Blog Archives
Fall is being good to us
The cooler weather is a delight and quite a relief for the pups. They are getting their silly on every day we’ve had the cooler temperatures. It is fun to see them chase each other around and go into wild hucklebutts.
The Curmudgeon is doing a bit better without the heat too. As any of you know who follow this blog, heat is the enemy of MS patients. Although with the cooler temperatures and the new medication making him seem to improve, I dare not leave him alone for more than the time it takes to run a few errands.
The neighbor who usually helps get The Curmudgeon up when he’s down on the floor has injured his back and cannot help us until he’s better. Therefore I can’t take any chances on not being here or nearby. I really don’t want to have to call 911 again even though the firemen were very sweet the last time.
Now, if only I could get the new light installed, the cracks around the back door and between the porch and house caulked, we will be ready for winter.
You all have a good one!
Halloween 2010
It’s true! I’m batty.
Gave Annie her voodoo doll yesterday. From her squeal of delight, I figure she liked it. 😀
The Curmudgeon had another good day. Yay!
Our dogs, Gavin and Patty are funny. Gavin completely ignores all the noisy props but Patty likes them and loves when I set one or two off just for her to watch. I think her favorite is the spider in the books.
You all have a good one!
Day three of Tecfidera
The Curmudgeon says he’s finding it easier to get up and down from the floor. (We have two dogs they like him to get on their level from time to time.) This may be true or wishful thinking on his part, we shall see.
I’m still seeing plenty of balance issues but he did manage an outing yesterday without using his rollator, he used his cane instead. He hasn’t done that for a very long time.
He really did seem to be in better spirits the last two days than I’ve seen him in a while.
If things keep going this well I can see me getting to my Pennwriters conference in May. Whoohoo!
“Rollator”, to help with walking (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
24 days to Halloween.
Fifteen days until we complete our large voodoo doll. The most detail goes into the head so that is what we are working on.
Tomorrow I cut out the body, arms, and legs. G will sew the seams and I will do the detail work, the stuffing, and armature. We are hoping it all comes together within our 15 day time frame. I like to have wiggle room. 😀
You all have a good one!
Could this be a voodoo doll mini me?
It started yesterday
So we were surprised yesterday when The Curmudgeon’s starter kit showed up for his Tecfidera. He was told he’d get it Wednesday.
Therefore, he took his first two doses yesterday. Now we wait and see how it goes from here.
Warnings and Precautions
Tecfidera reduced blood lymphocyte (white blood cell) counts but no
significant or severe infections were reported. Liver enzyme tests were
elevated, but there were no reports of significant liver injury or liver
failure.Possible Side Effects
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The most common side effects in the clinical trials of Tecfidera were
flushing (which can create a sensation of heat or itching and a red
blush on the skin) and gastrointestinal events (such as diarrhea,
nausea, and upper abdominal pain). The incidence of these events during
clinical trials was highest in the first month of treatment, decreasing
thereafter. Taking Tecfidera with food may reduce flushing. Tecfidera
reduced blood lymphocyte (white blood cell) counts but no significant or
severe infections were reported.
So far he’s had the flushing. We’re hoping that’s all he gets.
You all have a good one!
See you later, I’m reading…
Ever since I first discovered Piers Anthony’s Xanth books I’ve been hooked. Yesterday his newest paperback showed up in my mailbox.
Never guess where I’ve been since it arrived. Well, maybe you will. Yes! I’ve been off into the land of Xanth. I’ll be back there when I finish writing my post and an E-mail to my dear friend E.
If you’ve never read the books, you can start with, ‘A Spell For Chameleon,’ and take your first journey into the land of living puns and adventure.
Bye-bye, I am diving back in between the covers of ‘Luck of the Draw.” You all have a good one!
Where can I borrow time?
The Wishing Fish Clock in the Regent Shopping Arcade, Cheltenham, may be the world’s tallest mechanical clock. The vertical distance from the duck to the fish is 14 metres. It weighs 3 tons. On the hour the fish that is suspended under the clock revolves and blows out bubbles. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
You can go to a bank and borrow money. You can borrow a car by renting it or having a friend loan you one. Does anyone else wish you go somewhere to borrow time?
I need a little extra time every day to get everything done that needs doing. I could get up at five in the morning every day and I still wouldn’t have enough time to get everything done around here.
When we were younger, before his MS hit so hard, we thought we had all the time in the world to get things done that we wanted to do. Now, he can’t help so the lists get longer, and I get further and further behind.
I have to wait for Bath Fitters to come and do the shower before I dare do my painting. I know if I try to do it before they come, somehow, someway, my paint job will get screwed up.
I still need more time. Anyone have any to spare?
You all have a good one.
5th Anniversary of this blog!
I can’t believe I have kept this blog going for five years. Wow.
How long have you been one of my readers?
A new drug for The Curmudgeon
The Curmudgeon saw his neurologist’s nurse practitioner yesterday. And, after having a blood test run, it looks as though he’s cleared to start the Tecfidera.
He’s excited about not having to do injections anymore. He’s not excited about some of the possible side effects, but is willing to live with them if it helps.
Wish him luck, he will soon begin this new adventure into the land of weird drugs and MS.
You all have a good one!
Doing that Voodoo that I do so well.
I am trying to come up with a pattern for my giant voodoo dolls for the porch on Trick or treat night. So far, I traced G’s silhouette on to tracing paper and it just doesn’t seem to be quite large enough to work. Therefore I do believe I shall have to create one in pieces sewn together to be large enough for what I am picturing.
If I have enough material, I may try to make two of them. The Curmudgeon thinks that dowels with toy balls on the end will make suitable pins. Plastic lids will make lovely button eyes.
Now, I need to buy some heavy black yarn…
You all have a good one!
The neighbor’s little calico cat is scary smart.
I was outside talking to a neighbor about two new props I bought, when up walked another neighbor’s pastel calico cat. Ella is just a little bit of a thing and used to be quite skittish. So it was extremely unusual that she walked right up to me, rubbed against my legs, and head butted my hand when I went to pet her.
Now the reason I say she’s scary smart is that she was out a couple of weeks ago, I saw her, and led her back to their back door so someone would let her in.
She heard me talking to the neighbor and came to get me so I could tell someone to let her inside the house. Once, I did it once before mind you. She led me all the way to the back door. If I didn’t move fast enough, she ran back to my feet and led the way again. Scary smart.
You all have a good one.
One of the two props.
Could a change in medication make a difference? We shall see.
After having such a bad week last week and a not so bad one this week after not taking his Avonex, The Curmudgeon made an appointment with his neurologist for Monday to discuss stopping the Avonex completely and switching to one of the new drugs, Tecfidera.
This what Web MD has to say about Tecfidera:
How does Tecfidera work?
It appears to have anti-inflammatory actions and brain-protective actions. The main problem in MS is that immune cells are getting into the brain and the spinal cord and they are attacking the nerves. One of the main ways they cause damage is by inflammation, particularly in relapsing-remitting MS. So Tecfidera does a number of different things to lower inflammation and lower the ability of the immune cells to get in and attack the central nervous system. Additionally, it may protect nerves from damage.
For Tecfidera, the common side effects are abdominal pain, diarrhea, and some bloating. And it causes flushing. You also have to watch the white blood cell count and the liver enzymes.
The Curmudgeon is hoping he has better results with it than he’s had with the Avonex of late. Keep your fingers crossed people!
You all have a good one!
Side view of the brain and spinal cord (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Doggonedmysteries 