Lady with the Cane.com

It is November and that means National Novel Writing Month. I participate every year. As always, I am behind on my writing goal for the month: WRITE 50,000 WORDS  IN 30 DAYS.  With only two days to go, I still need 10,000 to finish.  So...I will see you here again on Wednesday or at the end of my journey of 50,000 words. Until then, breathe. Lisa

It is November and that means National Novel Writing Month. I participate every year. As always, I am behind on my writing goal for the month: WRITE 50,000 WORDS  IN 30 DAYS.  With only two days to go, I still need 10,000 to finish.  So...I will see you here again on Wednesday or at the end of my journey of 50,000 words. Until then, breathe. Lisa

Good morning, my fellow warriors! What a beautiful morning it is here in Monongah, West Virginia. After a rather rude announcement of winter weather, I find it refreshing to talk to you while looking out my window on the new fallen snow. And I know  all those deer hunters out there are happy to see that natural tracking device that was thrown their way for the first day of doe season. I admit that I do  love the snow and was thrilled to see a virtual white out on my television screen Saturday night when  I tuned in to the WVU football game. That was the only good thing about that game and I don't want to talk about it any further, so let's move on. The point is: Winter is here. As far as the weather is concerned.  That means the eating season is on, boys and girls! This week is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year. With Thanksgiving comes all those yummy dishes that I anticipate all year long. Many (most) of those food items are rather unhealthy, but I always over indu

Good morning, my fellow warriors! What a beautiful morning it is here in Monongah, West Virginia. After a rather rude announcement of winter weather, I find it refreshing to talk to you while looking out my window on the new fallen snow. And I know  all those deer hunters out there are happy to see that natural tracking device that was thrown their way for the first day of doe season. I admit that I do  love the snow and was thrilled to see a virtual white out on my television screen Saturday night when  I tuned in to the WVU football game. That was the only good thing about that game and I don't want to talk about it any further, so let's move on. The point is: Winter is here. As far as the weather is concerned.  That means the eating season is on, boys and girls! This week is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year. With Thanksgiving comes all those yummy dishes that I anticipate all year long. Many (most) of those food items are rather unhealthy, but I al

Two Small Studies Find Benefits of Exercise for People with MS with Moderate to Severe Problems with Movement November 9, 2016 Summary Two small studies report on the benefits of exercise for people with MS who have moderate to severe mobility impairments. This research shows the importance of physical activity in enabling people with all forms of MS to live their best lives. The National MS Society provides  resources on exercise  for people living with all forms of MS, as well as for  healthcare providers . Further information on  increasing physical activity in adults with disabilities  is available from the Centers for Disease Control. Details Background:  Growing evidence suggests that exercise is good for a person’s overall health and for reducing other health conditions (co-morbidities).  Research in MS has also suggested that exercise training is effective for improving aerobic capacity and muscle strength, mobility, quality of life, and may benefit cognition, fatigue and depre

Two Small Studies Find Benefits of Exercise for People with MS with Moderate to Severe Problems with Movement November 9, 2016 Summary Two small studies report on the benefits of exercise for people with MS who have moderate to severe mobility impairments. This research shows the importance of physical activity in enabling people with all forms of MS to live their best lives. The National MS Society provides  resources on exercise  for people living with all forms of MS, as well as for  healthcare providers . Further information on  increasing physical activity in adults with disabilities  is available from the Centers for Disease Control. Details Background:  Growing evidence suggests that exercise is good for a person’s overall health and for reducing other health conditions (co-morbidities).  Research in MS has also suggested that exercise training is effective for improving aerobic capacity and muscle strength, mobility, quality of life, and may benefit cognition, fatigue

But it is difficult, isn't it? I was supposed to attend a meeting at a local post office today to get information about obtaining new passports for my family. The content of the meeting sounded really interesting and my husband and I have talked often about updating our travel vouchers and getting one for our son. Even in these days of terrorist threat and airport dangers, we realize that travel is inevitable and often necessary. So, I agreed to attend this Passport Fair to educated us on the how's. Well, after re-reading the newspaper advertisement for the event this morning, I realized that, though the Fair sounded interesting, I really did not need to remove myself from my home today in order to obtain a renewed passport. Passports are issued every day with out the assistance of a public gathering. And.....we do not plan on leaving the country in the foreseeable future....if ever! So, why  would I even entertain the thought of getting all dolled up (aka putting on clean unde

But it is difficult, isn't it? I was supposed to attend a meeting at a local post office today to get information about obtaining new passports for my family. The content of the meeting sounded really interesting and my husband and I have talked often about updating our travel vouchers and getting one for our son. Even in these days of terrorist threat and airport dangers, we realize that travel is inevitable and often necessary. So, I agreed to attend this Passport Fair to educated us on the how's. Well, after re-reading the newspaper advertisement for the event this morning, I realized that, though the Fair sounded interesting, I really did not need to remove myself from my home today in order to obtain a renewed passport. Passports are issued every day with out the assistance of a public gathering. And.....we do not plan on leaving the country in the foreseeable future....if ever! So, why  would I even entertain the thought of getting all dolled up (aka putting on cl

Okay, before you say to yourself, "There she goes again, selling someone else's product", hear me out.  Yoga has proven  very valuable to me in my MS existence. When I can force myself to practice this ancient art (and it should be every day), I really do see results. If nothing else, the stretching is invaluable. I do not think I really understood the pain of MS until recently. Seriously, when I read about the "pain" symptoms of multiple sclerosis I was confused. I didn't want to blame all of my physical discomforts on MS. Common Sense told me that  everyone experienced these discomforts as age joined the ranks of daily life. But, guess what? Research has finally convinced me that MS has a lot do to with my muscle cramps, weak limbs, physical stamina, spasticity, yada yada yada... And since  my straight A attitude has ruled my life, it is my moral obligation to investigate any and every thing I can about this horrible invasion upon what was once

                                                              Looking back on my posts this week,   I see a definite theme. One would think that I am a killing machine, but that is not the case. In fact,  really do not think about death very often. But I do think about proper nutrition and vitamin intake. As any MS Warrior, I read a lot about my disease and ways to alleviate the aches and pains of MS. I have always been confused about the recommended dosage of Vitamin D. How much is too much? How much is not enough? I have been told that the body will eliminate any excess quantities of this vitamin but common sense tells me that too much of anything is not good. In this morning's Fairmont Times West Virginian this article caught my eye: "Vitamin D deficiency is widely overestimated, doctors warn".  According to Marilynn Marchione, AP Chief Medical Writer, on average people need about 400 international units of vitamin D per day, and 600 for people over 70." This stat

                                                              Looking back on my posts this week,   I see a definite theme. One would think that I am a killing machine, but that is not the case. In fact,  really do not think about death very often. But I do think about proper nutrition and vitamin intake. As any MS Warrior, I read a lot about my disease and ways to alleviate the aches and pains of MS. I have always been confused about the recommended dosage of Vitamin D. How much is too much? How much is not enough? I have been told that the body will eliminate any excess quantities of this vitamin but common sense tells me that too much of anything is not good. In this morning's Fairmont Times West Virginian this article caught my eye: "Vitamin D deficiency is widely overestimated, doctors warn".  According to Marilynn Marchione, AP Chief Medical Writer, on average people need about 400 international units of vitamin D per day, and 600 for people over 70."

  So, it's over. We can finally put all of our election angst aside and get on with our lives.  Or can we? I am NOT a political individual and I refuse to debate with anyone about anything: politics, region, the price of  gas... MS has made me rather complacent in many ways and extremely strong in others. For example I do not take crap fro anyone any more. My rug days are over. Do not even attempt to walk on me. End of story. No argument. Debate over. That is my opinion and there is not room for discussion as far as I am concerned. Do not confuse this attitude with resilience. I just do not want to argue my point because I feel that I have nothing to prove. I just want to live peacefully in my own little cocoon that I call life. I realize this is not a popular philosophy with a lot of people and  I apologize. If you are looking for a good argument, count me out. My brain just doesn't have room for all the clutter that debate requires. I tell my own mother this often. She truly

  So, it's over. We can finally put all of our election angst aside and get on with our lives.  Or can we? I am NOT a political individual and I refuse to debate with anyone about anything: politics, region, the price of  gas... MS has made me rather complacent in many ways and extremely strong in others. For example I do not take crap fro anyone any more. My rug days are over. Do not even attempt to walk on me. End of story. No argument. Debate over. That is my opinion and there is not room for discussion as far as I am concerned. Do not confuse this attitude with resilience. I just do not want to argue my point because I feel that I have nothing to prove. I just want to live peacefully in my own little cocoon that I call life. I realize this is not a popular philosophy with a lot of people and  I apologize. If you are looking for a good argument, count me out. My brain just doesn't have room for all the clutter that debate requires. I tell my own mother this often.

                               Isn't it good to know what multiple sclerosis is not  a leading cause of death? Or that MS actually doesn't kill any of us?  I remind myself of that any and every time I am having a particularly bad day. In my lame little brain, I know this fact. Because if MS was a deadly disease, wouldn't there be an injection or medical plan of action for the condition? Maybe not a cure, because that is not if still a mystery in many health situations. Cancer doesn't have a sure-fired cure, heart disease doesn't have a cure. Lou Gehrig Disease doesn't have a cure. But every disease has treatments that are supposed to make us feel better...for a while at least. And every disease has a Bear List. This is our list of triggers and complaints. These items can range from Grizzly to Teddy Bear proportions. With MS, there is no way to rate them, at least in my case. They range according to day, time and situation. My Bear List: bladder issues negative a

                               Isn't it good to know what multiple sclerosis is not  a leading cause of death? Or that MS actually doesn't kill any of us?  I remind myself of that any and every time I am having a particularly bad day. In my lame little brain, I know this fact. Because if MS was a deadly disease, wouldn't there be an injection or medical plan of action for the condition? Maybe not a cure, because that is not if still a mystery in many health situations. Cancer doesn't have a sure-fired cure, heart disease doesn't have a cure. Lou Gehrig Disease doesn't have a cure. But every disease has treatments that are supposed to make us feel better...for a while at least. And every disease has a Bear List. This is our list of triggers and complaints. These items can range from Grizzly to Teddy Bear proportions. With MS, there is no way to rate them, at least in my case. They range according to day, time and situation. My Bear List: bladder issues

While visiting an area elementary school recently, one youngster came skipping toward me in welcome. His eyes were bright and curious with a confidence beyond his years. "I know you!" He nearly clapped his hands with excitement. "I know her!" His exuberance attracted the needed amount of attention among his peers, as he pointed excitedly towards me. With only the chance to nod in agreement, he continued his impromptu performance. "In second grade! You came to our class last year! I remember your cane! I know you!" (Okay, so...I have tried to download a pic of my exquisite cane for three days now, only to be denied. So, try to imagine a folksy hand painted craft in a combination of pastels and artsy hues of green, red, pink, blue, and purple. Real descriptive, right? Trust me, it's gorgeous and very memorable.) And, indeed he did know me. Or at least, he knew my cane. When I was diagnosed in July 2001, I knew nothing  about multiple sclerosis.  MS...jus

While visiting an area elementary school recently, one youngster came skipping toward me in welcome. His eyes were bright and curious with a confidence beyond his years. "I know you!" He nearly clapped his hands with excitement. "I know her!" His exuberance attracted the needed amount of attention among his peers, as he pointed excitedly towards me. With only the chance to nod in agreement, he continued his impromptu performance. "In second grade! You came to our class last year! I remember your cane! I know you!" (Okay, so...I have tried to download a pic of my exquisite cane for three days now, only to be denied. So, try to imagine a folksy hand painted craft in a combination of pastels and artsy hues of green, red, pink, blue, and purple. Real descriptive, right? Trust me, it's gorgeous and very memorable.) And, indeed he did know me. Or at least, he knew my cane. When I was diagnosed in July 2001, I knew nothing  abou