Carnival of MS Bloggers #159

Welcome to the Carnival of MS Bloggers, a monthly compendium of thoughts and experiences shared by those living with multiple sclerosis.

Gut health

from MirandasMSBlog

Bacteria and Digestion

I quite often get asked about bloating. But did you know that you don’t have to have digestive symptoms to be suffering from ‘dysbiosis’ or wrong bacteria in the gut? It might be easy to think of this as something that’s just a minor inconvenience. However – gut problems are not just miserable & uncomfortable, they can also possibly play a role in auto-immune diseases like MS. In fact Hippocrates, the ‘Father of modern medicine’ is quoted as saying that ‘all disease begins in the gut’.

If the health of the gut breaks down, undigested food molecules can pass into the bloodstream. This is known as ‘leaky gut’. These undigested food molecules can be interpreted by the body as ‘bad guys’, and activate an immune reaction, causing a food intolerance. According to the theory of ‘molecular mimicry’, the confused immune system can then mistake other molecules, of the body’s own tissues, which are similar to these undigested food molecules, to also be ‘bad guys’ or pathogens, and launch an immune response to its own tissues, setting up an auto-immune disease.

So let’s take a look at this one aspect of gut health; bacteria, & how it affects us. The gut is basically a long tube, that travels from the mouth to the anus, with many shapes & sizes along the way, to accommodate the different stages of digestion! I’ve discussed constipation, diet and stool health, and the link between auto-immune disease and food intolerances before in this blog , but today I’m thinking about the tiny beings who live with us, lovingly help to keep us healthy but also depend on us too for their existence – Bacteria! bacteria


From the 1600s, and the invention of the first microscope, we have known about the existence of our internal bacteria, but up until quite recently, the focus for medicine has been more about the ‘war on germs’, and the eradication of infectious disease. We now understand that our gut is home to approximately 100 trillion micro-organisms. Did you know that: Bacterial cells outnumber our human cells to the extent that you could say that we are actually only 10% human, and 90% bacterial? Or that three pounds of your body weight is bacteria?

75% of our immune system is comprised of intestinal bacteria – and it also helps to regulate metabolism, digestion and the absorption of nutrients from food. The health of our gut depends on this intestinal ‘flora’ being in balance, and gut health is critical to overall health, with poor gut health implicated in a wide range of diseases including diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune diseases, autism spectrum disorder and even depression. So what can disrupt the healthy bacteria in the gut? Top of the list is

• Antibiotics – life saving but also seriously disrupt the ‘biome’

Amongst others,

• Steroids and other medications like birth control and non- steroidal anti-inflammatories
• Diets high in refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods
• Diets low in ‘fermentable fibres’ – food for the good bacteria
• Chronic stress and Chronic infections

What can we do to help repopulate the gut with healthy bacteria? And what to do if suffering from ‘digestive discomfort!’?

• Eat plenty of fermentable fibers (sweet potato, Jerusalem artichoke, yams, dandelion greens, leeks, onion, garlic, or bananas) or take a pro-biotic ( good bacteria) capsule that includes Pre-biotics ( food for the good bacteria)
• Eat fermented foods like kefir, live yogurt,( be aware these 2 are dairy based), kombucha, sauerkraut, kim chi, – traditionally most societies do, but we’ve forgotten to!
• and/or take a high-quality, MULTI-STRAIN PRO-BIOTIC ( good bacteria) capsule daily – Bio-Kult is a good one, many others too
• Keep your diet as close to whole foods as possible
• Learn how to manage stress healthily

Taking regular probiotics helps to re-establish the strength of our gut and digestion, reducing the incidence of food intolerances, and allowing the body to free up more of its energy for healing painful conditions. It has also been found to help prevent recurrent infections like urine infections, and increase our ability to fight off the bad bacteria. The cheapest dairy-free way to get good bacteria into your diet is by making your own sauerkraut – It’s super easy to make – just get a head of organic cabbage, chop it up, punch it in a bowl, sprinkle salt on it, let it sit for half an hour, then put it in jars with a bit of salt water and let it sit on your kichen top for a week. There’s loads of instructions on the internet, but that’s about the size of it. Then use it like pickle. Til next time :)


This concludes the 159th edition of the Carnival.  The next Carnival of MS Bloggers will be hosted here on October 2, 2014. Please remember to submit a post (via email) from your blog of which you are particularly proud, or which you simply want to share, by noon on Tuesday, September 20, 2014.

Comments for this post.

Carnival of MS Bloggers #135

Welcome to the Carnival of MS Bloggers, a bi-weekly compendium of thoughts and experiences shared by those living with multiple sclerosis.

Lucky Girl

from A Little of Everything

I constantly see a lot of posts about lack of support for some people with MS. I guess I've been very lucky, my family and friends have been nothing but supportive. I think it's very important for people in our lives to be educated about MS and the effects can have on someone.

Someone can look perfectly fine, but could be having muscle spasms and pain, that they just aren't calling attention to.

The most important part, in my opinion, is trying to keep the persons stress level as low as possible. Also family and friends understanding that. It's not always possible,
but I have found cutting out negative people or situations have helped a lot.

I don't think I would have been able to get through this far without the support system I have. And also knowing the people I don't talk to everyday, or for a while, sometimes give me the space I need. And still love and support me regardless!

I'm a very lucky girl.

With a Grain of Salt

from Needle Fatigue

This week was a slow week for news on the MS front.  Only one article in my Medical News Today-Multiple Sclerosis news feed: Salt May Play Role In Autoimmune Diseases

Anyone in my family would know why that headline got my attention.  It’s because — with maybe two anomalous exceptions — my people are… salt monsters.

When my clansmen go to the Chinese restaurant with the saltiest hot and sour soup in the world, they add soy sauce.  The only thing I think I have ever seen spared from the salt shaker is ice cream, and I’m not actually sure of that.  So one might think I’d be a pretty damn good candidate for a study of salt consumption and MS.

But the thing is, if you ask my family, as an adult, my devotion to sodium chloride has been pretty weak.   (It may be worth noting here too that I’m the only person with MS anywhere in my family, that we know of.)   I’d say that for the last ten years — and well before I had my first attack — my salt intake has been half of what I consumed as a wee salt monsterette.  All of my snacks are indecently raw and healthy.  I use low-sodium soy sauce.  But not all the time.

Recently I’ve read some interesting books on “intuitive eating” (if you’re interested, try this one) and found that that’s pretty much how I already go through life.  I figure if I crave a nice bloody steak (which isn’t often), there’s probably a good reason for it. And sometimes I shove aside the low-sodium Kikkoman and reach for my jug of tamari.  I’m less happy about the sneaky items in my kitchen that seem healthy but probably aren’t — that innocent box of rosemary-olive oil quinoa, with the sinister “spice sack” inside…

If you have MS, you probably get asked this question a lot: “So are you on a special diet to treat that?” This is something I’m still investigating, but I’m pretty sure the scientific consensus is that there is no diet that will prevent the progression of MS.  There are diets that might make you feel better — generally speaking — and I plan to write about some of that stuff here — but if there was an actual diet that could stop MS, or even better reverse the damage, I think we’d have bloody well heard about it.

So, the salt issue is something I’m just going to look at as one more of those nutritional areas I can improve on.  And after all, if it’s just being considered as a cause of MS, the horse is kind of out of the barn there.  And as the studies in Nature  point out, it’s only one of many.  It reminds me, on the day I was diagnosed officially, I asked my neurologist: “So you said there are all these  ‘environmental triggers’ that cause MS — what are they?”  His answer was “If I knew that, I’d have a Nobel Prize.”

And on that note, hot and sour soup sounds really good right now.

YouTube Therapy: Making MS Manageable with the World Wide Web

by Katie Brind'Amour of Healthline.com

Although progress in the treatment of MS has been slow, individuals with this condition can at least be grateful for one of the best free resources now available: the Internet. This venue for at-home treatment clearly should not replace treatment advice from your own physicians, but things as simple as YouTube videos can offer a new world of simple symptom improvement advice that can improve your daily life.

According to Healthline.com, the type of MS you have or the degree to which your MS has progressed will impact the type and severity of symptoms you experience. Always remember that your own at-home treatments should be tailored to the severity of your condition—start small, and work your way up!

Use YouTube advice to get a handle on bladder control problems. These Pelvic Control Tips offer viewers five strategies for keeping it in. By doing exercises daily, you can both prevent some bladder problems and improve symptoms you may already have.

Get your balance with simple home-based exercises. For those in early stages of MS or with periods of total remission, more advanced balance exercises may be appropriate. For those with more difficulty balancing or a more advanced stage of the condition, balance techniques designed for seniors may be more comfortable. Regardless of your ability level, start all exercises close to a bed, countertop, or wall that you can use for support and stability in case of a totter or fall. Check out the video instructions for guidance!

If you want to avoid losing your hand-eye coordination as long as possible, YouTube has an answer for that, too! Try early preventative exercises (that require agility) to hone your hand-eye skills. Start with a basketball (sitting, if needed), and work your way up to the tennis ball as shown. For those with more difficulty, try one of the numerous videos for children to rebuild your hand-eye coordination. Stringing beads or foam onto a pipe cleaner can be tough at more advanced MS stages!

Another problem that commonly accompanies MS is depression. Use YouTube videos for a little meditation-like pep-talk or learn tried-and-true strategies for fighting depressive symptoms naturally. If fatigue is a problem for you, consider searching out freebie videos like this little clip of using yoga to fight fatigue.

Finally, we all know that MS can negatively impact both concentration and memory. Although options abound, try this video to learn a single exercise that may improve your ability to concentrate during a task. Memory techniques may be good to mix up from time to time, but advice on starting to improve your memory can be key to getting your at-home training off the ground.

No matter what you choose to focus on—just one symptom or a bit of everything—it seems like a bit of a blessing to be living in such an electronic age. Take advantage of everything YouTube has to offer for making your at-home preventive efforts as effective as possible!


This concludes the 135th edition of the Carnival.  The next Carnival of MS Bloggers will be hosted here on March 28, 2013. Please remember to submit a post (via email) from your blog of which you are particularly proud, or which you simply want to share, by noon on Tuesday, March 26, 2013.

Comments for this post.

Carnival of MS Bloggers #62

Welcome to the Carnival of MS Bloggers, a bi-weekly compendium of thoughts and experiences shared by those living with multiple sclerosis.

Thoughts on Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency

This is an early edition of the Carnival featuring posts related to CCSVI.  We will have our regularly scheduled Carnival tomorrow as well.  Enjoy the bonus this week!!

Note: The National MS Society presents information regarding CCSVI, including a recording of the webforum held on April 14, 2010 and hosted by NMSS and the American Academy of Neurology, on their website.

CCSVI Tempo
by Judy of Peace Be With You

CCSVI,
the latest lightening rod
for strongly held views.

Some want us to sprint.
Others ask moderation.
Patients want relief.

Do we ask too much

of this new experiment?

Let's please find the truth.

The Vampire Can Walk In The Sun Again! 

by Ginger of CCSVI, Liberation Surgery & Me

Before my liberation treatment I was not able to live in temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius. In fact, temps around 18 were optimum for me. In the late Spring and entire summer I would be a prisoner in my air conditioned home, held hostage by the sun's heat. I would joke to myself that I was like a vampire but the joke just wasn't funny anymore after living like this for the last 10 years. If I exposed my body to any type of heat above 20 degrees I would get extreme pain in my hands, arms, feet and legs. My feet would feel like they were burning and my body would go all tense and tight and I would not be able to walk at all. I would become dizzy and experience vertigo.

Since spring began a few weeks ago and the temperature has started to rise I have been watching myself with great interest as I'm hoping my heat intolerance is gone. I have had hints that it might be gone like when I had a hot bath and was able to clean the tub after. (Usually I felt like a limp piece of spaghetti and had to go directly to bed leaving the tub to cleaned on another day.)

Two days ago I decided to take my dogs to the off leash park with my son Darin and his puppy. It was around 22 degrees Celsius so I was a bit concerned how my body would react. When I started walking in the park my left knee felt like I had a tensor bandage wrapped around it and I thought "Oh God! here it comes!" But then I kept walking and the "hug" went away. I was waiting for the ax to fall but it never did. I was aware of the sun's heat on my skin and the breeze blowing but I had no exacerbations at all!

I was able to walk in the bright heat of the sun with my dogs and my boy like a normal mom. I did not explode into flames like an Anne Rice character. This was the most marvelous feeling and I laughed because for most people it was so mundane and ordinary for them. My right leg and foot are still the weakest links in my recovery and the leg did start to feel slightly burning but that was all. I am hoping that when the temperature really goes up I will be able to withstand the heat and enjoy my summers again.

Goin' the other way on the CCSVI limb
by Doc of The Gimp Chronicles: Shade-Stealing Crips

I was recently asking some people who know I have MS why certain people reacted as if I had a potentially explosive brain tumor when they heard I have MS. Without hesitation, the response was "they just don't know better."

OK, I can dig that, I guess... because it corresponds with my own lack of overwhelming concern about dying from MS, or disability. I've never really felt like MS would kill me, and I've long been ready to be a fulltime crip. I won't be overly stressed when it happens.

I've had signs and symptoms for at least 3-4 years now, with diagnosis Jan of 2009, but I kind of figured well, can anything be done? It can? Well, let's do it. That is not to say I haven't had bad times and that I won't have more... doesn't mean I enjoyed avonex shots and side effects (which went away), but I just don't have the feeling of MS as a "horrible, disabling, crippling, monstrous" yadayadayada life-sapping badguy. I know I must seem very lucky to some who have MS-- I have insurance, a fanTAStic neuroimmunologist, a working clinical trial, a job, and a genetic predisposition to get things done. I have done about 90% of things I've wanted to (honestly-- i'm just missing the Oscar), and all that is left is to live a good, decent life and create as little terror and pain as possible.

So yeah-- I just am not hopping on the CCSVI bandwagon. There are serious problems in the methodology of research (yeah, I'm a PhD in English, but I read pretty well too). My major surprise is that I didn't really think I'd see a shrill (both ways) medical fad/ cure/ treatment/ whatever it is or might be acted out as they were in the past. Hey, I'm a vegetarian, I like my herbs and adore my teas, but it's not those that turned the Xmas lites off in my brain. Whatever the reason, the clinical trial drug works VERY well in me-- may not in others.

I look at it this way-- I was so ridiculously low risk for MS (not Scandinavian, raised in the sun, not even ONE yeast infection, and a non-environmentally risky job-- but yeah, female), yet my lesion load was so tremendous that it took 8 docs 7 days or so to hesitantly determine what I did NOT have-- by god, SOMEONE would have noticed blood drainage/circulation issues!

Or not...

And that is how the discussion of CCSVI goes. There is always someone who was cured or will believe themselves to be cured via unorthodox ways-- I swear one person said he was cured by parsley, chorella, and vitamin D. HMM!! Shouldn't the vegetarian have been protected from MS if veggies were the key? Undoubtedly, I'd contracted some invisible yeast infection.... or it's stress... or blocked veins.

I really do hate monolithic arguments. I can understand fear and loathing of MS. I am sure I'm relatively "lucky". I'm even a bit credulous.

But not about MS. And if one more person declares "all docs"/neuros are "in bed with Big Pharma" I'm gonna smack them freakin' silly. With my still-functional right hand, then beat them with my occasionally-needed cane.

Grump. I await some science.

And anyone mention grammar errors are "not supposed to be in English-major blogs!", I will say I'm off duty-- and THEN beat 'em with my cane. Grr.

CCSVI, liberation treatment and what you need to do to treat your MS NOW 

by ManOnAMSion

It is human nature to want a quick solution to our problems – the silver bullet that will make it better.  The recent excitement around chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and “liberation treatment” put me in mind of that fact of life.  The reality is that this is a theory and a treatment in the early stages of research, and you need to put your multiple sclerosis into remission NOW.

It has been widely reported – in sometimes breathless, overstated terms – that Dr. Paolo Zamboni of Italy has discovered the cause – and cure – for multiple sclerosis.  If only either were true.  As well reported by Canada’s National Post, this very preliminary research has been totally blown out of proportion.  And if people living with MS line up for unproven surgery, rather than doing what we know we can RIGHT NOW to treat our MS, the results can be harmful.

It is true that Dr. Zamboni has found some support for a hypothesis of a connection between restrictions of cerebral blood flow and multiple sclerosis. And the limited data indicates that there may indeed be a correlation.  But  it isn’t clear to me whether what he has discovered is a cause of MS, as opposed to be yet another symptom, and this doesn’t point to the silver bullet treatment that many media reports have suggested.

As Dr. Jelinek explains well, this finding isn’t even all that new and in fact was written about by Dr. Swank many years ago in his book.  And Dr. Swank’s work, confirmed by Dr. Jelinek, has already given us a treatment plan, albeit not a silver bullet.

The fact is that for us folks with multiple sclerosis, staying well is within our control, but, sorry folks, it takes discipline and a life-long dedication to changing our lifestyle, starting with our diet.  Controlling what is put into our bodies is the key to controlling our bodies.

Does that sound like a silver bullet?  No, I suppose not.  But step back and think about it for a minute.  Do you really think surgery (as suggested by Zamboni) is a preferable solution to eating healthy?  I suppose there are many who wait for the heart attack and then have angioplasty or stents (or bypass) instead of eating right, but I sure wouldn’t choose that.

And I know that Dr. Swank and Dr. Jelinek’s recommendations sound difficult, if not impossible, when most of us first read them.  Take it from me, a man who had no discipline (75 lbs. overweight), it is daunting at the outset.  But after 8 months of living on the plan, I feel great, have lost almost 30 lbs. (and counting) and, most importantly, I have learned to love this healthy lifestyle and will never go back.

Do yourself a favor: if you are not a Swanker, commit to trying the plan for 2 months.  Really stick with it, see how you feel and see if you really want to go back.  The worst that will happen is that you will have a healthy diet for a couple of months.  The best that will happen is you will become committed and live a longer, healthier life, with less disease progression.  You’ll even help ward off cancer and heart disease (isn’t MS enough for you?)!


This concludes the 62nd 'early' edition of the Carnival.

The next Carnival of MS Bloggers will be hosted here on June 3, 2010. Please remember to submit a post (via email) from your blog of which you are particularly proud, or which you simply want to share, by noon on Tuesday, June 1, 2010.

Thank you.

Comments for this post.

Carnival of MS Bloggers #6 - A Country of Our Own

Welcome to the Carnival of MS Bloggers, a bi-weekly compendium of thoughts and experiences shared by those living with multiple sclerosis.

Diane of A Stellarlife bravely welcomes us to

"A Country Called Multiple Sclerosis"

One day in 1990 I suddenly moved to another country. Not knowing the spoken language, not familiar with the foods of choice, and knowing no one else who had ever been to this place; well, I was on my own. The country was called Multiple Sclerosis.

Knowing I was headed there or the island of a brain tumor, I was quite happy to have an MRI expose me to my new path. Winding through symptoms including numbness, foot drop, legal blindness, slurred speech, fingers to feet that stopped functioning, I settled, after 18 years into my current life with twists and turns more dramatic than any roller coaster, comfortably aboard a lift-chair with a 5 MPH power chair poised next to it. I was a long way from Indiana.

First I had to learn the language. MRI, ABC and sometimes RTN, NIH, CNS, RR, PT, OT, AFO, oh dear, hard to learn a new language as an adult, especially when the natives often speak in acronyms.

The cuisine took some getting used to as well: green tea, low fat, lots of fruits and vegetables, high fiber, water galore. Out were my trips to burger land, fried chicken and frozen TV dinners. Oh, and for dessert: stretching with yoga and a thick topping of meditation.

The political system is not that unusual. Doctors, Researchers, Therapists, Pharmacists, all adding their individual ideas for a better MS. We do not vote, but we visit them and choose which ones will represent our needs the best. Sometimes they exceed our expectations; sometimes they drift off point, leaving us adrift as well. Fundraising is ongoing and there never is enough money to deliver what we all want---a cure.

We need not feel alone though, for there are societies, associations, and many groups that offer power in numbers. Thank goodness the Internet thrives in this country and offers engines to take us to many helpful sites. And since any minuscule point on any tiny nerve from the top of our heads to the tips of our toes can be compromised at each moment in time, well, no two bodies ever experience exactly the same physical mishaps; nor, for the same length of time. No wonder the first pilgrims to this country were considered insane.

I guess the most difficult obstacle I had to learn to deal with was the uncertainly of life here. Oh, sure, in Indiana we had 10’ below and snow that stayed for months. Spring would bring tornadoes and the summer brought humidity with 90’ temps that were unbearable. “Just wait and the weather will change,” they used to say; actually that was said in my second home-Seattle, Washington as well. And the same attitude is true with MS. Unpredictable: the concept that defines MS and dismantles the goal-oriented planner like me.

Do not bother looking for a visitor’s bureau; none exists, probably due to having to update brochures so often. (The cause is this; no it’s not. Don’t eat dairy; dairy is fine. It is not inherited; yes it is. This drug is best; no this one is better.) Besides, who would want to visit here? Better to lose your money in Vegas than lose your mind here. Our brains are shrinking, atrophy of limbs sneaks up on us. No beaches for sunbathing or saunas for visitors, the heat will slow our nerve signals to a virtual stop.

Will I fall today or trip over my unresponsive foot? How much will be seen clearly today and will I have the strength to look around? Numbness, tingling, pain and spasticity are always nearby. Weakness, depression, constant worries about the “f” word lurk around every boarded up tourist attraction.

F for future, the fear one dare not say aloud. Jobs are so difficult to keep here. Money is always a concern and no insurance will cover our “pre-existing condition.”

So I decided to embrace my new country, “go with the flow,” “chill out,” “take it one day at a time.” After all, this is my home now. Each day is a new adventure, a new word to learn, a new fellow citizen to meet, a new mountain to climb. Yes, MS is my new home. I embrace the new person I have become and I wouldn’t live anywhere else. Headed this way? Be brave, it is a great adventure.

Next up, meet some of the fabulous residents of MS Country.

Jenn shares some good news, "in the 10 months since my last MRI, there are NO new lesions!!!"

We need to find out what causes this thing, and though we have figured out how to slow the progression, our medical best is still a failure. The disease will still progress. We've come a long way baby, and I am grateful, but we have some exciting challenges still ahead. MS does not discriminate. You can be a young healthy fine woman one day as I was, and the next day my vision was severely decreased thanks to Optic Neuritis, and my world was shaken. I am glad to say that I do not identify myself with MS, IT is not ME. I don't hate it or put any negative energy (that is draining!) toward it. I am just loving my body, and the gift of life, and the nature around me that God has blessed us and revealed Himself to us through. I would LOVE to think that I may be healed, yet I realize for most that does not happen.

The many gifts of life don't always come with just one blessing or one challenge at a time. Often it's a mixed bag. Vicki takes time to relay the major life events of her past year - through a new relationship, strange symptoms, THE diagnosis, relapses, love, an engagement, and a literal moving of house and home.

"A year that has been so hard yet also so wonderfully good!"

It all started in January 2007, the 6th to be precise, when I met B for the first time in person for lunch in a pub. I talked the whole time and I think he only spoke to ask me what I wanted to drink!

So things went from there, we met for dinner and then again for lunch and we carried on. At the end of January I got a strange feeling in my right hand, my little finger and finger next to it were feeling slightly numb. I put this down to having driven a strange vehicle the weekend before. After that the numbness moved to my feet and lower legs and gradually moved on up. To begin with it wasn’t bad. I could feel almost normally, then one morning after a hard couple of shifts I woke up with much less feeling all the way from my feet to my bum and poor balance.

I thought back to two periods of numbness to the left side of my torso which included an episode of a very strange sensation down my spine. I had decided that week that I was not safe doing my job as an ambulance technician and therefore made a Drs appointment. I was thinking referral to an osteopath/ chiropractor for my back but no referral to a neurologist.

Throughout all of this B was there for me. I gave him the opportunity to get out of the relationship on the day I was diagnosed but he said no. He had told me he loved me the month or so before; I had said it back some time after. Having never said I love you to a boyfriend before it was a bit of a scary and unknown quantity! His view was that you never know what is ahead and lets just get on with things!

B and I got engaged on the 5th January 2008 and we are in the process of moving house. He doesn’t seem at all phased by any of what has happened over the last year or so and says he loves me more and more.

So as I said at the beginning of this post, it’s been a horrible year it really has but I wouldn’t go back. I’ll take B and the MS rather than not having either. May sound strange but that’s how I feel!

And do take the time to read the comments which have been left for Vicki. You will find that love often eclipses the uncertainties of life with multiple sclerosis in this new country of ours.

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein

Right on. This is what I've been trying to get across to my son Adrian. He's 9 and learning to read, write, spell and process life with dyslexia. He wants so badly to be perfect, but he can't. So I've been talking to him about how it's ok to not get things right all the time. And it's ok to feel bad about it. The crappy feelings will go away. Keep practicing. As my friend Paul's wife Laura says "Practice makes pretty good!"

Read Trrish's inspiring post at These Pretzels are Making Me Thirsty.

Sharing some great MS moments, newly-diagnosed Kim of Sunshine and Moonlight is reminded that having M.S. can have its benefits. In It's a Good Thing I Have M.S.!, she writes of her comical weekend snow-bound in Northwestern Pennsylvania.

Having avoided the bathtub at all costs since her diagnosis, Kim tells of making nice with her tub in My Bathtub Didn't Eat Me! and introduces what might be the new national anthem for M.S. patients.

And in the true spirit of comedian Bill Engvall, the land of Sunshine and Moonlight explores Here's Your Sign moments for M.S. patients.

Spying the victim of the dreaded Multiple Sclerosis Back Scars on Days of our Lives, the Queen of Mediocretia* of Suburbia says She Looks Great!

Back in '94, five days after my elective insurance started (victorious smug snort of self-satisfaction) I woke up and my feet were asleep. Oh, and I felt like my guts were super-glued together.

"Like a tight band is around your torso?" asked the neurologist I saw seven days after the insurance started.

"Why, yes, it feels just like that!" (Torso band. Classic. Textbook. So unimaginative.)

This all happened in less than a week. I went on a cruise, returned to an MRI and I was back on the medical Fast Track. The secret to the fast track? Have something so obvious even the receptionist can diagnose it.

"Hmm," grunted the neurologist, "I think you might have a mild case of MS."

"Hunh." I grunted in return, as these thoughts went through my head, in this order.

Curious to know what The Queen thought? What exactly are multiple sclerosis back scars? Who has them? And should you ask your neurologist about them?

For these and others answers to the mysteries of our new land, turn to In Which We Mock Our Illness, brought to you by Ellen, The Queen herself.

And finally, a mystery of a different nature...
"Nervonic Acid...Where Did It Go?"

I love a mystery. Don't you?
It brings out my inner Nancy Drew. I feel way more skilled than her though with my statistical knowledge (I teach statistics). So I'm more like a well designed character in a classic Agatha Christie novel....a curious statistician if you like ;)
So, the mystery that unfolded to me in the last year was one that erupted when I discovered the possible death of nervonic acid from a) our food chain and b) our food information chain.

Rather than revealing clues to the mystery as presented by Orla of Great Mastications, I recommend you read her inquiries into the significance of nervonic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid with a molecular structure of C24H46O2 which contains a C=C double bond in the w-9 position.

This concludes the brief tour of our new land, "A Country Called Multiple Sclerosis." Tune in next time...

But WAIT...that's not ALL!!!

We've also got some of our very own grass-roots media forces.

Stuart Schlossman of "Stu’s Views and MS Related News" msviewsandrelatednews publishes an e-Newsletter which is estimated to reach approximately 4000 people per week.

"With time on my hands, I wanted to provide Multiple Sclerosis information to and for, anybody seeking to be empowered with MS information. Remember please that Knowledge is Power and I want all whose lives are touched by MS, to have this Empowerment."

And Charles A. Rovira who is the one and only podcaster - that's like internet radio on demand for those who are unfamiliar - to focus on multiple sclerosis, MSers and creating a positive community of togetherness.

"I have a few hundred shows under my belt. You can pick up the last 100 shows on iTunes and play it on an iPod or other MP3 player. They are also available at MSB Podshow or there is even a player on the page itself at MSBPodcast.com."

Please do go check these guys out.

The next Carnival of MS Bloggers will be hosted here on March 27, 2008. Please remember to submit a post (via email) from your blog of which you are particularly proud, or which you simply want to share, by noon on Tuesday, March 25, 2008.

Thank you.
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Carnival of MS Bloggers #1

Welcome to the new Carnival of MS Bloggers, Edition No.1

I'm excited about the many MS Bloggers who have responded to share their stories and invite you to visit their blogs.

So sit back, relax, curl up with your computer and a favorite beverage. Enjoy.

¤¤¤ Multiple Sclerosis ¤¤¤

Joan Wheeler presents her 13-year journey from initial neurological event to eventual diagnosis in My Multiple Sclerosis e-Book. This is her story (which I thoroughly enjoyed reading.)

Joan blogs at A Short in the Cord and reminds us that everyone with MS has very different experiences and thus has his own story to share.

¤¤¤ Opinion ¤¤¤

Writing at Self-injecting Chinese Hamsters since 2007, a newly-diagnosed MSer, simply known as -A, short for Anonymous, presents Why Baking Cookies is Not Going to Cut It.

Building on Susan Sontag's legacy in terms of analysis of illness, specifically "Illness as Metaphor," -A takes a brief, first look at MS and how it, like cancer for Sontag, has come to serve as a trope for various contemporary social "evils."

An Excerpt from Susan Sontag's Obituary

(via Los Angeles Times Dec 28, 2004)

In 1976, at 43, Sontag discovered she had advanced cancer in her breast, lymphatic system and leg. She was told she had a one-in-four chance to live five years. After undergoing a radical mastectomy and chemotherapy, she was pronounced free of the disease. "My first reaction was terror and grief. But it's not altogether a bad experience to know you're going to die. The first thing is not to feel sorry for yourself."

She learned as much as possible about the disease and later wrote "Illness as Metaphor," an influential essay condemning the abuse of tuberculosis and cancer as metaphors that transfer responsibility for sickness to the victims, who are made to believe they have brought suffering on themselves. Illness, she insisted, is fact, not fate. Years later, she would extend the argument in the book-length essay "AIDS and Its Metaphors."

¤¤¤ Life ¤¤¤

Victoria Plum, an ambulance technician from Berkshire, England (on this side of the big pond we might call her an EMT), presents Why can't I sleep??

Finding herself unable to sleep one night during her enforced time off the road due to a yet-to-be diagnosed medical problem, what does Victoria do?

Well, she does what many of us have done....she starts a blog.
Victoria shares her MS journey at the aptly named blog Victoria Plum - Technician!.

¤¤¤ Multiple Sclerosis ¤¤¤

Recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November 2007, Kimberly Fabrizio is thankful to have had One Month Free of Hypochondria.

Kim blogs at Sunshine and Moonlight -- A Journey with Multiple Sclerosis and says, "Yes, I’m living in reality….Honest," and shares some ideas about Staying Positive without Mindless Optimism.

She also has discovered a new way to relate to her father, especially whenever she's, uh, like saying, "You know -- It's that....that....THING!"

¤¤¤ Life ¤¤¤

Although November 2007 was National Family Caregivers Month, we should take time to recognize the many things which our family members, friends, and caregivers do for us each and every month.

Mandy Crest blogging at MS Maze presents My Spouse, My Caregiver, a gentle testament to the many little things her husband does for her on a regular basis.

¤¤¤ Life ¤¤¤

Chris Tatevosian has gone beyond the blogworld and has written a book about his MS experience titled Life Interrupted, It's Not All about Me.

Chris shares his story regarding anger, frustration, rage, and marriage when a couple suffers the effects of multiple sclerosis.

No one should have to put up with that kind of behavior, especially your closest and most intimate friend, the person you love most in life. Yet this situation is prevalent among couples affected by MS. I have made my life an open book with the goal of helping others avoid making the same relationship destroying mistakes that I have me.

At his blog Defeating Illness, Chris primarily discusses issues surrounding his book.

¤¤¤ Multiple Sclerosis ¤¤¤

Richard Boughton reflects on the disease which is MS, as compared with other types of disease, in his post Blades of Grass found at non-idiotic people who happen to have MS.

Perhaps it is time to amble a bit more as we go through life, no matter what the weather. Goals are fine, achievements are dandy, but sometimes we can fail to appreciate the wonders of the process, the myriad sights and sounds, faces and places that are the fabric of our immersion in that which is our life. No matter what else it comes with, it comes only once—blades of grass one day, fuel for fire the next.
[Still] ... I'll choose MS.

Richard blogs at KEBENARAN - THE TRUTH.

¤¤¤ MS News ¤¤¤

Ann Sawyer and Judi Bachrach join blogging forces to discuss The MS Recovery Diet, a book which addresses the inflammatory effects of nutrition in diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Ann provides answers to a reader's questions regarding the book on her blog, while Judi answers some questions regarding a vegetarian approach for her readers.

¤¤¤ Opinion ¤¤¤

As nutrition truly is important in maintaining a healthy body, Lisa Emrich at Brass and Ivory shares a recent experience she had after her rheumatologist suggested fighting systemic inflammation by fighting abdominal fat which produces cytokines (ie. TNF-s and Interleukin-1). The latest disease-modifying drugs used for rheumatoid arthritis suffers seeks to counteract the effects of these cytokines, but those of us with MS are prohibited from using these drugs due to neurological side-effects.

So in fighting abdominal fat, a natural approach would seem most logical. However, caution should be taken for those sufferers who seek the guidance of 'natural health' practitioners who may (or may not) have a larger agenda in play than your greatest health.

Lisa shares her experience with one local doctor In the Pursuit of Health & Wellness - Is Alternative Medicine Complementary?

¤¤¤ MS News ¤¤¤

Stuart Schlossman of Stu's Views and MS Related News invites readers to visit his blog and to subscribe to his weekly MS e-Newsletter which is presently received by over 4000 people globally.

Stu's blog is not the typical 'bloggers blog' but is an archived database of over 900 MS-related articles which give the viewer, the patient, and/or caregiver a place where they can learn more about Multiple Sclerosis.

¤¤¤ Multiple Sclerosis ¤¤¤

The next Carnival of MS Bloggers will be hosted here again on January 17, 2008. Submit a post from your blog of which you are particularly proud, or which you simply want to share, by noon on Tuesday, January 15, 2008.

As the carnival develops and participation increases, I hope to include more personal views and presentations on any number of topics and less quasi-commercial promotion.

Thanks for visiting and happy blogging in the new year.

Thank you.
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