Good Thing

The damn Life Alert wristband is only for inside the house.  It is soooooooooooooooo not attractive and not an accessory that i would wear AT ALL.  On top of which my wrist is so damn small, it is too big for me.  LOL

I must say, i'm pretty darn proud of myself.  I actually remember to wear it (at least during the week); the weekend is iffy because I'm out and about for the most part.

Necessary Evil

"ALL SENIOR CITIZENS NEED LIFE ALERT"

I've always hated that ad.  for those who've never seen the ad, it's for the Life Alert system.  Subscribers of Life Alert wear either a necklace or a wristband with a button they can press while they are in their homes if they have fallen and can't get up/need medical assistance.  It's a very corny ad and definitely not 1 of the better ones on TV.

I've said time and time again that i hate having MS.  It's caused me to start doing things that i never did before, stop doing things that i've enjoyed all my life and just in general make adjustments to my life (some okay, some not so okay) that i probably would not have otherwise.    I'm at home by myself a bit - i work from home; my entire work day, i'm at home alone.  After my last nasty fall, i realized that maybe i might have to make yet some more adjustments.  I was lucky that time; if God forbid, it happens again, i may not be as lucky.  UGH!!!

i signed up for Life Alert - i hate having MS.  So now, there's a 2way speaker in the house and if necessary, i jes press the button on my wristband, a man speaks to me via the speaker and i let him know what the deal is.  if he can't get me via the speaker, he calls my cell phone (i found that out the hard way the other nite - i got into bed and was trying to go to sleep and all of a sudden heard a man's voice in the house - i had NO IDEA what the heck was going on, but i didn't freak out.  i got up to investigate (kinda like those dumbasses in the movies who u shout at NOT to do what they're about to do) when my cell phone rang and it was the Life Alert man.  Apparently i had unknowingly pressed the button as i was getting into bed!

i view Life Alert as a necessary evil - i really don't like the fact that i had to sign up for it, but i realise that it is better to be safe than sorry.

Dr.'s Visit

so i went to my neuro last week Tuesday...did a 2fer - went to see him and did my infusion one time (1 stick - woohoo!).

The disease is stable - my exam went well - nothing to report on that.  he asked me if i've figured out the correct combination of all the drugs to take, i said yes and told him that i don't want to change the pill regimen.  the things are not a bother and don't impact my life negatively in any way - got rid of all the napping, so i'm happy.

there is a blood test that he is going to perform to show if i've been exposed to the JVC virus (the one that causes PML - the brain infection); (i can never say that without laughing out loud - i think it's so damn ridiculous)!  It'll be a year since i've been on Tysabri, so they like to test at a year to see if the patient tests positive to the anti virus and then make a determination as to whether or not Tysabri really is the way to keep going.  I hadda (have to) say, that i hope that i can stay on it...i don't want to go back to a daily shot, nor do i want to start takin the new oral pill because...well it's new (that coupled with the fact that there's already been some BAD thing (i can't even pretend to remember the word he used) reported).

They'll take the blood for that test when i go for my next infusion - must remember to drink a bucket of water the day before and day of so that my blood will flow that time, so that they can get enuf to do the test!

March 17th

Tomorrow is St. Patty's Day - drink green beer...eat green food.  for people like me who have given up something for Lent (meat), it's your 1 free day!  I can't wait to dig into some good ole meat tomorrow...i have to say tho, it's really not fair that this year st. patrick's day - the 1 free day that we have - falls 1 week after the beginning of Lent!

MS Awareness Week 2011

Today marks the start of MS Awareness Week 2011...March 14-20

this year's campaign - MS=

in other words, what does MS mean to you?   MS=lifestyle adjustments

check out the MS Society website and find your local chapter to see what events might be taking place during the week.  for any interested parties in GA: eat at CA Pizza Kitchen this week (March 14-18) and 20% of the bill goes to the society.  Download the flier on the page to take with u to the restaurant.


Wear your orange!

so...

i've mentioned before that i have alarms going off at various times during the day as reminders to take my DRUGS.  those who are around me regularly know exactly what time it is when each alarms goes off because they are as used to the things as i am...

2 Saturday nites ago, I went to a birthday party.  It wasn't just a party - it was a 70th birthday so there were some formalities and dinner prior to the party part getting in full swing.  During that time, there were a few speeches, a few prayers, couple performances and just a celebration of the person's life to that point - all his siblings were in town, so they were reminiscing (u get the picture).  did i mention that we got there around 7:15?  so anyhoo, everything started by about 7:30ish and the evening was underway...Now,

• do i always remember that alarms are going to go off at specific times?  no! 
• is my alarm a nice soothing one that only i might hear? no!

so in the middle of someone's speech, at 8:00, the shit goes off!  Now the alarm sounds like a firetruck when it's going thru an intersection (that kinda noise pollution kinda sound)  - a kind of "BARP!!" "BARP!!" "BARP!!" (it just went off as i wrote that!)...I mean i have to be able to hear it afterall...of course, as i took my phone out of my clutch to turn the thing off, it got even louder!  it was a little embarrassing, but hey - i have to take my meds... :-)  Afterwards, i was talking to K2 and he said (he was sitting across the hall at another table) that some on his table snickered and had to explain to the others (who were a little appalled), "yeah, that's just Stax - she has to take her pills" 

Ah Comin for Ca-nee-val

Im not doing a very good job this year of ignoring everything on these 2 days...the parade of the bands kicked off yesterday morning with J'ouvert - thank goodness i was asleep at the time so i had no idea what was going on...

Yesterday during the day however, i sneaked many peeks at the road - technology is a hellluva ting...there were so many live streams of so many different events this year - was listening to Red as they broadcast from the road, looked at pictures and just essentially tortured myself all thru the day.

Soca Monarch went off without a hitch.  I must say that i was half expecting the feed to go down and interrupt during the course of the show and i was pleasantly surprised to see that there were no problems whatsoever and the quality of the feed was quite good.  i know i will get alot of flack for this, but I'm sorry...but i really do not agree that Iwer "geh tief".  he might have mash up the place, but Machel's performance was much better.  The last song from Iwer that i remember really liking was Bum Bum Time (how much years ago was that!)...Machel is the only man i know who does release a album every year on a regular.  so while Iwer might be d BOSS, Machel is the KING of soca!

Kes is Groovy Soca Monarch...very much well deserved!

Today, there is live streaming of today;s mas which is always better because people come out in full costume...

www.carnivaltv.net

for anyone who might be interested...and as i writing this...Advantage is playin on the stage.  I read that it is already in the lead for Road March, with Come to Meh in 2nd place!

Trample it...Jump on it...Ramfle it...and Advantage it!!!!  is we privelege to take advantage of the stage...

Once Again...

She did it!  50 miles over 3 days...

3 Cheers for G2!!!

Hiphip - HOORAY!!!

Hiphip - HOORAY!!!

Hiphip - HOORAY!!!

there she is...bottom right in the white jacket! :-)

FANTASTIC FRIDAY!!!!!

Today is Fantastic Friday!!!  i not home for Carnival, but trust me, i am there in spirit that's for sure...it has kicked into HIGH gear, but especially today.

Tonite is Soca Monarch finals...i will be watchin and limin front and center on the soca monarch site
eh going and list all the other happenings between now and monday..

Monday and Tuesday - parade of the bands...people going and ramfle up that stage!!!!

This morning at 5:45, G2 started her 50 mile walk...

today is a great day! :-)...enjoy ur weekend fellas!

My Elvis Shake

I think that people feed off of my attitude...at first, if they're not sure, they would be serious about things, but then when they hear me making joke or making fun of things, they might get into that groove too. 

1 of the things that happens to me when i'm working out or on the eliptical machine or sometimes sitting (depending on what position my leg is in) is that my leg starts to shake.  U know how u may sit and just shake ur leg quickly - well that happens to me unwillingly.  Again, depending on how my leg might be positioned when i'm sitting, it'll just start to shake.  After i've been on the eliptical for a while, it starts to shake....when i'm working out - esp if it's a leg exercise - it shakes (it's tied somewhat to how fatigued my legs might be).

So the first time it happened in the training session, i said to Reggie (my trainer), "see? look at that shit"...he said, "yeah i see...y are u doing that?" That's when i told him that i wasn't doing it, it was just happening.  he was SHOCKED!  he couldnt' believe it...but then after he did the obligatory concerned look etc, he said, "it's like an Elvis shake" and then he did it himself and from then on, it "lovingly" became my "Elvis Shake"...

In retrospect, i've had the elvis shake for most of my life. I used to dance when i younger and by the end of each class whenever i plied, the legs would shake!  go figure...

LMAO!!

hmmm...

some people may think that i don't take this disease seriously enuf because i make jokes.  I do take it seriously, i take all the stupid ass pills, i go for my infusions, i don't put myself in situations where i may get hurt (not willingliy) and i am afraid of what it can potentially do to me.  The truth is that (i can't say this enuf) if i don't laugh, i certainly will cry and those feelings of "feeling sorry for urself" and "why me" are just not anything that i like to go thru - for what?  nothing's going to change, i just have to deal. 

So i take the disease very seriously, the situations i find myself in sometimes? not so much!

I have an eliptical machine at home - going to a gym is just not an option for me (i'll break my ass on the way out and that is NOT an option), so i had the opportunity to get a machine for free and i grabbed it.  Yesterday i decided to go on the machine - as usual - this is nothing new, i actually use the damn thing somewhat regularly.  when i was done it was time to come off - obviously...well, this is where it can get a little tricky.

By the time i'm done, things are a little out of whack of course but i am always able to come off even tho my legs are usually weaker than normal.  well not yesterday!  i got stuck on the bloody eliptical machine...somehow my left foot (that bloody weaker one) got stuck (trapped) somewhere at the bottom of the machine between all it's legs and not for the life of me, could i raise it up to get it out.  Thank goodness there was something for me to lean on so i wouldn't break my ass and who knows what else as i landed.  Did i mention that since it was my left foot that was caught, i had to stand on my right foot which has only recently healed from my fall?!?!?!


When i was done laughing at myself, i called G because she was on the way home and i figured maybe i'd stay there until she got home, but alas she was not close.  I had to muster all the strength i could to haul my foot out of the machine and eventually i did...i actually felt quite accomplished....

gotta laugh - sometimes the shit is just too funny