The effect of weather on multiple sclerosis by "EmpowHER.com"

Many of us in Canada used to secretly enjoy winter to some degree before the onslaught of the MonSter kicked in. Snowmobiling, tobogganing, sledding, snowshoeing, skiing, the list goes on, winter could be fun! Now we get a condition that robs us of the abilities that made it fun with out expensive adaptations.It is well known about the effects of weather on MS.  No wonder there is such a controversy with CCVSI (sorry just had to get that into the text). We all would like to get better and have the ability to honestly injure ourselves into a disability that we earned. *smile* Life likely would have gotten to MS People by a million other conditions if the MonSter had not overpowered us. Some of us were stricken with other conditions while battling the MonSter. To each of us dealing with the MonSter: adapt and survive, enjoy the road to your personal end!  The main website of the link below has a lot of female interest blogs.  MS does affect women more then men but we do get it too.  


As the Seasons Change, So May The Symptoms of Your Multiple Sclerosis - EmpowHER.com

MS trials: we need to do this

Whereas this post below slams the MS Society of Canada, which is doing what it should by funding research as much as allowed, it should blame the medical profession of our nations. Yes, persons with Multiple Sclerosis have been denied their constitutional rights as per the Canadian and US standards to the extent laid out in this post. Yes, we should be upset. Darn lucky we are considered a passive nation at home (particularly so if you have MS) or human ca-ca would hit the rotary wind pushers...

This injustice is not via the MS Society of either North American nation. Many top level medical professionals who's paychecks depend on our lack of "well-being" have put up roadblocks in North America towards any research which has the potential to succeed. Hate to bring this up but it fuels the war against Medical Marijuana which is marginal as per its' legality in North America (even where it is recognized as legal) despite the proof of its' values.

I have heard it said that doctors are not here to cure you. They keep you alive and in a state of dependence on costly synthesized medicines; a cash cow if you will. This scenario is now focused on the macro community of MS sufferers with this issue. Stay Tuned as we travel forwards through time!

MS trials: we need to do this

Brain Changes in MS May Spur Depression

For those of us who are afflicted by depression this explains why it happens. It in no way reflects on our intelligence. Do not get depressed thinking that MS makes you less of an educated person; MS'ers generally have the ability to focus and solve complex challenges in their lives better than a non-affected person. Cheer up- You do know it all!

Brain Changes in MS May Spur Depression

Ontario won't yet fund studies on new MS treatment - CTV News

Can U pronounce "Whistle blower"? Hmmmm some good points being brought up by our nations' premier news source. Enjoy!

Ontario won't yet fund studies on new MS treatment - CTV News

Centre on Aging - Ladner - Chronic Disease Self-Management Program | University of Victoria

Having MS (*or any other chronic condition) does not prevent you from aging and the host of problems this brings to your body. The Prince George MS Self Help group encourages you to check the following website to see if your community is offering the CDSMP to show you how to age with grace as you progress through time. Enjoy!

Centre on Aging - Ladner - Chronic Disease Self-Management Program | University of Victoria

Welcome to HerbalShop -- Acupressure Points for Relieving Anxiety and Nervousness

Massage: The manipulation of our muscles and nerves is both comforting to the MS patient and a big part of Wellness. This website shows the Acupressure Points for Relieving Anxiety and Nervousness, 2 things that many MS Afflicted persons suffer from. Enjoy!

Welcome to HerbalShop -- Acupressure Points for Relieving Anxiety and Nervousness

MS patients Rally for Experimental Treatment | Accessibility News International

Not quite up to the minute; this is an international news source from May 5th 2010. Enjoy and know that you did make the difference in that case. Many high Profile universities are now studying the procedure. I know, study after doing the procedure :) it is done for other things with no questions asked... but I am neutral in any discussions on this.

MS patients Rally for Experimental Treatment | Accessibility News International

Of interest to my USA Fan club

Thanks for being out there...:) Hope this is of interest to you...

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY SSI BENEFITS- QUESTIONS TIPS ADVICE TO WIN SSD, SSDI CASE

The DRM WebWatcher: Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

This website has a list of MS online resources, chat rooms and other forms of electronic support with an MS Flavor. Enjoy!

The DRM WebWatcher: Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple Sclerosis & Cannabis, with Jim & Cheryl Miller

Thanks YouTube!

Alien Coverup? Was there ever a doubt?

I still think my MS came to light due to Alien Influence. Perhaps Stanton can shed some light on this.
Have a great weekend!
Stanton Friedman: A Scientist Searches for the Truth of UFOs

MS Fatigue

How does it differ from other fatigue? Our friends at MS Answers tackle this question! Enjoy!

MS Answers

Keeping logs prior to Visiting an MS Specialist

Is it a good Idea?
MS Answers

spring2010newsletter-revised_april_-Official_one.pdf (application/pdf Object)

We finally did it.  In January 2010 the MS Society of Canada, Prince George office announced that the Chapter would produce a newsletter and launch it at our MS Wellness Day event held in April.  Chapter members Ann Bozoki and Heather Lamb went to work on getting things started and with input from Joann Smiley (MS Society Prince George Event Coordinator), Ken Biron (Facilitator, PG MS Self Help Group) and Marcy Moore (RN, MS Clinic of UHNBC) provided the content and edited the first Newsletter that the Prince George Chapter produced and proudly hosted on their website.  We hope you will enjoy this first attempt, and please stay tuned for the next one scheduled to launch in October at the MS Society's "VLAP" information session in October.  Enjoy!  To find out what a "VLAP" is, read the newsletter linked below in PDF Format.  If you need the reader to view, click here first.

spring2010newsletter-revised_april_-Official_one.pdf (application/pdf Object)


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Life redefined

On May 3rd 1999 at 6:30 am I woke up blind in one eye.  At the eye doctor, they murmured Optic Neurosis and sent me to the specialist and onto other doctors .  From that day on I have evolved and explored the new chapter in my life.  Somewhere along the way I decided I needed to make the planet accessible and start a goal towards Accessible Food, Shelter and Companionship.

Prince George has several food banks for its' citizens and visitors' use; Most are completely accessible, no cost to the user and everyone can access.  They help in many areas of life and provide a free meal with few questions.  We also have an active Farmers' Market down town for home grown products!

Not only does the "Farmer's Market" have that store front above, they have an open market every Saturday of the snow free months in the courtyard of the Provincial Court building.

In the Shelter part of things, Society had anticipated that I may become temporary homeless in the first decade of this disease.  The first place I discovered on that side of the street was the shelter operated by Active Support Against Poverty, ("Bridget Moran Place")  a street level support center dedicated to housing in Prince George.  There is one more shelter for males only ( Ketso Yoh) operated by the Prince George Native Friendship  Center (NFC).  For males who are in trouble with the law, there is "Activators" which is affiliated with the John Howard Society.  ASAP is the more disabled friendly of the shelters available for guys, plus ASAP is for both genders. 

Not leaving women out, there are a number of emergency shelters for females only.  AWAC is the 24-hour emergency shelter for women and female youth. They provide support, advocacy, and referrals and ask few questions.  The "Phoenix Transition House" is for women and their children in times of crises.  The E. Fry Transition House is run by the Prince George Elizabeth Fry Society as another shelter for at risk women and their children.  A pet program is available. 

At Risk children not accompanied by adults have places as well.  The "Friendship Home"  is run through the PG NFC and provides long-term residential opportunities for at-risk youth, 12-18 years, who are in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development.  They also provide clothing, shelter, and access to medical and educational services.  All Shelters provide meals for "residents" and ASAP provides an additional public lunch during the weekends for adults.  Prince George cares for the homeless and at risk population by providing free food and emergency shelter for its' citizens.  MS does live in those situations as well. 

Companionship is another aim of survival and that is usually accomplished by an individual drive.  For those who have problems with companionship, "Peer Support" groups exist for almost every human condition in the city.  Our MS Self Help Group fills the need for companionship for persons affected by Multiple Sclerosis in Prince George.  MS can be a very lonely condition.  No one quite understands our lives and challenges, even other MS affected people sometimes fail to understand us.  We listen though and sometimes that is enough to make us understand ourselves enough to survive, balanced in Food Shelter and Companionship.

DMT study

I just received an Email  from an MS Village contact requesting response from the Canadian MS Community who are currently taking Disease Modifying Treatments (*Specifically Rebif or Copaxone  for 1 to 6 years) for Multiple Sclerosis.  Please read and respond if you fit this criteria.

---

Hello,

I am sending this e-mail from MPI Research on behalf of the MS Village and we are inviting Canadians with multiple sclerosis who take the product Rebif or Copaxone to give their views on current and potential new treatments for MS.

Criteria for this study:

-          Must currently be taking Rebif treatment between 1 - 6 years presently.

-          Must currently be taking Copaxone treatment between 1 - 6 years presently.

This study is strictly a research project and your answers will be kept completely confidential.

 A monetary honorarium will be provided to qualified respondents who complete the survey.

 This survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete, and will be:

·       Conducted by telephone at a time convenient to you

 If you would be interested in participating, please contact me toll free at 1-866-332-6696 so that I may ask you a few questions to see if this study is of interest to you.

 We are seeking participants asap. Therefore, you can reach me directly between 9:30AM-5:30PM (Eastern Standard Time) Mondays through Fridays.

Sincerely,

Chris Kyte

1-866-332-6696

Chris Kyte

Research Associate

MPI Research

181 Hymus Boulevard, Suite 202

Pointe-Claire, Québec H9R 1E9

May 2010-USA Gets to phone in

I received this through the Second Life Multiple Sclerosis Support Group. The phone information given here is mainly for my USA contacts who read this blog, know me at Facebook. But Wait a minute John in Kamloops! There is a URL listed below that is good for internationally MS affected people (MS Awareness is a global affair). Enjoy!  Updated 19 Feb 2018. Kept for historical purposes


More than 10,000 researchers and practicing neurologists from around the world gathered at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Toronto April 10-17. Nearly 500 presentations related to research efforts to stop multiple sclerosis, to restore function, and to end MS forever were given. National MS Society grantees were among those presenting novel findings on many different aspects of MS research.
A special research call covering Exciting New MS Research and Drug Developments, including Highlights from the AAN Meetings will be held Thursday, May 20th at noon SLT. During the 60 minute call, Dr. Stephen Krieger and Dr. Patricia O'Looney will be interviewed by EJ Levy, President of MS Hope for a Cure. We will hear about major highlights in MS research from the AAN meetings, including the latest-breaking research and new therapies and treatments in the development pipeline.
Stephen Krieger, MD is an attending physician at the Corrine Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Mount Sinai Hospital and is Assistant Professor of Neurology. He is the recipient of a 2006 AAN Scholarship and the Sylvia Lawry Fellowship in clinical research from the National MS Society. Dr. Krieger is currently participating in research on a variety of MS clinical trials and is studying clinical research design. Dr. Patricia O'Looney has been with the National MS Society since 1988. She currently serves as Vice President of Biomedical Research, directing and overseeing the administration of the Society's biomedical research funding programs.

This information below is out of date, link does not work.  Historical purposes only

You can join the call by dialing 877.860.4996 and entering conference ID 69470471. No advance registration is necessary. If you are unable to participate, you can access a recording on the national website approximately two weeks following the call at http://www.nationalmssociety.org/research/research-news/ConversationswithMSResearchers/ind ex.aspx. If you prefer a CD or your internet connection does not support the file, you may request a copy of the CD recording by contacting ...

MS Answers- Iron supplements

with the popularity of Dr Zamboni's theory of CCVSI many folks taking iron supplements to aid them in overcoming many other complications in life might be wondering if they could worsen MS symptoms with those supplements. Here is yet another answer from the experts.

DO NOT quit or alter dose of your prescribed medications or DMT's without consulting your Health care provider...

MS Answers: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

MS Answers: exacerbations or relapses

This is one thing that confuses many newly diagnosed MS patients... Another answer supplied by our partners at MS Answers... Be sure to sign up for these questions and remember that knowledge is power and the secret of overcoming the worst of MS is to know all about it.


MS Answers: "exacerbations or relapses"

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

MS Answers

One of the hardest parts of this disease is the cost of the "Disease Modifying Treatments" (DMT's). If your drug costs are unable to be covered by Provencal Government Premium Medical coverage due to your income level being higher then what your Provence gives out monthly, the cost of the medications can be prohibitive. I think the least expensive one sits around $1700 for a month's supply. Even when covered for prescriptions, there are expensive treatments for more advanced stages of MS that are not covered in some provinces.

This answer from our partners at MS Answers will explain how to cover these costs in the absence of prescription coverage (*Canada only). As always, a clear answer can be obtained by discussing this with the MS Clinic staff. Your local MS Nurse or Neurologist will ensure you understand the cost and payment options.

MS Answers: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Top 10 Tips for Solving Crossword Puzzles

Do you know the best defense against Dementia type conditions of the mind is to exercise it? Just like physical exercise is beneficial to combat the worst of the worst that MS brings, simple "exercises of the mind" strengthen and rebuild pathways in the brain naturally. MS has many parts that involve mental well being or lack there of.

To exercise your brain, pick up your favorite newslette and turn to the games page. Exercise your eyes by recognizing the word challenge enclosed in the paper. Every puzzle is solvable. Before you get stuck on a crossword if you chose to do that, check the link below. Your sanity is important. Keep it for a lifetime. Take 5 & do a puzzle that causes you to think! Quit Smoking too.


HowStuffWorks "Top 10 Tips for Solving Crossword Puzzles"

The road to day on several fronts

This event is the crowning glory of the plan I have for the MS Self Help group if they allow me to continue as Facilitator. It seems like it will continue well into the future, it is proving to be successful for both the BC /YT Division and the chapter. other areas east in Canada are attempting it. It may be a coincidence, but my other contacts in www.MSSupport.ca is based locally to where a similar event may occur in the future.

Anyway local to us, a few years ago a nurse named Marcy Moore came to run the MS Clinic of the former PG Regional Hospital. She had a vision of our MS world and envisioned a support union of the community, the medical team and the MS Society. This union would combine into an education session of the latest therapies

I had a similar idea, starting with Prince George and using the Internet to expand Prince George's support boarders. For this I would need to Network. Being slightly mentally unbalanced I imagined all sorts of future plans, paving roads along the way. Fortunately most of the plans failed. Some of the biggest successes on the path to globalization are based in the realization of failures.

Prince George had a Support Group, a gathering of MS Patients who identified themselves as a distinct sub community within Prince George. At one time it was a

Today's group is the evolution of it's "reboot" due to dwindling membership and interest. I suspected that the fact that we shared the MS name with the Society and wondered about any possible conflicts with us being a Multiple Sclerosis endorsed external Group. They needed to have contact in order for us to continue to exist. I became the Facilitator for the Self Help Support in I think 2004 to fill that need so it would continue.

As far as I could see, the Facilitator has the power to guide the group in whatever direction would benefit the group's survival into the future. No one told me any different, I suppose trusting me not to warp your minds too bad or keeping the threat of dissolution hovering above me from corrupting this world I was forced to join into.

My vision extends internationally however, perhaps Globally if I have time:) & I'll start here. I have repeatedly invited the group to join me as I developed MS contacts internationally and nationally.

About Bounce Back | CMHA BC Division

A big part of my journey during the last ten years, my depression was recognized by the MS Clinic just before I started the Avonex. She recommended that I pay a visit to my GP to receive an Antidepressant of some kind prior to my starting Avonex in 2001. Avonex was explained in a post on one of my other blogs, it is MS injectable DMT... The "A" in the "ABCR's"

The Nurse also suggested that I see the Mental Health center attached to the former "Prince George Regional Hospital". I nodded my head and went back to my shell of a life. I did see my GP. Or rather I saw some old, should have been retired years before I walked in his office Doctor. I mentioned I was out of my Blood pressure medication (oh yea- another side effect of Depression combined with ancestry) and what I learned at the clinic about my mind. He looks at me and said "You are not old enough to have high blood pressure". He takes a breath and speaks again. "you don't look like you have MS and I do not see depression, I guess I will fill your BP meds but I refuse to give you any antidepressants".

I looked at him and said Goodbye, picked up my 'script for the meds (he only ordered 1 month supply) and vowed I would survive with out any help from that side of my support or die trying. It would be a while before I would return to my doctor.

I eventually remembered what the nurse had said about Mental Health and the directions to their office. I phoned and enquired. I needed to see the Community Resource office in the rear of the Hospital first, located right next to the Adult Mental Health center. She could see me to be assessed, immediately if not sooner. I knew the lady in the CRO from her previous position somewhere back along the road to that day and we connected on that fact. As soon as I finished that appointment I had an appointment set up with the Mental Health nurse.

After a few sessions with the nurse who went over my personal journey up to the point of our first meeting (which included my suspicions of the aliens causing my MS) I entered a series of Group Therapies. I also checked back with the MS Clinic about my progress, she was getting anxious as she wanted me to start Avonex once I had my depression under control. She wrote some notes as I talked to her as to why I had not started pharmaceutical Antidepressant treatment. She advised me to make and keep another appointment with my GP.

I attended many groups with about 12 people in them. Every day people would describe events in their lives that bothered them. We learned how to recognize and combat the depressive waves of emotion and learned the power of thought control. The most powerful was the "Assertiveness Training" group. Very life changing and helped put me on the path to today.

The video offered below is part of the evolution to this point in my life. The material covered in it is very close to the groups I sat in. I see it as the evolution of Mental health in British Columbia. They had a booth at today's Wellness Day Event and gave an excellent talk on their "Bounce Back" program...

Where the MS Society of Canada cannot recommend or endorse any form of medical therapy, I personally can. If you feel depressed, the steps I took are still there today. Some persons need that. For the rest of us, there is online and a free DVD for BC residents.

I had a unique ride along the road to today and this program helped to pave it for everyone else hopping up that same road. Mental health is evolving along the road, becoming a Highway and now a Superhighway online!

Check out the link below. Remember that it is adapted to a BC / Alberta flavor so it may warp your American minds and those BC Wannabees from the east.. I am sure they have disclaimers on their sites about the risk of mental screw ups and offer qualified advice in such cases to repair such screw ups...

It did not mention anyone else having the delusion of alien Gene manipulation in their delusions sooo perhaps my reality did have a bit of real reality mixed into it. More on that in a post one of these days.


About Bounce Back | CMHA BC Division

Today

Today is April 17th 2010, 5:10 am Pacific. It is wellness day and I am MCing at the event our MS Support team has worked hard to set up all year. Just 5 months from today we will start the next year's planning for an even more exciting event. What would you like to see in the event next year? How about a person talking about Marijuana therapy? Most of the wellness centers placed around the province have professional medical staff who agree that it is the best thing for their patients. What is your opinion on this?

Is Multiple Sclerosis Fatal? - Video

Film from the UK explaning that MS is not fatal. Live well, MS will be with you for (hopefully, baring accidents and human stupididy) a very long time. Enjoy the show!

Is Multiple Sclerosis Fatal? - Video

Emotions Linger When Memories Fade

My aunt Laurie passed away last winter from Dementia. The last time I saw her just before Christmas 2009 she recognized me and I saw emotion in her eyes... At the time I did not recognize it but understand now that she still cared and wanted out. Death was her escape, she will be there to greet her family and relatives that loved her when we get to the other side of life.

Emotions Linger When Memories Fade

My MS treatment.

When I was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in June of 2000 I was introduced to the MS Clinic of the (formerly known as) Prince George Regional Hospital and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Prince George Chapter.

I have never really felt OK around any medical professionals so my contact with the clinic was limited. At first, I also avoided the MS Society as I was not comfortable with them or the disease I now had. The clinic advised me that Interferon's were needed at the early stage of the disease to prevent slipping into Secondary Progressive MS. She explained the "ABCR's" of MS Medication (Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone and Rebif) which will be explained in a later blog. All are administered sub-dermal via injection (Daily, weekly or 3 times a week). She wanted me on Avonex.

The Nurse gave me an exam to measure my depression level. This was in the late winter or early spring of 2001. That is a standard operating procedure with those MS treatments, patients are often given anti depression medication for a few months prior to being prescribed that form of treatment to counterattack the "rare" side effect of depression that can occur with Interferon. My mental levels were very low and she suggested the Adult Mental health center attached to PGRH as well as the Antidepressant medication would be required before I could consider that treatment.

I began with Avonex in July of 2001. Even with the Anti Depression medication and the therapy of the Adult Mental Health clinic I was a mental wreck by the time my birthday came around in October. I became "needle phobic" and I refused to "stick myself" anymore. The MS Nurse at the time suggested that I try Copaxone instead of Avonex. I saw the needle, panicked and refused that treatment as well. It has an auto inject option but that did no good once I saw the needle. This kind of ended the pharmaceutical treatment for my MS and broke my limited connection to the MS Clinic for a few years.

I began self medicating with Marijuana in 2002 which helped with a lot of everything that MS was tossing my way, including the depression. I had used Marijuana extensively in my youth but had left it well over 15 years behind my present life. It helped ease the depression and the stiffness. Vertigo was practically eliminated and I could sleep. It was illegal and for some reason I wanted to feel like an outlaw, in my mailbox I found that the MS Clinic of the day did not support this move. It made the disease tolerable for me. I will post anther on "Medical Marihuana" which I began with the doctors & clinic's blessing in 2010.

MS the early days

Persons diagnosed with any chronic illness go through various stages of mental anguish. The first part (pre-diagnoses or "limbo")after the first noticeable attack of the condition brings feelings of being anxious about what it could be. When the Diagnoses is finally presented to the patient, the person goes through feelings of relief at being able to put a name to the effects of the body. A short time later, depression can set in as the realization that this condition exists in you and the future is cloudy. If support venues exist (Self Help groups, Family, Friends,etc) the transition is short and depression turns to acceptance fairly quickly and patients learn to "adapt and survive".

1999 was a very strange year for me. I think it was a force stronger then me that kept me alive, I was on a path of self destruction. The hours at my place of employment were cut back, my boss and I were constantly discussing my health and mental state. Thanks to the Internet I was finding out the MS would not kill me and that was upsetting. I did not know anyone locally with MS and I felt very alone. In 2002 I left the high stress environment I was employed by and became addicted to the Internet while I had a home to live in.

I found a website at "webmd.com". It has an MS support group there that was totally what I needed at the time. I found persons there who understood everything I was talking about, even if I did not know anything about what I was asking... They were from all over the world, mostly from the United States. It struck me hard with the realization that MS Must live elsewhere in Prince George, I just had to find it. Those people I met at WebMD are still my friends and personal contacts albeit we have never met face to face.

My Employer and I agreed to disagree and after several months of 2 to 3 days a week employment (during which I did the leg work towards Disability) I left work in April of 2002. In August of the same year I became homeless with a disability. During all of this (from around January of 2002) I began consultation at the Adult Mental Health Center here in Prince George for severe long term depression. I was living on the living room floor of an old friend of mine and my life was unsettled. We moved to a larger house and I lived in the basement. The therapy went on for about 2 years, my depression was long term and amplified by recent events.

It was over a year later when my disability pay kicked in from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). In February of 2003 I had moved out of the basement bedroom my friend had let me crash in over the winter and started to reside in the homeless shelter downtown run by Active Support Against Poverty. They have permanent accessible housing above the shelter and I took a place up there for awhile. I survived by communicating with my peers online and discovering the others in Prince George with MS.

Prelude to MS/Depression awareness

How does one live with Multiple Sclerosis? I did not always have this condition. Once I was an aspiring forester doing everything from 3 meter knockdown, slashing, thinning, road, cut block layout, Bug Kill (Mountain Pine Beetle "crash and burn" project) and Forest Firefighting. This was all done in the Ft st James Forest district (BCFS-FD5) in the 1980's. At the same time I was part of the Canadian Armed Force (Reserves- Cadet Instructor Cadre). I temporary moved to Lac La Biche, Alberta in 1987-88 where I attended Forestry school in the Alberta Vocational Center there.

I could feel myself growing older and decided to take life a bit slower starting in the early 90's. I took a job in a gas station in Vanderhoof BC in the mid 90's and held it for a few years. I also became common law married while employed there.

I moved to Prince George BC in 1995 and began working in London Drugs as a computer technician in 1997. In 1998, my common law wife decided the grass was greener without me and put most of my belongings on the curb. It was raining and vertigo (*extreme bouts of dizziness)was running my life. I quickly found another place to live, rain and me did not get along. Sleep took care of the vertigo. About a week later my I woke up and walked into a wall. I discovered that I could not see out of one of my eyes.

In a Panic I raced down to the eye doctor just down the block. He could find nothing wrong so he sent me to a specialist. After Hmmming and Humming for about 20 minutes she informed me I had no medical insurance. She also told me about the ramifications of being without medical insurance in the province of British Columbia while she handed me a bill for $189.98 for her 20 minute exam. The exam was "inconclusive".

I do not remember if she called it Optic Neuritis (ON) which would not have meant anything to me if she had. I know know that ON is a symptom of Multiple Sclerosis. In fact, up to 50% of patients with MS will develop an episode of optic neuritis, and 20-30% of the time, optic neuritis is the presenting sign of MS.

After obtaining BC Medical Services Plan coverage, I consulted a few specialists and my GP who all shrugged their shoulders and "blamed the other guy". I finally connected with a Neurologist who scheduled me into an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). In Prince George prior to 2005 we were served MRI's in a mobile unit which traveled Northern Health's vast area to get everyone who needed one tested. A person normally waited 9 months for the exam. I was 5 minutes late for it and had to reschedule.

In February of 2000 my father took ill and was constantly transported to the Prince George Regional Hospital from Fort St James. He did not have long to live. In June of 2000 I managed to see the Neurologist again who disclosed that I had all the markers for Multiple Sclerosis and that would be a label I would wear for (*Possibly) the rest of my life. I thanked him and walked out. In July my dad passed away and I felt alone and helpless. I still had a job to do, a life to live, an Ex wife to hide from as depression filled my world.