toenails, pick my nose, and sign my name to a paycheck.me: i take living bald to dying with hair hands downD.: Yeah that’s not even a close one. And I take ovarian cancer over MS. You’re going to outlive me, but I had 49 years of perfectly normal walking and nose picking.D.: Ovarian cancer is [unintelligible] Stupid Siri. But to be fair I’m probably still mumbling from the Dilaudidme: thank god i still have nose pickingme: 😉D.: Braggart
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- The friend zone | NMSS
“It is absolutely essential to have a network of individuals who are important to you and to whom you’re important.” - The secret to living longer may be your social life | Ted talks ViDE0
“Social isolation is the public health risk of our time. Now one-third of the population says they have two or fewer people to lean on.” - Lifelong Best Friends Build Their Own “Bestie Row” Of Tiny Houses So They Can Live Next To Each Other | Article
Interesting idea for vacationing together!
MSer in a heat wave
- Drink water regularly, even before you get thirsty. Maybe try to drink an 8oz. glass of plain water each hour. (And if you find you are staying away from liquids because you have bladder problems, be sure to mention that to your doctor so the two of you can come up with a solution.)
- Eat cold, small meals that don’t need to be cooked. Consider using the microwave, the toaster oven or grill outside if you need to heat food.
- Snack on frozen grapes or blueberries; stock-up on popsicles. (When you have the energy, you can even make your own popsicles, using papercups and fortifying them with fresh fruit and herbs like ginger. )
- Keep your curtains closed and unplug all unneeded electronics during the day to keep house cooler. Consider having a cold room set up in a cooler part of the house, like a basement.
- Place trays of ice in front of, or tie paper strands to, a stationary fan. Carry small hand held fan with you and use often. (You can also go to a community cooling center. Check with your local utility.)
- Wear lighter colors, breathable shoes, a cooling vest if needed. Wear wet swimsuit outside when doing yard work or gardening. As soon as suit dries, it is time to come inside. (Make sure to wear sunscreen for your skin when gardening and any other time you’re outside)
- Take siestas during the hottest part of day. Then take a late night stroll and enjoy the nights coolness.
- Make sure your car’s air conditioning is working. Tint your car windows with tint product (get a tint with heat reduction as its main goal). Consider insulating car floor.
- Freeze sheets before bed. Try buckwheat pillow. Use thinnest sheets on bed as possible. Consider sleeping naked.
- If you don’t have the energy to do any of this right now, get a cold drink and a washcloth to wet, then fill your bathtub or kiddie pool or even just a bucket with cold water for your feet, and soak.
- Heat and Temperature Sensitivity | NMSS
- Are You Prepared for the Summer Heat? | AARP
- What Causes Heat Intolerance? | healthline
Our chronic inflammation
Inflammation is one of the body’s responses to injury. It is considered acute (temporary), when you get hurt in sports or have an infection, but chronic (persistent) in a disease like MS.

- Replace refined foods like sugary breakfast cereals with low-glycemic foods like steel-cut oats
- Limit dried fruits and canned fruit stored in heavy syrup that are high-glycemic, choose whole, fresh fruits more often
- Avoid processed meats, high-fat cheeses, stick margarine, whole milk and commercially-prepared cookies, pastries and crackers.
- Try to regularly eat omega-3 fatty acids (prevalent in coldwater fish, such as salmon and mackerel; flaxseeds; and walnuts).
- Drink green tea and 1-2 glasses red wine daily.
- Take other supplements as you like (Evidence suggests that inflammatory chemicals can be inhibited by natural substances, including resveratrol, St. John’s Wort, fish oil, vitamin D, and alpha lipoic acid).