Back At It

Finally the problems with my blog have been resolved and I can start posting again. I find that my MS makes me prone to ignoring problems for awhile because I don't have the brain power to deal with it or have other more pressing issues that I need that energy for.

Now the only problem seems to be that I can't put any photos on here What a pain!
I don't understand why technology always lets me down. I do the same thing yet it doesn't work and there is no indication as to why.


I was in Vietnam from November 12- February 12, visiting my son who is an English teacher there.
I'm proud of myself that I was able to do that much travelling and managed to thrive in the heat.
I have to admit though that when I got back home it took at least a month for me to recover. Seems like the fatigue caught up with me all at once and I just collapsed in bed for days. Good thing I have grocery delivery .

 I was so tired that when I broke a tooth I couldn't rouse myself to get to the dentist which resulted in an abscess. I ended up in the hospital emergency with a face swollen like a balloon!

They gave me anti biotics  which cleared things up pretty quick and left me even more tired ;which is hard to believe.

I'll talk more about my trip another time. I have travel tips for older people with medical conditions.
I won't go into the crummy service of the airlines and the airports. That is pointless. It's our own fault anyway, because we want cheap, cheap fares.

I'm just happy that my blog is still alive and well ; and I am too. Maybe I'll even be able to add some pictures next time.

Good Riddance Winter!!

Here's how I amused myself this winter.  I had to do something to relieve the monotony of a really  cold, snowy, miserable, affair . At least I was able to cheer up some neighbours and passers-by with my spray painted flowers. When you look outside and only see white for months it can get to you.

Its' over now and good riddance.  I felt like I had a curse on me.  In March I fell  on a tiny piece of ice the size of  a cookie, banged my head on the metal edge of the door frame, and seriously messed up my leg. No broken bones no head injury. I'm stupid though. I thought going swimming would work out the pulled muscle in my thigh, but it only made it worse. There I was, having to walk sideways , using my arms to lift my right leg up because it kept giving out on me.  Trying to turn in bed  and wash myself was a challenge

When I moved into my rental  house  I decided to have my bedroom on the main floor. The four piece bathroom is there and the kitchen is close by too. That was the best decision I made . Not having to tackle the stairs made it so much  easier for me to get around while I was injured . The kitchen is long and narrow,` so I could hold on to the counters to get around

Although swimming didn't help heal my leg I realize that it did help me to recover quicker and my injuries were less.  Doing all those laps in the pool has kept my legs strong and my body flexible enough that I could take care of myself. I have this dread of needing help. I've heard too many horror stories on that subject.

Aside from the physical challenges I also had emotional strain due to an old boyfriend and an ex husband. Fool that I am; I honestly belled that  thanks to retirement, these guys would be  happier.
My ex husband is finally living the life he always wanted;being an artist. My old boyfriend is able to pursue writing successfully. Are these guys happy? Not on your life. So miserable so ungrateful, for what they have. That's fine, but they should leave other people alone (meaning me) and keep the doors of the past closed.  People don't change and they should accept that.

 This April I was able to have a short visit with my son . He came to Toronto, from China, where he is teaching school, to attend  a funeral, so I decided to go there and see him.  It was a happy reunion.
It's reassuring to know that he's healthy and in good spirits. Saying good bye was hard. I think he's going to be away for a very long time. He has a good life in China and what is there here for a young person? fewer and fewer good jobs, housing so expensive, as well as other costs.  Things are so different from when I was starting out.  

OK, so now all I need to do is wait for  the bank and Revenue to figure out what happened to my tax refund, get  a courier  to refund me money for a lost shipment , get my landlord to quit forgetting to take  my rent payments, get permission for a phone interview to save myself a trip to Moncton ( too  long a  story ) and get a group of volunteers organized to open a charity shop by the end of June.

So much for taking it easy!

2014 The Highs and Lows

That's me December 31, 2014 12:00 p.m.  I was saying good bye to this year at the Multicultural Association office where I do mentoring.


OK, even though I don't normally go for these year in review summaries,  I decided to write one for my blog, because 2014 really was an interesting time. So here they are, the highs and lows  of 2014.

Highs

 I lost 30 lbs.  thanks to a low cab diet and plenty of swimming at the Golden Hawk recreation centre.  This regime has also greatly improved my walking and my strength. My neighbours have commented on how much better I'm walking compared to  when I first arrived  in July 2013.  I think about what bad shape I was in that summer and how much better I feel now. I  look forward to my evening swim and also to seeing my swim buddies .

New interests have resulted in new friends. I have met so many great people through my mentoring at the  New Brunswick community college. I'm going to write a separate entry about that and have some photos, just as soon as everyone is back from their holidays.

 I have also  joined the Miramichi Search and Rescue . I don't think I'm strong enough to go out on searches, but they really need help with their administration, so I'm happy to do that for them. They seem like a great bunch of folks too.

All that volunteering has boosted my social life .  I get invited to lunches, dinners, networking events and concerts. I can't do it all thanks to my buddy MS, yet I do enough to keep me feeling social. For a very long time, before I retired, I never had the energy to do much  and I often felt isolated. When you turn things down all the time, people just stop asking you.

The luxury of time. I feel really spoiled that I can do pretty much whatever I want these days. Sometimes that means doing  not much of anything, once again, thanks to MS. The difference is now if I need to rest ( which is every day) I don't have to worry  and I don't have to feel guilty.  That makes a big  difference in my quality of life. How many times the doctor said" you need to rest"  and I always kept going until I collapsed, because I couldn't accept it. resting made me feel lazy; now it makes me feel great.

Spare time has me looking inward as well. I'm studying Philosophy and Buddhism. I can't do much reading due to fatigue ; MS is to blame of course, so I'm using audio books and online courses. Now when I'm resting, I can listen to a book and I find I get much more out of it.  The online courses allow me to work when I feel up to it which also results in retaining more of the information..

When I first moved to my new home I wasn't sure if I would be able to adjust to life in a small city.

When I was younger I thought life in a big city with all the crowds and intensity was exciting. Now I see that it was just another thing that  gradually ruined my health. What a fool I was to believe that stress was good for me. That it was what I needed to keep going!  Wrong!

 I can say that I really am happy to be living in  a place that is slower paced and quieter; although sometimes I find it a little too quiet, and I have to have music  playing softly, all night.

Medical marijuana! I can never say enough about how much it has improved my quality of life.

Lows

I still have MS and it still  frustrates the hell out of me!!

I miss  my son, who is still in China, teaching English. I hope he will be back this Spring.

I find myself attracted to a married man which has never happened to me before. Not that I will pursue it. I  have seen what damage  affairs can do, so no way. I also find that I don't like men my age and am only interested in younger men. Another thing I won't pursue. I just don't have the energy and it would be too strange.

I broke off a long term, long distance, relationship with  a man  because I could no longer cope with the  travelling and more importantly; his  denial of my MS. He is one of those  people who thinks that positive thinking will cure it and I'm too tired to live up to that. I still care for him, but I can't live in a dream world.

I'm having difficulties dealing with the fact that I'm 60 years old. Sure, I feel good and I look pretty good. and menopause isn't that bad, yet I'm still 60 years old.  It feels strange and a bit scary. I worry about losing my independence. I worry about MS and ageing.

Adjusting to retirement isn't easy. I use to have such a busy life  and I know it wasn't good for me, however, I still feel funny not having a job and not having all those responsibilities. Being a renter instead of a home owner is hard  too, although it sure makes life easier to not have to worry about the roof or the plumbing.  Still though, I sometimes miss that money pit of a house I use to own.

So that's most of it. At least what I can think of  at the moment. I guess I should have listed the lows first and then the highs  in order to finish on a positive note. I'll finish by saying that these days, there are more highs that lows.

2015 I'm ready for you!

RAMBLES FROM MY CHAIR: Rambling towards Christmas

RAMBLES FROM MY CHAIR: Rambling towards Christmas

Christmas Season 2015

Here's  a pic of the very first Christmas wreath that I have made myself, and all from scratch.

It's funny how things work out sometimes. I  was accepted to be a mentor at the local community college, New Brunswick Community College. It's to help people who want to start their own business and need some free advice. I'll be writing a separate post about that program  as soon as I get permission from the college and my mentee.  Anyway, one thing led to another, and I was asked to join a wreath making course.

What fun it was and great to learn how simple the technique is.   I could have kept going for hours.The only thing is, as usual, my MS decided that I was using far too much energy. I came home after the course and crashed out. I was too tired to eat or even get myself a glass of water.  I was lying there for about three hours and got up only because of the bathroom. One of my fears with MS, and I know this might sound silly; I worry that I'm going to pee the bed.  It's never happened, yet, but, I have done it  in public, and even worse than that. It was when I didn't know I had MS and didn't know how deadly being out in the hot sun was for me.

I blamed it on a weak bladder, irritable bowel, my doctor said it was due to ---------( fill in the blank with anything but MS).

I will never get use to having this condition. It frustrates the hell out of me. I can go swimming and swim laps for an hour and feel fine, but try to read a book; forget it, I can barely manage a couple of pages.  I can make a wreath, but I can't do that and socialize at the same time.  I can go to a Christmas party , have a good time, and  then on the way home lose my wallet (An honest person found it)

So that's my life. I can only do one thing everyday.  Well, if that one thing is a  making a nice wreath.I guess that's  not so bad.

Proudly Canadian?

Here is one of the few things left that is made in Canada and owned  and operated by Canadians.

Medical Marijuana!!  

This is how I get my weed  now; from a licensed producer, purchased online, and  delivered to my door by express post. Amazing that it comes from the other side of Canada; British Colombia, in less than two days.  They also have custom strains of marijuana for different needs. I use the ones for pain relief, muscle spasms , anxiety, and for sleep.

  MS fatigue  is bad enough and insomnia only makes it worse. My fatigue can actually be dangerous. It comes on so suddenly and then my brain switches off.  I can't  function at all, so the only thing I can do is sit and wait for it to pass. Sit and wait, rest and rest. It's  boring and frustrating and at times gets me so down.

For me, having MS is like living in a medium security prison. I have some freedom, but the warden, MS, really is in charge.  The biggest challenge is that I don't look sick. Everybody thinks I can still function like a regular person, but I can't, so I disappoint others.

I just keep going . Swimming is one of my main activities. I swim and swim, and yes, it is a huge benefit, but how long can I keep going? I just  keep going. What else can I do?

Here are a few of my swim buddies who really help to  keep me going.

It was a great summer at that pool.  The indoor pool doesn't open till the 20th ! I already feel out of shape.

Spring in New Brunswick

Here's a little crab that was found on the beach during a field trip to Bouctouche Dunes in New Brunswick.
I do mentoring with grade three kids  at  the local public school where I live and they asked me to join them on this class outing .


It felt good  today to be out breathing the ocean air.  I have to say that the  first year  of my new life has turned out pretty good. My physical health is  much  improved and my MS is under control.  I have lost weight and toned up my body, thanks to the  indoor swimming pool that is right across the street.

 I think back to the wreck I was last year at this time and I'm so glad that I decided to change my life. Retiring and getting out of the big city was the right decision. There are some things I miss about living in a large urban area, yet  don't miss them enough to want to go back.

Things have even improved with  medical marijuana!!

Health Canada has changed the way patients can get approval to use medical marijuana and has licensed producers to sell weed to us. It's now a very simple  application process  and the new licensed producers sell excellent quality weed. Still though, I think marijuana should be legalized  but I doubt it will happen in my lifetime.


One thing that is strange and unexpected. I never thought that looking younger than my age would be a problem.  Most people would probably say that they wish they where in that situation, but no, really ; just like MS, it's causing misunderstandings and disappointment.  

Junior Senior and Pot Woes

Some crows decided to attack my garbage during a snowstorm. The garbage is now  buried under a huge pile of snow. I dread the melt.

Here I am at the end of 2013. It's been a year of big changes for me.

I retired in April, fixed up my house and sold it in June, then packed up my gear and moved to Miramichi, New Brunswick. I have never been so tired!

Now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with my life as a " junior senior" . I think you are classed as a junior from age 55- 70. After that, you're just old.. It's a strange feeling for me to have time on my hands. To know that I can get up whenever I want, do things that I like instead of endless obligations,  and stay up late if I feel like it.

There's no schedule to speak of, except swimming at 8:00 p.m. and volunteering at 2:30 on Thursdays.

I have been dabbling; trying out different things: photography, painting, volunteering at the Boys and Girls  Club and a web design course.  So far my one success  is bringing grocery delivery to this city. I guess I whined about it so much that somebody decided to do something.  I say a big Thank You  to the people at the Beaubear Co-op for making my life so much easier.

What I need to do now  is to try and focus on a couple of things instead of simply  filling my days with activities.  There are so many people here who tell me they are lonely and bored. I don't want to become like them.

Ah, but what will I do?  I find the web design course interesting but I doubt I would want to do that as a job.  Typing code is  very boring and fiddly. You have to get it exactly right, otherwise,  there's a blank page staring at you.

I wonder what I will be doing next year at this time?

Besides all of that; the Federal government has  revised the regulations concerning Medical Marijuana.
Health Canada is getting out of the pot growing business . Medical marijuana will now be sold by licensed dealers. No more compassionate clubs, edible weed products will be illegal, as well as store front operations  that sell drug paraphernalia. Individuals will no longer be permitted to grow their own and any  weed they have already grown must be destroyed.

I have the added hassle of my new doctor, refusing to sign the papers to renew my license to possess and buy medical weed.  Why? The doctor just doesn't like medical marijuana. What nerve! I have to travel to another city 3 hours away  to see another doctor who will.

Yes, 2014 is going to be interesting!

Tech Fails

Here is the Shediac lobster.  In New Brunswick  you can get  lobster really cheap, but milk is nearly double the price I paid in  Ontario.  The rent is  reasonable, but heating oil is very expensive and the only type of heating.  Still, I think I'm way ahead financially and most definitely emotionally.
  

Haven't updated the old blog in awhile and today just seemed  the right time  to do it. Everything else is a huge fail with  plenty of tech woes!

One of those days when things go wrong and nothing seems to work. I won't bore anyone with details of my customer service  complaints, since that seems to be  universal. Does anyone have positive experiences with that?

Why did I tell people I have MS? I thought they should know, just in case something happens to me. Big mistake! Now I have all these well meaning folks offering remedies and cures. I try to be polite and thank them,  but what I really want to do, is tell them to get lost. 

I'm amazed at the health, nutritional, and lifestyle myths that people believe. Beliefs that may even be endangering their health.  Examples: Diabetics who think eating honey is healthier than refined sugar and think that it's OK to eat  chips because they come from the health food store.  Advocates of Tai Chi, who think it can cure almost anything, including MS, and claim it has to do with releasing negative energy from your body.  People who smoke, drink, and abuse drugs but take supplements. One of them really believes that drinking homemade parsley water cleanses the poisons from their body and cinnamon in their smoothie will thin their blood!  Then they suck back a vodka cooler and eat a plate of nachos. Another woman who told me that I have MS because I use hair dye and I should switch to the natural ones. Oh, and lets not forget the organic crowd, who thinks eating organic cookies and  candy  is healthier. I'm not making any of this up 

No I don't do Tai Chi or yoga, don't eat organic food, don't take supplements, don't think natural is better, nor lace my food with turmeric ( "It cleanses your blood you know").  

I do avoid packaged and pre made foods, have cut way back on sugar and carbs, take vitamins, swim four times per week and  try to get a good night's sleep. I don't use any drugs except medical marijuana and only  do that to help me sleep.

Does any of it help my MS? I don't know and anyway that's not why I do  those things. Aside from my MS I don't have any of the most common health ailments such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes, so I guess I must be doing something right.   

Well that'd enough for now. Time to get back to trying to activate my new phone. Ha Ha !  

And please, anyone out there who wants to tell me that I'm wrong and I should take up Tai Chi to cure my MS. Get Lost!

 

     

     

Atlantic Airshow

Here's one of the members of the Sky Hawks team, performing at the Atlantic Airshow, which was right in my backyard.

The retirement community I live in was formerly Chatham Air Force Base. The runway still operates as part of the Miramichi airport and that's where they held the Airshow this year. Kind of cool to be able to just cross the road and go see  it.

And here I am getting   autographs from a few more Sky Hawks.



Ah to be twenty again! Not really, because then I wouldn't be able to live in what I think is one of the best retirement places ever! I'm quitting now because Blogger is being a pain. I wish they would stop trying to improve it

New Life- Same Old MS

Here is a very strange looking photo of me at my new home in Miramichi ,New Brunswick

I don't why my camera refuses to take normal pictures, but I've had my fill of technology woes for the present and I'm not in the mood to fiddle with it.

Otherwise, I'm very happy with my new life. The first month was rough.  Selling a house, packing, moving,  setting up a new place,  in a new city, new province, and in the middle of a heat wave . A challenge for a healthy person, and more so for a person with MS. There were a few days there when I didn't think I was going to make it. Had to do lots of praying and positive thinking in order  to keep going.

If anyone out there needs, or knows a person who needs, an affordable place to live, with the best landlord you could ever find, Retirement Miramichi is it. Here a link to their website Retire NB.

It isn't your typical retirement community It's more like living in cottage country with all the conveniences.
Everything is well maintained  and clean. It is safe and secure and also very picturesque. I will post some photos once I get this crazy camera to work properly!

I get a free bus pass and the bus stops right outside my door. I have a business card that  I can show to local merchants etc. to get senior discounts, even though I'm not senior age; yet.

  New Brunswick has true universal health care. I never have to worry about going to a clinic or hospital, because everything is covered.The only snag is that all the specialists are in another city, Moncton, but that's only an hour away.

Retirement Miramichi is located on a former air base,Chatham. I think it was a wise decision by the province of New Brunswick, to have converted it to a retirement community, but also incorporate many local groups such as the Boys and Girls Club. One of the old hangars now houses a beautiful recreation center with a fantastic swimming pool.

I just can't say enough good things about this place. I just wish I hadn't had to bring MS along with me. It still sucks! At least now I'm in a place where I don't have to worry and I can enjoy life.

There's going to be an air show in a couple of weeks; right outside my door.  Have to get this camera to
 co-operate, so I can post some photos of that.

Here's to retirement!

Sold!

My house is  sold! I don't think the agent would mind  me using this photo.

 Surprising that it didn't take very long; less than a month to get an offer. I was worried  because houses in my city  can sit on the market for months, although I did  notice that a few other places in the neighbourhood also sold quickly. This is supposedly a "hot" area . The person who bought my house said to the agent that they are looking forward to going around the corner to Starbuck's. I guess that's as good a reason as any and what do I care.  

It was crazy for awhile. Every day at least two or three viewings That meant that not only  did I have  to keep the house super clean and tidy, I had to be out.  The couple of times I did stay home were awful. People are so rude and ask such stupid questions.  When I did go out,  I would return home to  doors  left unlocked, all the lights on , back door and gate open ( "come on in  thieves")  and people actually used my toilet!

Not my agent's fault, but all these other ding a ling agents, who were so rude. Like the one guy who was looking for a bargain for an investor (watch out for those guys!). Of course he found a hundred things wrong with the place.

Then there was the joke of a home inspection and I really don't understand why people waste money on them. I complained about the lazy, unprofessional way the inspection was done at my home. The list of things is too long to put here. I also complained about what I saw as a conflict of interest. The buyer pays for an inspection and then the buyer's agent and the inspector come and check out the house.  Who's representing the seller?  Anyway, they decided to withdraw the inspection based on my complaints.

So now I'm getting ready to move very soon. It's a killer for somebody with MS. I have to take advantage of the times I have energy, but Oh! does that ever run out quick and I can't get over how weak I'm getting.

I  won't say where I'm moving  to yet, but I do have a nice house waiting for me.  It's a rental so I will no longer have to worry about living in  a money pit.

I feel pretty good about things Retiring and selling my house were the right decisions.

Earth Day

Here I am planting trees on a very cold Earth Day.

 The weather went from summer like to winter  in one day, so hmm, is there such a thing as climate change?  I think yes , not that we are really doing much to stop it.

 When a young woman asked me if I wanted a sign to put in my lawn "Stop the Pipeiline" or something like that, I pointed out the  scores of SUV's and trucks parked in the lot at the Botanical Gardens.  As long as we continue to promote the use of gas guzzling vehicles; turning out a light or planting a tree on Earth Day  makes us feel good,  but isn't doing us much good.  I took a free shuttle to the event. A smoky, smelly, vehicle it was; so  much for my efforts to lessen global warming. Well, I keep trying.


This old tree has seen better days.  

As for me. Only 4 more days till retirement!!

Good Bye Shingles- Hello Another MS Drug

I decided to use this famous image by Andy Warhol in my post because I just recently watched two  documentaries  about him.  I could go on for hours about why I agree that he was the greatest artist of the second half of the 20th century  and that there has been no new art since his death.


It only took 4 months but my shingles have finally cleared up . Once again I say : If  you are over 40 get vaccinated for shingles!!

Reading the news this morning I see that there is another new MS drug, called Tecifidor. As usual it is being heralded as a significant treatment for MS, with studies claiming it can reduce relapses by 53%. Serious side effects are  possible reduction in white cell counts and  fetal harm, which means it should not be used by pregnant women. Less serious side effects are  stomach and  bowel disruptions.

Did you know that drug companies earned over $14 billion from MS drugs last year? It is expected that this drug will bring in about 2-3 billion yearly.

All these drugs and yet where is the proof that they work? By work, I mean stop or slow progression.
My research; including reading several MS blogs and reading medical journals has led me to the conclusion that none of these drugs really work.

If you feel that they work for you, great. I'm certainly not going to say "Hey don't take MS drugs!"

 But, let's look at the claims made for this newest drug. How can they   say that relapses can be reduced by as much as 53%, given that relapses are so random, so unpredictable? I could take this drug and maybe only have one relapse during the time I use it, however, maybe I would have only had one relapse if I hadn't used it.  And how can they say this based on control groups. One group is using the drug, another is taking a placebo. They still don't know what the rate of relapse is or could be for either group..

MS progresses. It does so at different rates and  in different  ways. The way it progresses for me will be very different from the way it does for another person.  Relapsing/ remitting MS becomes secondary MS, most of the time, but not all the time. Progressive MS is rare, but it happens.  Having MS does not mean you will end up in a wheelchair, but it can.

So I live with uncertainty and I feel this is used as leverage to promote drugs that will not really improve my quality of life very much, if at all.

Only a few more weeks to go till retirement!  I also received news that I have a house available where I want to move to.  I'm excited and nervous and looking forward.

Here is a view of the harbor just a couple of weeks ago. It was a wonderful spring like day . Now we are back in the deep freeze and I'm hating it. It is partly to do with the fact that I have shingles .

 I'm telling anyone who has ever had chicken pox to please go and get vaccinated for shingles. You don't want to go through this painful, itchy, ugly, illness.  It's been over a month now and I'm still covered in a disgusting, sore, red, rash. I have also heard so many horror stories about shingles causing blindness and even death!  So please, please, go get vaccinated. Why the heck don't doctors tell people about this vaccine and why aren't they offering it to their patients as part of a regular vaccination routine?  I found out about it too late.

2013 is going to be a big year for me. I'm taking early  retirement in April, selling off all my possessions, and moving to another province.

 I thought about it for a long time and decided that I need a change in my life. My house is getting to be too much work and expense. I also can't bear to live in my adopted city of Hamilton any longer. I don't know why, but I just never took to this place, never made any meaningful attachments.

It wasn't all bad. This house was affordable and my son had twelve years of stability. You can see from  the photo above that there are some lovely places to go walking. It is also close to Toronto and Niagara Falls.

For the last six months I have slowly been getting rid of my stuff. Giving it away and throwing it out. Every week when I go to the office I wear one of my office outfits, then come home and put it in the donation bag. Wow, has my wardrobe shrunk! It feels so liberating to know I will never wear business casual ever again. I have always hated it.

 Once my house is sold I will have an estate sale and get rid of all  the rest. Yes everything must go!  It isn't worth the cost to ship everything where I'm going and I do like the idea of starting fresh. It will be a minimalist lifestyle from now on. No more collections, knic knacks,  magazine subscriptions,  kitchen gadgets, books, movies,  etc. etc.  All that stuff I thought I wanted, needed, and now I see what a burden it is.


I'll be doing some updates as I go along to map my progress.  Stay tuned, if you like.

Retirement

Not much going on, so that's why I haven't posted on my blog for a while.OK that's not exactly true, but some things I either can't share or won't.

Social media can be a good thing, but it also carries a heavy burden You think you have privacy and can express yourself  freely? Wrong.  If they can get the head of the CIA, they can get you.

So I would like to talk about my work  and social experiences however with all the rumour mongers and spies out there, it's just not worth it.

I can say that I will be retiring  early 2013. Don't want to publish the exact date yet until I get closer to that time.  The bureaucracy can be very unreliable.

Do I sound negative? Sorry. The world can be a disappointing place sometimes.

Summer 2012

Summer 2012

And wasn't it a hot one! So many days with record breaking temperatures . It was a challenge for me and I'm sure for everyone else out there with MS. Most days I could only go out if my clothes were stuffed with frozen cooler packs!

At least all the crazy pains in my legs have disappeared. I still walk much slower than ever; but I can walk, and can still  climb the 200 stairs at the harbour trail. Slowly.  


On those super hot days  I had  things to keep me busy : my garden, postcards, and an online course from Coursera  https://www.coursera.org/ .

I recommend trying a course there. They are free for now as the site is in the beta stage, so I imagine once they sort out the bugs they will either start charging money or zap us with a million ads like all the other sites do. I have ad blocker from  Google  Chrome which really works to get rid of those pesky ads.
 
Here's a few snaps from the Locke St. Festival, which is held every September and is right around the corner from my place.  

That's me posing with the car for Festitalia which is this weekend. I have my free sunglasses on that I picked up at one of the booths.

Then there are the energetic folks who make it a good time.

Drugs; It's Your Choice

Found two interesting articles in the news today.

 Injectable MS drugs do not halt disease progression. My own opinion on this is that I don't believe that MS is an autoimmune disease. The immune system attacks the lining of the brain and spine due to inflammation. What is causing that?  One theory is that blood is backing up in the brain; causing inflammation. Another is that a lack of vitamin D or poor absorption of vitamin D could be responsible.

The study cited in this article does say that interferons cut MS relapses. I still don't understand how they reached that conclusion given that MS is so unpredictable.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/health/research/multiple-sclerosis-drug-doesnt-stop-disability-study-finds.html?emc=eta1

Then we have another study showing that marijuana does reduce pain and vaporizers are an effective way to give the benefits of weed without harmful tars and other chemicals.

For myself I can  state that marijuana is the best pain reliever I have ever used. I no longer need to take Ibuprofen or ASA.  It also calms my muscle spasms and my"nighttime worries". For some reason the night is when I think of all the terrible things that might happen to me, which makes it so hard to get to sleep.  A few puffs on my vaporizer and I calm down and fall asleep.  Nice!

I know using a vaporizer is much better than smoking a joint. If I had to smoke marijuana I would give it up. Smoking marijuana is almost as bad as  smoking cigarettes
The coughing and throat irritation tells me that something bad is going into my lungs  

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/07/17/156468/research-backs-up-claims-of-medical.html


So the choice is yours to make. Everyone is different. Keeping yourself informed in order to make wise decisions about your health is one of the best things you can do.  

Vacation 2012

Back home after a nice holiday visiting friends in New Mexico.

Went to the UFO festival in Roswell, to help my friend promote a book of which he is coauthor and editor.

"The Aztec Incident" is another UFO crash that occurred in  Aztec, New Mexico, which is near the Four Corners area of the state.

Had lots of fun at the festival! An interesting mixture of serious UFO researchers and authors, and the foil hat crowd. Those who think the aliens will come to save us and others who think they will have us for breakfast and I don't mean as guests.

The website http://www.theaztecincident.com  has the first chapter which you can read for free. There's also a link to a YouTube video about an Aztec Incident documentary.

It sure was nice of people to be willing to pose for the camera You just ever know who you will meet at these events:

Treating Yourself  Expo 2012

Here I am once again  visiting the Treating Yourself Expo at the  Toronto Convention Centre

Here's Cannabis Dude

Had a great time. Spent too much money and came home exhausted. I was slightly disappointed because before I left home I decided to switch purses and  forgot  my possession license!! That meant I couldn't try out the Vape Lounge, where they had a selection of different vapourizers  to use so long as you brought your own weed. I didn't want to do that, I just wanted to see the different makes because I would like to get a portable  vape device.

I also couldn't take advantage of many of the offers from various compassionate clubs and sellers.  They really impressed me with their genuine desire to help people !

That will all change once the current government implements new policies for medical marijuana, which are expected to be in force in about two years.

You will no longer be permitted to grow your own weed, nor will compassionate clubs be  permitted to grow it for you. You will  no longer be able to buy weed from compassionate clubs, but only from government approved sources. Well really only one source, which I refer to as Weed Inc.

I can understand  why the government wants to tighten the regulations. I'm certain that many people who use medical marijuana abuse the system by giving or selling  some of their legally acquired cannabis to others.
I could do it very easily. My legal limit is 90 grams per month but I only use about 15- 20 grams maximum per month. If I grow my own what's to stop me from selling or giving away the rest?

Another consideration is  that people often grow far more than they are legally allowed and there is no way of checking unless you want the police to go around verifying every person .

My answer to this dilemma is that marijuana should be legalized,yet I'm concerned that there will only be one source for it . When you purchase from Weed Inc. they only have one kind of weed and you have no clue what it is. It is also irradiated, so I'm not so sure that is a good thing.

 I have learned from going to these Expo's that different types of marijuana can help with different symptoms of illness.  For example Indica is better for pain than Sativa,.so people need to have choices

 Why not have something like the  Beer Store, where they have a selection of many brands and types of beer?  Have weed  tightly regulated just like booze and educate people on the pros and cons just like booze.

Since I began using marijuana to treat my MS I can say that it is the best drug I have tried. I may sound like a hypocrite when I say that it really shouldn't be used as a recreational drug, but it's not my business why people use it.

The Young Liberals, of the Liberal Party of Canada, were the only ones who came out in the open at the Expo  and said that they will have the legalization of marijuana  as part of the Liberal Party platform for the next election.

For me that is a good enough reason to vote for them and I will !