"Beating a dead horse" goes the expression....

An idiom meaning: To engage in pointless and repetitive discussion.
How many times a day does anyone of us do that?
Well, I may have done that, oh not with my Facebook friends at all, I have lots of fun speaking with them, but with trying to get to the bottom of all my questions about my blood work!

Interestingly, the medical person did call just after nine this morning, but foolishly I was in the shower. And yes, it was another nurse, a RN, not a doctor from Shared Solutions the support group for my Copaxone and so I asked her to call back in fifteen minutes since I was in the shower. Who knows if it was a doctor on the phone if I actually would have come out of the shower and not said anything?
And she very diligently did call back within my allotted time limit.
You see, although Hubby was here he’s not into anything medical except maybe giving me shots… I think there is something Freudian about that…hmm. LOL
And so all the online information that confused me on getting some real answers and was conflicting in the facts was what I saved in favorites for my proof of why I didn’t know exactly what might be going on with the highs and lows on that blood work, and yes in the end I did have other questions and so it was recommended I speak with my neurologist.
Got that?
Well, my question might have confused her too, since she insisted I speak with the pharmacist who would know for sure if my Copaxone had any affect that early on, ten days after starting it at the time of the blood work, back on July 26th; Copaxone was started on the 16th, but I know you knew that!
Here’s my time line July second or there about is when my right eye went blurry, and brilliant women here figured OK, another cataract since the left one had its gotten bad and had been surgical repaired last January, not too farfetched an assumption, huh?
Or maybe a case of optic neuritis, but many do go away on their own.
So not something to rush off to the doctor too soon and anyway I had a GP appointment within that month actually 20 days later to check out my shoulders and to see if they warranted further investigation by a dermatologist, and so I would ask him.
And he did examine my eye, and said that the cataract that he saw was not severe enough to cause my blurriness, and he was one that had me go for all that blood work on the 26th!
And said that my shoulder should be seen by the dermatologist but that wouldn’t be until the end of the month, he was booked up that’s summer in Florida!
He was right on both counts.
When they received my blood work back around the beginning of August I asked if they would fax it to my neurologist and mail one to me, you see I saw her on August 9th and they faxed it to her on the tenth, the next day.
My mail never provided me with a copy until last week when I remembered about it and how in the interim I had received many other requests from others and so on our way out to somewhere else we stopped by and Hubby went in to pick it up. I had to call ahead and remind them that they had forgotten!
But to be fair so had I.
And when I first looked closely at it I did notice that my CRP was high but I had no idea what that meant, and then I noticed that the lymphocytes were low and so was my NA, sodium, but that one I thought was good since I thought sodium was not good in your diet. Boy, was I dumb and about to learn a whole bunch of stuff better being taught in a microbiology class or some such thing.
It turns out that a high CRP can mean colon cancer, diabetes, or heart disease susceptibility, and low lymphocytes are seen in all sorts of autoimmune diseases besides Multiple Sclerosis, aplastic anemia, Hodgkin’s and other blood cancers, so far the low sodium I have not investigated. And the only thing that has kept me going is the fact that my neurologist has not felt the need or desire to call since she received this documentation on August 10th!
And the fact I will try and call her again tomorrow.
Since I called earlier after the Sure Solutions determined that their medication would not have that or any negative affect, but some how my doctor’s nurse did not give her the message for when I tried calling her office back it was already closed for the day.
I called the hospital that has the free ask the nurse question number, and they too said it was more than likely to being caused by the optic neuritis inflammation, which actually did make sense, but suggested I still call the doctor tomorrow.
PS my righty eye is still not among the working class; still in that darn recession that according to our latest polls we have been out of since June of 2009! LOL
But to be fair it is an eye, a part of a matched set, well it used to be, and retired in Florida, so we are not counted? LOL
As you all know I had the IV infusions the middle of August well after the blood work was taken, so it has no part in the equation, except for now causing three cataracts in righty eye along with the optic neuritis and severe dry eye I had for years, sadly that is the only treatment supposedly to cure optic neuritis.
Oh well, my saga will be continued here tomorrow night hopefully with some answers but who knows my next scheduled appointment with the neurologist IS next month!

Happy night to all and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Bored, so I decided to surf the net...

Below is information that I gleaned from the Internet about low lymphocytes:

“As you correctly stated, lymphocytes (specifically, T-lymphocytes) can cross the blood brain barrier in MS. This process is called lymphocyte infiltration. The lymphocytes are believed to cause much of the damage (through an inflammatory process) to the myelin sheath (the fatty covering around nerves) of the brain and spinal cord that occurs in MS. If lymphocytes migrate to the brain, there would be less of them in the blood.

The lymphocytes are attracted to the blood brain barrier by special sticky molecules in one of the layers on the blood brain barrier. These sticky molecules stick to the lymphocytes that are passing though the blood. There are some medications (such as monoclonal antibodies; for example, Natalizumab) that are designed to decrease lymphocyte infiltration. They do this by preventing the lymphocytes from sticking to the sticky molecules in the blood brain barrier.”

Fascinating stuff, huh?
It turns out this Natalizumab is Tysabri, which is a monthly IV way of getting MS medication, it is the medication that two of the people I speak with on Facebook happen to be on for their MS, while I am Copaxone. It’s true mine is not supposed to have any other drug interaction and I am on many different types.

That was not too upsetting to me because it explained to me why on my most recent blood work that was possibly the reason why my lymphocytes were low, and since I recently received my test results I wanted to know, my Neuro appointment isn’t until next month. And since the exacerbation was my optic neuritis.
What I am a wee bit upset about is that a few people online claim that it could be my new medication, Copaxone that could be responsible, although many stated it happened after a few years but doctors disclaim this: copy and paste this: to see why I am so confused to see the laymen’s conversation: http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-6162.html

In the interim I thought I would ask the people out there what they were taking and many were taking other things than what I was taking.
Actually, fortunately there are so many different meds out there now compared to what was out there back in the 1950’s and sixties when my aunt and uncle had Multiple Sclerosis it is refreshing to know we all have choices.
In other words if one doesn’t work, we can move on…I hope.

Besides I did call my support people at Shared Solutions and they will be having a doctor call me back tomorrow.
You know that when I first definitely was diagnosed with all my different types of arthritis I had to know all about them, and since my definite diagnosis with the MS it has been the same way, as we all know knowledge is power, hmm where did I hear that before? Of course; it was Sir Francis Bacon!

Moving on…If you have noticed more mistakes than I have had in a while for the last few weeks it is due to my grammar and spell check being temperamental.
But to be fair it does work on occasion.
Tonight it does appear to be on its best behavior and fixing my mistakes before they get too out of hand.

I am really pooped now since while writing tonight’s Blog all those fine peeps out in the MS community has been responding to my questions and I have been writing back to them.

On that note of polite communication skills by everyone! I will wish you all a very good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Trash to Treasure, Visual Arts Center, and home to watch a classic movie marathon...

Yes, we found the time, ha!

We had places to go today and all for free and yet we made it home before lunch!

The Cultural Center had their Trash to Treasure event in their Fountain Room, which did seem rather small.

The vendors were more a mix of the cleaning out the closet types than antique dealers, but we were looking anyway, since we do watch Antiques Road Show and one never knows does one?

And so the price range was not too dear, if you found that one item that you loved.

But we didn’t so we moved on to see if anything was going on over the bridge in River City AKA Punta Gorda.

We drove over to Fisherman’s Village and just by the lack of cars parked there we were pretty sure nothing significant was in the air or on the walkways.

But as we left we notice that The Visual Arts Center across the road had a pretty full parking lot, even still we did manage to find a handicapped space right in front!

It was teacher and student day, art teacher and art student day, and so we weren’t too sure what to expect but surprisingly the artwork and ceramic pieces that we saw was quite good.

You see, I did study History of Art in college in NYC and so part of our educational plan was to visit galleries and museums all over the city, and the other part was going on that trip to Europe where we visited seven countries which included stops at Versailles and Le Louvre, as well as Notre Dame in Paris.

If ever any of you Americans get a chance I highly recommend also seeing our own Hearst Castle in San Simeon California, which to me was more beautiful than even Versailles!



Any-who I am no professional art critique but I do know what I like when I see it, and there were many very interesting, not boring or un-attractive pieces the ones that had potential is what I saw.

Up front they also had prints and Gliclée from more seasoned artists, and one caught both Hubby and my eyes a print of Fisherman’s Village before Hurricane Charley.

We have a water color from a famous artist named Stoy in our home bought in better times also from before the 2004 hurricane and so when we saw it we turned it over to see who the artist was, but it wasn’t him. It was a woman from Ft. Myers who just so happens to have MS as well.

Apparently, she had worked in advertising but when her Multiple Sclerosis got so bad she went on to her form of art that was so realistic it looked like a photogragh.

And so we copied her web site and email address for what reason I have no idea, since we have most walls already covered with artwork that we found over the many years.

I suppose that it was because she too had MS and that was interesting and although I am not a professional writer, that’s right I get no money for doing this, but I seem to lean towards that, the arts in my own interests and thought maybe that I might friend her on Facebook.

But her name is Peggy Starks and it is another very common one apparently, since Hubby put it in and came up with a few others.


Before we arrived home we found an outdoor farmer’s market just blocks away on the access road of the Tamiami Trail and so we stopped and Hubby picked up about two pounds of tomatoes and a couple of cucumbers all for five bucks, not too bad.


Tonight I am late writing this only because I am writing during commercials from the ION channels presentation of the Back to the Future Trilogy, and we are enjoying them.

Sorry, about my delay but that’s why!

And it is back on once again and now I believe this is done, and so happy night to all and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Be back here, ya hear, same place tomorrow night!

Do you know what I like?♫♫♫♫ Besides all music?

I like people writing to me from all over the world!
I have friends in all different countries, and I just answered a ‘message’ from one of them in New Zealand!
How cool is that?
From where I am in southwest Florida, she, my new FB friend is sixteen hours time difference away down under, and so it is going on ten A.M. there, tomorrow!
Yep, I think that’s right, right?

You know what else is so totally cool about all this is the fact that everyone has different religious and political views and all on this thing called, ‘Facebook’ we can all be friends, business partners or at the very least network and learn from one another.
It’s amazing don’t you think?

Oh I do believe my open mindedness has expanded just from being involved in the idea of allowing all types of people into my heart and soul of personal information.
Be it my personal bio, which is true, although in a few parts it is a wee bit silly!
Or the link I provide for everyone to read this Blog nightly that tells it all, don't you think?
I have proven that I am an open book with little or no secrets to speak of… and that’s no understatement!

I have asked, complained, cajoled, applauded and insulted others at my whim.
Sadly, I have created a forum for myself where I must learn to use more tact I suspect, but my same ole same ole excuse is that my filter is broken!
Truth can be a dirty word for some, especially when some believe it is slanted, but as we all know that is a matter of opinion, wow is that redundant or what?

The best part about writing a Blog is not having to answer to anyone but one’s self.
And if lucky enough to hear back from others with comments that either agree or refute what you may have said.

My followers on this alone are from a few states and countries, and amazingly all speak English too.

Sometimes I wonder why we here in America wait so long to teach foreign languages to our children. I was in eight grade before I was offered a smidgen of a language and it was Spanish, which I enjoyed, but when I started high school I wanted desperately to study French since my father had spoken it to me as a child since he had taken it, and no he was not French. And so I did take French but apparently my French teacher did not like my pronunciation and yelled at me, and one year was all I took. So Spanish was my next choice, since I had shown an aptitude for it in that short period I took it in eighth grade and sure enough I was good at it. Good enough that when I was in my second year, a sophomore, I had a senior boy asking me to help him with it; the teacher began calling him ‘El Lobo’, the wolf, and yes he was my boyfriend that year. Be it mostly by phone since I wasn’t allowed to go out in a car at that age, and so we mostly talked on the phone…Besides he had broken up with his girlfriend who he eventually went back to, everyone warned me, but who listens at that age of fifteen?
When we went away the summer before I had a new boyfriend that was a waiter at the hotel we stayed at, and he was Australian, and looked just like a Beatle with his hair, and of course the British accent, which I couldn’t tell in those days the difference between a UK and Aussie one. It wasn’t until I was nineteen in college that I got to travel to Europe.
I was lucky at fifteen to travel across the US and visit forty states with my family, and by the age of ten, I had been to Canada and Niagara Falls. Going to LIM in New York City was not that big a deal since I grew up fifteen minutes from the George Washington Bridge in Bergen County, NJ.
Travel makes everyone realize how small the world really is; and teaches others to be more accepting of people’s differences; so all I can say I was very fortunate.
My dear friend in New Zealand was saying she would love to travel to Disneyland and the rest of the US. And she made me realize how lucky I really am since I have been there and to Disney World both Universals, Sea Worlds too, all three Busch Gardens, Sun Valley, Squaw Valley, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Mount Rushmore, you name it and when it comes to the forty eight contiguous states there is more than a fifty/fifty chance that I have been there.

So at this age being so unable to think about going here or there I am very happy I did.
Hubby though was not as fortunate and he still yearns to go here and there.
I would like to go to New Orleans, where I have not been.
We were supposed to go when 9/11 happened and so we did not, and then this or that happened; first us being hit by Hurricane Charley and then them being hit with Katrina, then the oil spill.
This February is our fortieth anniversary and Mardi Gras is around that time of year, and so I thought wouldn’t that be great, but we must save our pennies and pray no more emergencies happen.

On that thoughtful note of looking forward I will wish you all a very happy good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!

And you all meet me back here at this same place next time, ya hear?

I am being heard...!

Validation! What a marvelous thing to know!

Validation! What a marvelous thing to know!
It is true that the respondent’s comment was not a numerical marvel or overwhelming in remarks but still it was there and was quite expressive; and thank you.
And you know who you are; for that I am sure.

Being somewhat of an adventurous person when younger, being older now, this has become my form of exploration for excitement. So far, not too…well what can one say, really?

This bumpy ride that I did, if you recall, promised my readership is what makes me go on though; is still in the works. Oh no, you say; I have already been creating those ups and downs of never knowing what comes next type of excitement. Well, that is heartwarming to hear and so thanks!

Today we did venture out once more into the actual realm of the world.

Zoomed all the way over to the Walgreen’s, about two and half miles from our compound, not too far from the bridge to River Country AKA Punta Gorda, but still here in Port of the Charlotte, PS we don’t have any ports here, anywho, we went for our combo flu shots, oh combo?

Yes, this year the shot is a two for one, included the plain old flu shot is also the inoculation to protect you from H1N1 virus.

Hubby’s was free with his Medicare part B taking care of it 100%, but mine for the dual protection was $29.99, not too bad a deal.

They are now recommending them for everyone over six months old.

Last year we met the criteria with me having a chronic disease and Hubby being my caretaker.

And so I again did my pincushion thing, yes, to be honest between my daily Copaxone shots and my recent IV’s of 1000 MG. Of the Solu-Medrol for the optic neuritis last month and also those insulin shots due to that temporary diabetic reaction, boy I am feeling holier than the Pope! LOL

The odd thing they did this year at our Walgreen’s was put up one of those privacy screens; the fact that they were using such a thing made me wonder if now they were giving you bum, butt, tushy, you know shots in the derriere? But no, they were still injecting into the upper shoulder. Apparently, someone complained, we all know how that is… so now, people needed privacy from exposing their upper arms, oh my! Are we living in Victorian times once again?

I suppose some people do get squeamish when they see a needle going into anything, and perhaps that was the real reason, but it must be hush, hush because even the pharmacist didn’t know why. And consequently my mobility scooter made it difficult for me to get up close enough to the pass through that is usually for prescriptions to be handed in, and so the pharmacist had to come out from behind the counter and her protection from what I really don’t know…to give me my shot! Last year the pharmacists just walked out to where the seating area where you wait for you prescriptions to be filled was and shot the dickens out of whoever paid the price for the sticking; which in my opinion was effortless efficiency at its grandest!

Geez complications again in this too now that should be soooo simple, but why?

Cause someone got their panties in a jumble?

I know, I know I got the nerve saying anything about that, especially when nightly that’s what I do complain, complain, complain!

But let’s get real people, whose really reading this drivel, huh?

Oh that’s right you all are, and don’t you ever forget how much I do appreciate that in all of you, even though this proves the fact that you have bad taste in literature, but I’m the last one who should complain about that, capish? LOL

We all know what interesting means, right? (Wink, wink)

None of you have ever gone out on a blind date?

Oh you don’t know?

When someone says something or someone is interesting it means… BORING, and or not that attractive!

And yes, this Blog can be very interesting at its worst and provocative, tantalizing and intriguing at its best…YEP, I can do that, maybe… someday… I’ll try, at least I will promise to try?

Gotta sell it, huh?

You betcha!

It has been so nice to be able to babble on for so long without causing misery to myself and hopefully none to others either.

On that note of what the heck I will wish you all a very happy good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!

And come back and see us next time right here in this same place, ya hear?

An update...

Is anybody out there wondering how are my new eye glasses working out?

Not really, I hear.

Too bad but this is my Blog and I am going to tell you anyway, so there! (Adult tongue is stuck out now!)

Well, lefty, the one that had the cataract surgery last January is now a sole contender for the eye wars; it’s become ambidextrous in its ability to see far and near, TA DA!

Yep, that’s right. And I am sure by now you all have realized that righty has not come back around into the fold yet, yes, it is still taking a no see sort of stand, just holding its place, just waiting I hope for its vision to return…Although, now, I can see with my new lenses both near and far from lefty’s vantage point, and that is a vast improvement, huh?



Sadly I have noticed a downturn in my Blog being read since my melt down. I feel just awful, but I have much improved since then you know… I am resilient only because when you sink so low the only other direction is up from there!



Many things could be responsible for my down turn last Sunday, the anniversary of a very sad day, all the hullabaloo about the burning of the Qur’an and I do believe I have finally learned the proper way to spell it, at least I hope so.

Heartbreaking for me was that I could not support my dear FB friend's desire to campaign with others to move the NY Mosque’s location, and this is the main one who supported me so bravely when I had that ridiculous negative expression of my feelings.

I hope she forgives me for not being able to, and we are from NJ and my hubby not only was a NJ Fire Chief he was FL deputy! And we indirectly knew people who died that fateful day of 9/11 through friend’s relatives and neighbors etc.!



But being who I am, a person who is somewhat idealistic it would be out of character to think that a person’s religion meant he thought or behaved badly because some others in his or her faith might have done it in the past. To me it just doesn’t seem right to judge all by a few. How many times have we made that mistake?

All of those who believe in the reverence of superior beings, powers greater than themselves, know that they are forgiving and loving and that’s what I truly believe is the answer to this conundrum of how to handle the Mosque’s location. Love thy neighbor as yourself, comes to mind too.

So if I just said yes to be nice then I would not be true to myself and I would be lying to a new friend.

I also remember a person asking on Facebook if it is better to lie on occasion not to hurt someone’s feelings? Now, if you read this you will understand why I said no.

Sometimes lying to be nice to someone instead of expressing you true feelings can be inflammatory to a situation.

The ‘mob rule’ concept is perhaps too harsh an analogy, but when someone speaks with so much passion and no compassions that’s what can happen!

One person stands up and says something negative about someone and others loudly agree!



Oh well, I do hope that I haven’t overstepped my bounds with a rather extreme analogy, but I am not that smart…

Happy night to all and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Be here next time… in this same place and who knows what may happen!

Nice surprise...

My Cuz decided to call me a little after five o’clock this evening.
Oh ‘Cuz’, it might be a NJ terminology meaning the child of your parent’s sibling, so they are your cousin.
In the bigger picture of the world we all have family histories and relatives one way or another, and there are second cousins, thirds perhaps too and distant aunts and uncles etc…all possibilities…
Some have many, and some have just a few.
This particular one is only about a year and a half older than me, but as children that was miles apart for girls, and she is my mother’s brother’s child, so she is my first cousin.
I seemed to get along better with my boy cousins since the maturity rate for them, even with them being a few years older made it more of an even playing field.
In other words they didn’t care that I was that much younger.
It amazes me that when she called it was if we had been speaking just the other day, but without borders, and many more commonalties, but she is still a northerner.
You see we are now both mothers of grown children.
And unfortunately the one commonalty that we both wish we didn’t share is Multiple Sclerosis, but we do.
Although, my Cuz has been dealing with hers for over thirty-five years with grace and dignity, but even she has admitted at this point it, the MS is misbehaving for her and she is now getting the help that she rightfully needs; with keeping her home, pets and laundry done, and medical in home health care worker.
How sad I know she feels that she can’t do what she wants to do, but it is great that she will now be getting the help she does need, and her son had been helping but after a while especially with a grown single son one feels awkward asking. And when they begin to hesitate when asked I think that’s when you know that they have been asked once too much.
If I didn’t have Hubby I too would have to be getting someone else to help me.
There are days I am sure he would like that, seriously, but we are legally binding, marriage and all, unlike a mother child relationship, which is not.
I used always tell my kids that we’re related by marriage, my Hubby, their dad and me, and they are related by blood to both of us! I know, silly me, it’s true you know!

My dear Cuz told me something I hadn’t known about her trials as a young mother that when her son was just six an half he had aplastic Anemia and suffered nearly to death until he was nine, his sister wasn’t a match for a bone marrow transplant but his survival was based on medication used in veterinary equine ills, and it worked! He is thirty today and so far, to date he has never ever had a reoccurrence; and doesn’t take any medication. He had been pronounced a miracle at the time and was written up in medical literature.

Wow, heavy stuff, but my sweetheart of a cousin who at the time was dealing with her own debilitating disorder, MS said she was the strongest ever when her son was so ill, and together her will to make him well was her strength and it worked for them both I truly believe, a mother’s love can be that strong.

This lovely woman had a rather exciting life prior to wife and motherhood for this college graduated gal worked as a flight attendant for a major airline and traveled the world. She was so beautiful the story was that they wanted her to do commercials for them, but that she was too shy this Farah Fawcett look-a-like.
It’s funny how age and illness measures the inner beauty more than ever, and she has exuded that now in this moment in time with such a kind heart.

Ah, much nicer speaking of others than ones’ self, what a nice diversion from my own reality! And even though some of the story was bitter sweet it is somewhat of a happy ending, we have found each other again and that’s great in my book!

On that note of positivity I will wish you all a very happy night and to all count those blessings, yes that’s a very good idea, don’t you think?
And we will count our blessings too!