tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140723309522726362024-02-21T00:30:32.031-08:00Life With Multiple SclerosisIt's a MSed up life, so diverse and random & more adventurous than any non afflicted mindPG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-61514449953354833292020-10-12T12:14:00.002-07:002020-10-12T12:14:42.880-07:00Inquisitive mind, a Thanksgiving post<p> I was diagnosed in the year 2000. Life changed fast, all MS'ed up. I remained in my job, a<a href="https://www.londondrugs.com/london-drugs-store-051-prince-george/parkwood-place-051.html" target="_blank"> multi function 'Drug store' with a computer department</a> where I sold and fixed computers till April 2002. I began the job just before diagnoses in 1998. My skills became diverse and my mind inquisitive as it seemed to expand in my head while I was employed and recalled about 5 years later when I became Facilitator of this Self Help Support Group. I am actually thankful for my MS'ed up life slowing me down to this level to find my intelligence, as diverse as it seams 20 years into it. This AM, I plugged in a question to Google. Is the number of ms diagnosis decreasing or increasing since 2000 in Canada? I realized a question had to be answered first, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4191203/multiple-sclerosis-canada-understanding-why-ms-rates-are-the-highest-here/" target="_blank">Why is it so common here in Canada?</a> As always our MS Society of Canada and <a href="https://blog.mssociety.ca/author/dr-karen-lee/">researcher/blogger, Dr Karen Lee</a> answered the question fast. We have the highest number of afflicted individuals here in Canada.<br /></p><p>What other questions must be asked before deciding if the number is increasing or decreasing as to diagnosed people. I guess that is not important as the fact of the number of cases as <a href="https://mssociety.ca/library/document/k4Mu67YmgnraAwHKJIxtdh9UCiEOzpGy/original.pdf" target="_blank">one case of Multiple Sclerosis affects a community of people</a>. I cannot find information on statistics like populations over the years. We just have lots. And new research for treatments increased over the last 20 years. The cure may be in that we prevent new cases from arriving, as <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/multiple-sclerosis/recently-diagnosed-why-start-ms-treatment-early" target="_blank">when they start, they usually get worse (but not always)</a>. We will die with this, either by natural causes or by <a href="https://mslivesinme.blogspot.com/2019/08/assisted-suicide-is-dying-with-dignity.html" target="_blank">Doctor assisted help</a>. That is the only certainty in this unpredictable disease. But if we never start getting sick, the treatment isn't needed. <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/multiple-sclerosis-prevention#potential-prevention" target="_blank">What if no one ever got MS</a>? </p><p>Well for one thing, the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/about-ms/diagnosing-ms/ms-clinics" target="_blank">MS Clinic in your community</a> and the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/" target="_blank">MS Society of your nation</a> with it's divisions and chapters would cease to exist when the last MS'er in the community, in the province and in the nation departed. There would be no need for MS focused Self Help, Peer Support groups, Society offices would be closed and forgotten. I hope the staff we love find other jobs if that happens. Life has other diseases though, injuries and just living with no problems through to old age brings a need for support in a percent of individuals in any collective so the group's and society's mandates and goals would be changed. <a href="https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/10-signs-youre-a-follower-instead-of-a-leader.html" target="_blank">We leaders will still need followers, leaders will always arrive</a>. We just need a focus and like minded individuals in our collective.</p><p>Speaking of followers, I hope there is a way to follow me here on Google Blog. I have it set up at the blog I usually write to, <a href="http://Walknroll.info">Walknroll.info</a>. Subscribe onsite, I will be posting there more frequently on a diverse range of subjects. I had aimed for one a month but so far, I've got one every couple of weeks or more frequently. I think I have 2 links so far pointing here (for '<a href="https://mslivesinme.blogspot.com/2018/09/ms-and-cannabis-weeducation-101.html" target="_blank">Weeducation</a>" posts I have developing in a series) I have it for 9 years. This version of the site started in September 2000. It's presently sitting on a Canadian host at HostPapa. If you consider yourself a Canadian, your Website's server should be Canadian too, Eh? Stay tuned for more!<br /></p>PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-20260759373681156672019-10-30T19:39:00.000-07:002019-11-02T06:27:24.694-07:00Cannabis Pain Salve<h3>
Prelude </h3>
One of Cannabis's side effects that I've found in myself is painkilling for much of the MonSter's effects within my body. I do credit it largely for my being upright and mobile in this active MS'ed up life I live, 18 years closer to death than I was at diagnoses. Yesterday for example, I sat through a very important meeting with the <a href="https://bcsupportunit.ca/bc-emergency-medicine-network" target="_blank">British Columbia Emergency Medicine Network</a> designing "Exit" forms. I did this wearing my "<a href="https://patientvoicesbc.ca/" target="_blank">Patient Voices Network of BC</a>" hat, my community hats of MS and the <a href="http://www.handycirclepg.ca/" target="_blank">Handy Circle Resources Society</a> for 6 hrs. We all would love to be discharged from emergency care fast with a smooth ride from the entrance door gurney to home again for wellness. I had smoked at least 2 joints in the early AM before my meeting and was feeling quite good when I arrived to the meeting. It had nothing to do with the cream I will discuss on this post. As soon as I returned home, the person who had gifted this cream to me was asking for a review. OK. So I wrote it. "Post it on my FB Page", she requested. I uploaded a PDF. "Not good", she said, "PDF Too large". "OK" I replied "I'll post it to my MS Blog and share that to your page". Smh. OK, here's the post.<br />
<br />
<h3>
What is Cannabis Pain Salve and how would you use it?</h3>
An independent non-government source had provided me a sample of some Cannabis infused salve for me to try on areas of my body where pain happens. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">This jar appears to contain <a href="https://www.leafly.ca/news/cannabis-101/what-are-cannabis-topicals-ca" target="_blank">an infusion of Lavender and Cannabis enriched oils</a>. </span>Nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have some condition deep in my elbow, no doubt because of my flat workspace from my laptop computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway as soon as I put the cream on the elbow, I could feel it working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I rubbed it in, the pain was almost instantly reduced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a span of a few days, it was gone, as long as I kept myself from leaning on my elbows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do have to talk to my doctor about that part of my body, Pain does mean there is a problem that could be fixed now or long term care later if I wait. I had some dry skin on the back of my hand too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did help that area hydrate. But why would you believe just me?<br />
<h4>
A second and third opinion</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spread the salve on another lady’s back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a deep bruise across the rear of the shoulder blade with no outward discoloration at that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She reported a similar reaction to the pain reduction which overcame the pain of initial discovery of the bruise, which then healed painlessly fast after a heavy application of the cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her friend had a medical problem with her lower spine and took a handful of salve, smearing it down there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She reported it did help above her non-effective painkillers about as fast as me and the second lady.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
Don't forget the cautions</h3>
<a href="https://www.leafly.ca/news/strains-products/how-to-make-diy-cannabis-topicals" target="_blank">The product itself is simple to make at home</a>, or it’s the one thing you might get from a <a href="https://vancouversun.com/cannabis/cannabis-business/map-of-all-the-licensed-cannabis-retailers-in-british-columbia" target="_blank">legal dispensary</a> but won’t be as good as stuff you get from a homemade batch as long as you can verify cleanliness in preparation and try it on a small part of skin before spreading to open areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not use on broken skin until healed over<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" scrolling="auto" src="//content.jwplatform.com/players/6vLCR7xE-QKPVtt8Y.html" width="640"></iframe></div>
PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-1920089622432809332019-09-18T21:51:00.000-07:002019-10-09T07:25:57.209-07:00MS Non-profit leaders and Entrepreneurs<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">How to keep busy in a MS'ed up life </span></h3>
You may know your MSed up life and think "What can I do with it? Education is diverse and does not always come with a teacher other than life itself. 4 walls, brick and mortar formal educational institution is good and all but many potential businesses and non-profits can be owned and managed by the MS'ed up community with a diverse range of realized skill sets they turned into a profitable business helping other MS'ed up people like you and themselves among the diverse range of potential clients in Northern BC. I took courses through "<a href="http://www.makeachangecanada.com/" target="_blank">Make A Change Canada</a>" themed for <a href="http://www.businessabilities.ca/" target="_blank">Business Development in Canada</a> and <a href="http://www.ibde.ca/" target="_blank">Web Design</a> which included basic instruction in graphic programs like <a href="https://www.adobe.com/ca/products/photoshop/free-trial-download.html" target="_blank">Adobe Photoshop</a> and design tools from coding with HTML to <a href="https://getbootstrap.com/" target="_blank">Bootstrap</a>, <a href="https://www.w3schools.com/php/" target="_blank">PHP</a>, <a href="https://moz.com/free-seo-tools" target="_blank">SEO Tools</a>, Blogging for Business which helps SEO on <a href="https://wordpress.com/" target="_blank">WordPress</a> and other domains even here with this blog on Blog spot. That was all done at home with my internet connection. My latest website is ending soon, "<a href="http://walknroll.info/">walknroll.info</a>" is my domain for now. Sometime over the decade I was enrolled, I had to borrow internet access from the <a href="http://www.handycirclepg.ca/" target="_blank">Handy Circle resources Society</a>. I am hoping now to have you support my next venture in creating a "Web Design Company" by <a href="http://bit.ly/2BpZbM8" target="_blank">looking at getting your own website</a> and hiring me to help you manage it. Yes with all my volunteerism I do hope to start a business someday like others I've met along this journey wearing my MS'ed up hat.<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Employment from others</span></h3>
When I was first diagnosed I was employed by <a href="https://www.londondrugs.com/london-drugs-store-051-prince-george/parkwood-place-051.html" target="_blank">London Drugs in Prince George</a> in the Computer Department. Between 2002 and late 2007 I was unemployed with a diverse range of skill sets now including technical and a severely MS'ed up mind. This could be your story too, change the dates and place of employment. My Volunteerism, after focusing my MS'ed up mind, honed those technical skill sets and increased the web design skills I now use to help the Non-Profits. My Most notable use is the Website for our <a href="http://carefreesociety.org/" target="_blank">Carefree Transportation Society</a> which I built and gave to them and the one for <a href="http://www.volunteerpg.com/" target="_blank">Volunteer Prince George </a>which I help with site maintenance. I also facilitate the "<a href="http://www.handycirclepg.ca/stopgap.html" target="_blank">Prince George StopGap Ramp project</a>" through the Handy Circle Resources Society. I have met a few MS'ed up people working long past diagnoses at lumber mills and in other administrative roles for many businesses. Many volunteer in non-leadership roles too just as important sometimes working as labor intensive as any paid job.<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of Volunteerism</span></h3>
I've met a few MS'ed up people in the field of Volunteer Management. <a href="https://mslivesinme.blogspot.com/2019/08/assisted-suicide-is-dying-with-dignity.html" target="_blank">MAID receiver Jenifer Werk</a> was the President of the Carefree Transportation Society for around 3 years. It is a recognized non-profit which has been influential to BC Transit Accessibility since 1971, managing the HandyDART fleet in Prince George since long before accessibility was cool with public transit. She was also involved with a few other Non Profits as pure volunteerism too. <a href="https://tetrasociety.org/community/" target="_blank">Tetra Prince George</a> is managed by Nadine Lindstrom, an organization that helps MS among all disabling conditions including age to live comfortable lives from home. Ask her all about what else she does on the Tetra Website linked above. She manages other volunteers who think outside the box to overcome challenges to life, as the basic aims of her organization. She, like myself, gets a minimal wage for the volunteer services provided. Our official, often unspoken, title then is "<a href="https://money.howstuffworks.com/economics/volunteer/information/professional-volunteer.htm" target="_blank">Professional Volunteers</a>". I've come across other MS'ed up individuals volunteering time at places like <a href="http://ssvdppg.com/thrift-store.html" target="_blank">St Vincent de Paul's clothing store</a>, serving food at the <a href="http://ssvdppg.com/drop-in-centre.html" target="_blank">Drop In centre</a> and at the <a href="https://www.sapg.ca/" target="_blank">Salvation Army</a> giving out groceries, sometimes hope as needed. One calls the numbers out at <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-bingo-4077068" target="_blank">Bingo</a> held weekly at the <a href="https://www.bcsspgace.org/index.html" target="_blank">Activity Centre for Empowerment</a>. That MS'ed up person helped us get t<a href="https://mslivesinme.blogspot.com/2019/09/story-of-prince-george-ms-self-help.html" target="_blank">he room we now use there</a>.<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">An interesting volunteer experience and a personal drive to #EndMS</span></h4>
You might have seen his face in Mimes shared on social media. A blond man blinking some replies to comments in a GIF. He's used that volunteerism to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis Research. <span class="gnca-article-story-txt gn-speakable-description" itemprop="articleBody">If
you’ve spent any time looking at reaction GIFs on the internet, you
know Drew Scanlon’s face. He’s the blond-haired man who shakes his head,
raises his eyebrows and blinks, in a series of expressions that seem to
say, “Oh … Wow. OK then.” His face, his blinking eyes actually, has raised well over $20,000 towards <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/mssoc/site/SPageServer/;jsessionid=00000000.app352a?NONCE_TOKEN=198E3CA128A8408BCE93BD03BB13617A&pagename=bike_homepage" target="_blank">the MS Bike event</a>. When we got diagnosed we became cash cows for the MS Society as well as our health care teams. Some of us use that to help research. We really are the face of Multiple Sclerosis. Not all of it is negative. <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/5938632/blinking-white-guy-reaction-gif-ms-research/" target="_blank">Check out his efforts here</a></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">True successful Entrepreneurs</span></h3>
<h4>
<span id="goog_1753329379"><span style="font-size: large;">Health and Wellness</span></span></h4>
<h4>
<span id="goog_1753329379"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Golden Rays Apothecary</span> </span></span></h4>
With life experience of MS Treatments, accredited study and self care of her own younger MS'ed up body, Ashley Provencher owns and operates (with a partner) "<span class="color_15"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.05em;"><a href="https://www.goldenrayspg.com/" target="_blank">Golden Rays Apothecary and Wellness</a>" on Quebec St in Prince George. This MS'ed up business has herbs and essential oils, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/40275-reiki.html" target="_blank">Reiki training</a> and general wellness information and products services. The Prince George MS Community is proud to recommend the services offered by this business and including them within our diverse community. Ashley is also a proud volunteer for the <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/mssoc/site/SPageServer/;jsessionid=00000000.app30115a?NONCE_TOKEN=FFAF780DD6C35050B15B3A10FE644BDD&pagename=walk_homepage&s_locale=en_CA" target="_blank">annual MS Walk</a> in Prince George and can often be found managing the business community who have booths at our major event</span></span><br />
<h4>
<span class="color_15"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.05em;"> Ocean Rehab & Fitness</span></span></h4>
<span class="color_15"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.05em;">I attended the <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/mssoc/site/SPageNavigator/MS%20Connect/content/BCY/msconnect_homepage_bcy.html;jsessionid=00000000.app352a?NONCE_TOKEN=442FD52B04C1A8B7EF855F7470F99A54" target="_blank">MS Connection</a> event in October, 2019 held at <a href="https://www.visitrichmondbc.com/" target="_blank">Richmond British Columbia</a>, it was held in the <a href="https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/yvrwc-the-westin-wall-centre-vancouver-airport/" target="_blank">Weston Wall Centre</a> by the <a href="http://www.yvr.ca/" target="_blank">Vancouver Airport (aka YVR</a>). There were all sorts of booths, and I happened to run into Megan Williamson, an adaptive coach & certified Personal Trainer at it. She's all that and while overcoming her own MS with a BA degree. There is a <a href="https://oceanrehabandfitness.com/services/online-training/" target="_blank">very cool website</a> she likely designed supporting the adaptive fitness business she I assume she owns and operates. If you do not live in her area, she trains online as well. It's focused on Spinal Cord Injury and MS, among other disabling conditions. We could see Megan on the Virtual Self Help Group as a guest speaker. You should register for that monthly support if you reside in the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/chapter/northern-regional-chapter" target="_blank">Northern Regional Chapter of the MS Society of Canada's BC and Yukon Division's area.</a> Contact them to find out more about it. </span></span><br />
<h4>
There are others I am sure across BC</h4>
I have limited knowledge of what conditions any business proprietor I encounter have. We may have a relationship with frequent business but it's always so professional and non disclosing. Well, often I encounter other disabilities managing businesses. None have volunteered our mutual condition like Ashley who I had personal knowledge of her condition. If you are a Canadian MS'ed up business owner or operator please contact me from my <a href="http://walknroll.info/who-is-walknroll/website-plans-what-am-i-doing-with-it/contact/" target="_blank">business website</a> with your Business information and Web links. If you have a connection to the Prince George MS Community, or in Northern BC including the Yukon that would be nice too. I would love to update this blog post with your information<br />
<br />
<br />PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-13384189921037779442019-09-08T22:36:00.000-07:002019-09-13T19:52:48.910-07:00Story of the Prince George MS Self Help Group 2005-2019<h3>
The Beginning</h3>
I was diagnosed in the year 2000, as my father died of leukemia and a year after my common law wife for 5 years asked me to find a new home. It was a week after that event that <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/optic-neuritis" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Optic Neuritis</span></a> took the vision from my left eye for a few hours that lead to my diagnoses.. I ran into an old flame somewhere along that journey and kind of rekindled, but she was damaged with an addiction to alcohol, young kids and that toxic relationship took almost a decade to transpire into the folds of history. It began to get distant around 2004 as I discovered mental health challenges brought out by MS DMT's used in the MS'ed up initial years. Coincidentally, I began to get my head about me that year as I quit tobacco that year in August 2005 and became the Facilitator for the Self Help group by very early 2006. It was a very MS'ed up life with mega extremes both positive in strange ways and very negative without the option for assisted suicide some of which you'll find on previous posts here if you look back through the earliest posts. Some of the other blogs attached to this blog that I created in those days are pretty strange in some posts. Somewhere back there I envisioned today and at least the Virtual Self Help Group streaming across Northern BC Including Prince George at the South East Corner of that region. That pipe dream of mine was international, starting here in Northern BC. That is now a reality in 2019, <a href="https://mssociety.ca/support-services/programs-and-services" target="_blank">thanks to a new creation of the MS Society</a> spoke about in depth below (the Northern BC connections). For more information on that, please contact the Northern Regional Virtual team team via the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/chapter/northern-regional-chapter" target="_blank">Northern Regional Chapter of the MS Society of Canada</a>. It's so differently MS'ed up now in a positive way! Through a very rough first five years feeling alone and MS'ed up finding myself and others, I finally found the group and rapidly saved it from extinction in Prince George as it went through it's own rough time. I hated the alone part with MS. All I had to do was quit tobacco use in August 2005 to find myself and others found me.<br />
<h3>
The first year</h3>
I took over from the previous (before me title) President. It was a "Support Group" then, fully under the Society. The previous meeting had held about 20 people in the Northern Health Building across from then Prince George Regional Hospital. I came in not expecting to take over, but as I sat alone with one other member I had known from previous meetings and the "Exercise class" that was held weekly in the Rehab room of that hospital beside where the MS clinic was at that time, I envisioned one possible scenario of the group folding. The fellow I was sitting with didn't have MS, he was afflicted with Parkinson's. There were 2 in the exercise group with Parkinson's. The group I saw supported many and everyone is affected by MS. Anyway, he and I sat there and talked. I asked what is was he did for the group. He mentioned he took notes at the meeting, but didn't do it for anyone but himself. I asked him, since the last President had left, did he mind if I called myself the "Facilitator"? I could not be a Chair, or a President" I explained, and I called it a "Self Help" group then. A facilitator, as far as I understood, set the initial and cemented direction for the group and found key people to manage. He didn't care he said, and that was his last meeting but I did see him at the MS walks over the years. He's still a part of our community. Yea, my community shared in a MSed up way. Over that first year, I defined what the facilitator would be the direction we would take as an entire micro community within the macro community, affected and afflicted were defined and accepted. By my definition the MS Society Chapter including the advisory board overseeing the local chapter were considered members when they were in our local community, the Staff of the MS Clinic as well. Visiting doctors from the clinic and patients from Northern Health's area had an invite to attend if in the community. There is no one more affected then our support teams. That is what I thought the Facilitator should do, I would own the position unless someone official told me to stop who wasn't local. No one did. I did nothing against MS Society policy to discourage the partnership they had an inkling was developing. I set a vision and basic goals for the Group that included them. "No MS'er will feel alone with this disease in Prince George, as long as at least one person has it in this city and sits in this position". It was good and accepted. We would be here for all affected by MS. I also set up to connect the group with the MS Clinic in PGRH and the Prince George MS Chapter amid my own personal problems with those support sides I considered "affected by MS", therefore remote members of the Self Help Group. The Chapter is finical support of activities and advice for the group including some personal and group supports as well. The MS Clinic is an Educational source for the entire community but not just my community. My original aim was to have a rep from both sides attend local meetings monthly. <br />
<h4>
The Clinic</h4>
I was diagnosed in 2000, through this clinic. At the time we had a mobile MRI unit come through for that test that lead to the diagnoses. A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_resonance_imaging" target="_blank">Magnetic Resonance Image</a> is taken of the brain in the most common way a diagnoses is made. Another way was called a "<a href="https://multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com/multiple-sclerosis-diagnosis/spinal-tap/" target="_blank">Spinal Tap</a>" back in the day. Once a person is diagnosed, they have a neurologist appointment to confirm the diagnoses soon after if you have the required markers happening together. That process is still happening today but may be faster. Most in our northern region health authority get diagnosed through the MS Clinic in the Hospital at Prince George like I and others before, after me did). I needed to connect the group that in my mind existed. More recently it got an open MRI Table in a lab, after it became <a href="https://www.northernhealth.ca/locations/hospitals/university-hospital-northern-british-columbia-uhnbc" target="_blank">UHNBC</a>. I created an Email address at Google for initial official contact. This address for this blog in fact. I saw electronic communication as the best way to connect our 3 sides, the triangle was forming in my mind.. For the clinic, they would need to have several Nurses fill the position after the Nurse who formed the first of the Prince George clinic left the position and new thinkers came to fill that position. It is interesting to note that write ups about our Clinic in Prince George claimed many other MS clinics in North America were modeled after ours following things done here and staff. It also services Northern BC and the Yukon through Northern Health.<br />
<h4>
The Chapter</h4>
I began to volunteer with non profit office in 2005, called the <a href="http://www.handycirclepg.ca/" target="_blank">Handy Circle Promotions Society</a> back then. I first learned about blogging and webdesign there, using a <a href="https://www.w3schools.com/html/html_intro.asp" target="_blank">simpler version of HTML</a> for one of their umbrella societies concerned with accessible housing. That office was beside the Prince George Chapter of the MS Society office. In my personal life, I took an online course from what would become <a href="http://www.makeachangecanada.com/" target="_blank">Make a Change Canada</a> called "<a href="https://www.ibde.ca/" target="_blank">IBDE</a>". I would complete that course in 2018 after using Handy Circle's computers to begin in 2005. That MS Chapter office had to go through a couple of people until the right person was hired for the newly named "Event Coordinator" position I'll describe in the first 5 years part below. My first contact with the Society on Self Help business was not well received. The Office person refused to give me a check made to the group, so I could deposit in the account I had just been given signing authority of with 2 other Self Help leaders. They were honorary members from the time before I took over and seemed to be OK with my leadership and use of funds. After convincing the office of my status in the Group with their help, I was allowed to take the cheque to the bank for deposit. I still would not be warmly received as a member (only as a person with a disease) and not be allowed at board meetings. I had no official dealings about the group and the chapter until they hired the one who was there until it closed but still denied board meeting attendance or knowledge on how to join it as an executive.<br />
<h3>
The first 5 to 9 years</h3>
It was about 7 years into my diagnoses when the MS Society of Canada, at least in the BC Division changed the title of the office position and called the person an "Event Coordinator". This is the one paid person they hire in a region. I welcomed this new person with her title who respected my position at the group. I had convinced her to attend meetings in the new position I created for the group, the Lesion representing the MS Society of Canada, through the Prince George Chapter. I explained because she worked in the office that supported MS people regionally, she was now officially "affected" by Multiple Sclerosis and within the city of Prince George. She did not have to have the affliction itself. The MS Society was accepting of the time their Event Coordinator spent within the community, so was I. I should explain, I consider myself <a href="https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/a+legend+in+my+own+mind" target="_blank">a legend in my own mind</a>. She would also do hospital visits for MS patients in the hospital as there are a few long term residents with Multiple Sclerosis, and that was a job I felt was for the support side as a "<a href="https://mssociety.ca/support-services/ms-peer-support-program" target="_blank">Peer Support Worker</a>" or team (a remote version of someone to talk to is linked). I felt we needed a live person, a face. However the MS Society paid that one employee do that, it did fit in with the vision of support I had too so I thanked her the first of many times for our shared interest in the community. Through that person we learned of MS Society events and my job became promotion of those events to the community. Those events where our faces and stories are needed to be seen to help the Society to help us. We became "cash cows" for Health Authority staff and our supporting societies with our diagnoses. Month of May. World MS day. The MS Walk of every year. Even more! Promotion in a Pre-Facebook world, early internet no local boards and no coin for advertising. We needed a medium, a gathering of community members face to face. One of the first things I did was set up the group to meet in a semi permanent location at the <a href="https://www.fbcpg.ca/" target="_blank">First Baptist Church</a> around 2006. The <span class="color_15">Reverend </span>at the time had a daughter severely afflicted by Multiple Scleroses, she never lived to see 2010. But in that religious world, no one really dies. Her spirit was in the community. She taught us what a cure is even today, but <a href="https://mslivesinme.blogspot.com/2019/08/assisted-suicide-is-dying-with-dignity.html" target="_blank">MAID should have been here for her</a>. She also died with dignity but in a very twisted diseased and imho, undignified way so common. We would continue to use that space until the fall of 2019. It helped to have a solid meeting space, even if we moved to the street for a couple of years before the local Chapter closed before we would regroup with the help of a new remote Chapter.<br />
<h4>
Facebook</h4>
My first form of support came from a US based website called <a href="https://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/default.htm" target="_blank">"WebMD</a>". It had group message boards back then, in the internet world before <a href="https://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. A year or so into pondering that, the Event Coordinator and I discussed strategies. I was just learning about Facebook back then and its power. The society paid advertising and I got the word out through Handy Circle. Around 2007 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pgmsshg/" target="_blank">A Facebook page </a>was
created. In that part of the job of Facilitator, my promotion
campaign needed a free outlet. This page was international and quickly
grew to attract an international following of contacts I had made in my
first few years with this disease. It could not be for local events. I
had begun to realize the global connections to MS really soon in my
MS'ed up life. Before I found anyone local. Later in our history the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/pgms.self.help/" target="_blank">FB Group-Group</a> was formed around 2015 as part of our "regrouping". If you are from the planet earth and affected by Multiple Sclerosis please join the FB Page, If you are in the area of the Northern Regional Chapter of the MS Society of Canada, please join our FB "Group-Group". <br />
<h4>
Guest speakers</h4>
The chapter suggested a couple of people I could ask ask to speak to our group. One was from the <a href="https://www.tetrasociety.org/" target="_blank">Tetra Society of North America</a>, who design devices and tools to help people afflicted by a disabling condition like ours live normal lives. Another speaker we had, had talked about her experiences with a new procedure called<span class="st"> <a href="https://mssociety.ca/hot-topics/chronic-cerebrospinal-venous-insufficiency-ccsvi/risks-and-safety-with-ccsvi-related-procedures" target="_blank">Chronic Cerebrospinal venous insufficiency or CCSVI</a><i>.</i> She had just returned home from having the procedure overseas. The procedure caused a lot of tension back then. It was a national headache felt locally by the Society, our community and the Clinic. Our most attended meetings had guest speakers and the controversial topics like the CCSVI brought the most. We also had speakers from the <a href="https://patientvoicesbc.ca/" target="_blank">Patient Voices Network</a> and other groups I networked along my path through Prince George and the Province. Only once a guest speaker showed up an no one else did. Ok 2 times. Once recently in 2019<br />
<i></i></span><br />
<h4>
Triangle of support evolves</h4>
Around the same time as the Event Coordinator was hired , a nurse was assigned to the Multiple Sclerosis clinic in the newly named "University Hospital of Northern British Columbia" who saw the connection to the group as a positive thing and over time would give input into meetings and at least one guest speaker. The clinic at that time as well began a relationship with the local chapter office and that brought many educational events into Prince George which the community promoted. Once we had an annual event called "The MS Wellness Day" which ran a few years and invited affected persons across Northern BC. I proposed a "Triangle of Support" (explained below) in Prince George and submitted a logo based on that, to be used in the event. It had Northern Health in text running down the left side, MS Society of Canada running down on the right, and it was all supported on the bottom by the community. It was MS Red, on blue, black or perhaps white background. It was rejected anyway. If I find the logo on my machine I'll upload it here below this block. About 9 years into my diagnoses, the chapter in Prince George closed which threw a monkey wrench into the triangle of support this city enjoyed anyway. It could still happen though with the new chapter but not just for Prince George or Northern BC even. The Event Coordinator for the Northern Regional Chapter is in Kamloops sharing an office with the Southern BC chapter in 2019, and there is another clinic there. Same in the lower Mainland for the BC Division office and UBC's MS Clinic. MS'ed up people get under the triangle in British Columbia? Could see it.<br />
<h3>
10 years to now</h3>
The Event Coordinator for the Prince George Chapter sat with me at the First Baptist Church while we waited for people to come in until the chapter closed. While we were there, we discussed MS events posted on the Facebook page and formed the FB Group. Often brainstorming in a mutual uninterrupted meeting of focused minds is needed in many organizational settings. We had at least an hour a month if needed to discuss MS in the community uninterrupted. Recall the Legend in my own mind thing I have? I'd often talk to the Mayor of the time or Council and they would know me by name. Once a Premier of BC said "Hi Ken" and shook my hand on a street as I passed. That was in Vancouver. I like to think kept MS alive in the Prince George city offices, they know MS lived and worked among them thorough more then just me. Every now and then a newly diagnosed person would arrive randomly at the church, as it does today and very occasionally. I debated if our time was useful there more then once and the meetings got shorter. I facilitated a phantom group. In the years after the Prince George MS Chapter was closed, the vision of "No one is alone with MS" became more real in the group as I alone attended. I said good bye to the church and met people one on one wearing a mental hat of Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Group Facilitator. Facing my own homelessness in my community, I learned that side of living with Multiple Sclerosis. I learned of MS'ed up people who were homeless and on the street. How could those people be helped? I learned of suicides, common among that crowd MS'ers included. It's not an easy life but even down there, <a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/aspeed1/you-make-me-smile-quotes/" target="_blank">MS meant Must Smile</a> or die trying. The lesson of the alternative and its stressors was painfully real then. It was my lesson on how not to let MS beat me. As long as those MS'ed up street people had someone to talk to, they were fine. A few had addictions, we're not immune to that. Many of them were attached to the Clinic at UHNBC. The group did not meet but those MS'ed up people had my number and coffee was free in the food banks we frequented. That was a small percent of of the Prince George community I met, many of them were temporary residents of our community. We also had coffee in some diners but had to limit those meetings to times we had money. Often they paid for me or we went "dutch". That was the most common challenge of MS'ed up people I encountered during that time. Lack of money for social activities all month. Most MS'ed up people I met were not homeless but many were homeless at risk. Most I met were Female too, it is about a 60-40 split of the genders of diagnosed people. I began to wonder if the fact I was male in the Facilitator position was detrimental in the MS'ed up community locally. No one told me to stop using the tile so I continued as the Facilitator for the Phantom group unless I was told to stop by a society I felt along with with my community had abandoned us in some ways.<br />
<h3>
The Northern Regional Chapter of the MS Society of Canada </h3>
A few years of that and a newly diagnosed lady came forward to where I work at Handy Circle, around 2015. She said the community needed a meeting room to attract diagnosed people, she was feeling alone and wasn't real impressed about sharing a disease with me alone. I discussed with her about the lack of a society being a challenge to that but I would do what I could to save her from that fate of our shared diagnoses. A day or so later, I got an Email and learned of a new chapter, could I find time to meet with one of their board members who was local in my community? I did that almost right away and the first thing on our agenda was setting up a meeting room. The newly diagnosed lady attended as well. The new chapter mirrored the region covered by Northern Health's MS Clinic in UHNBC. That new region covered Northern BC and up to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory. I contacted the Church shortly after that who welcomed us back and we had our first meeting with the 3 of us in place. I placed the diagnosed lady in the position of Board Chair and the Society Board member as our Lesion. The new chapter was formed in Nelson BC with a newly hired "Event Coordinator" who would retire less then 2 years after that, which moved the Chapter office to Kamloops. The new job of the Self Help group was to help the society repair the damaged feelings of the Prince George MS community and funders including the City of Prince George who had hosted the chapter for better than 20 years. The group moved ahead. 2019 sees us in a new home partnering with the Mental Health Community. It's another community that MS lives in. <br />
<h4>
Northern BC Connections- Virtual Self Help group</h4>
In 2018 the Northern Regional Chapter decided to sponsor a "<a href="https://www.capterra.com/p/144037/Zoom-Video-Conferencing/" target="_blank">Zoom" based once a month conference</a> call to MS affected individuals and group leaders found throughout their area of responsibility for a remote "long distance" Self Help group. This virtual group meets once a month on the 4th Friday of the month. As stated above, contact the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/chapter/northern-regional-chapter" target="_blank">Northern Regional Chapter</a> to be placed on the mailing list for invites. It has shared information on grief counseling, some minor drug addiction suggestions, a toll free number for the Regional MS Clinic, general support for MS and non MS stuff. Oh yea. Cannabis research too. We're basically just a fun MS'ed up group mostly not <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tech-savvy" target="_blank">tech savvy</a> & mixing rural and urban attitudes of life with MS<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BGH1y70zSkg" width="560"></iframe> <br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
My impression how it stayed together in Prince George 2005-2019</h3>
It began in a time of change in Northern Health. Well, BC health overall. OK The macro society of British Columbia as a whole went through big changes since 2005. Prince George is ground zero for Northern Health, 2005 was the beginning of what was to come for health which ultimately drove all other changes. I quit smoking in August with Northern Health support as well as <a href="https://www.quitnow.ca/" target="_blank">QuitNow Canada</a>. Unofficially Cannabis had the biggest effect on my heath and research is finding the health of our community. My doctor and the MS Clinic wanted to see me again after booting me from their offices in 2002. The alone feeling is very scary. Our futures are never written. We make the path we follow. Mine led to this group first as part of my therapy and connecting Multiple Sclerosis to other like minded groups like the <a href="https://patientvoicesbc.ca/" target="_blank">Patent Voices Network</a> of BC, the <a href="https://bcsupportunit.ca/" target="_blank">BC SUPPORT Unit</a> and its <a href="https://bcsupportunit.ca/locating-your-regional-centre" target="_blank">regional centers</a> and local groups concerned with accessibility and transportation. We all need connection with like minded individuals. One mind is needed at first with an idea, then to connect at least one mind to collaborate and grow with connecting ideas to reach others. The MS community when singled out in all its diversity needs that triangle of support the group offers. For the triangle of support to exist it needs those collective individuals to share that network. It would not be complete if one side was missing, it is a <a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/symbiotic" target="_blank">symbiotic relationship</a>. Patents and affected people would not survive if the Medical support or the collective support of the Society, which also supports the medical support, in a never ending flow of support to the community which if no one had MS the whole system would fall apart so the group holds us together as we find there is never enough support. Like I keep saying, it's MS'ed up. We stay together as it has to exist even if only one MS'ed up individual exists in a community. The local MS'ed up Community of patents, affected individuals and a mixture of the 2 sides forming the base, MS Society and Health Authority MS Clinic along each side growing across the region collectively with all communities to cover the province collectively in every province where Multiple Sclerosis lives nationally.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Future of the group?</h3>
As of 09(Sept)-10-2019 our group officially moved to the <a href="https://www.bcsspgace.org/index.html" target="_blank">Activity Centre for Empowerment </a>(ACE's) located at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir//1139+6+Ave,+Prince+George,+BC+V2L+5G5/data=!4m6!4m5!1m1!4e2!1m2!1m1!1s0x538898e6a5842317:0xecded4ec612b8033?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_ktCjg8nkAhVGCTQIHbxxArwQwwUwAHoECAoQAw" target="_blank">1139 - 6th Avenue in Prince George</a>. Just off of all<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDpNeUvss30" target="_blank"> the construction </a>downtown <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJHS7ag_LeI" target="_blank">that is occurring</a> in 2019 to continue a few years into our collectively MS'ed up future you will find a parking lot between ACE's and the Downtown Motel. If you use a walker, go chair, cane the entrance off of 6th is accessible. If you have a wheelchair, some may find it challenging in a narrow hallway. There is an entrance beyond that before the Cost recovery kitchen. There is also a door on the parking lot side but it's not accessible. Our first meeting will be held there on September 19th of this year. If you are restricted to a larger device, it is recommend to use the bathroom before arriving so you will be in comfort at the meeting. Perhaps in all the new construction another meeting area will open up, but in the meantime I am so glad we found a home for however long it lasts this time. I do hope it survives me. Well, if I couldn't kill it, it must have a reason for existing so it will always be around for the newbies and vets. I have to find that person to succeed me someday and I cannot just walk away... Roll even. This new location was due to networking. I have been a board member of the Mental Health Consumer Council, an established advisory board looking for an advocate to speak for mental health when it clashes with Northern Health for a number of years<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_2OmcNCkjIf9tPbM_NiT9qoIo4igEQVwmW5nFt0_meCdnE88Ud25fcW-Onta80se3f9y0JSOGiL4KVmb_wx8lyorTB7rytUmFuesqAFqpt4s9xK7DRtrPiBm2uUn9Uw-LipFtEcRYDg/s1600/20190807_130806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lets fill this room every 3rd Thusday of the month between Sept and June!" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_2OmcNCkjIf9tPbM_NiT9qoIo4igEQVwmW5nFt0_meCdnE88Ud25fcW-Onta80se3f9y0JSOGiL4KVmb_wx8lyorTB7rytUmFuesqAFqpt4s9xK7DRtrPiBm2uUn9Uw-LipFtEcRYDg/s320/20190807_130806.jpg" title="Lets fill this room every 3rd Thusday of the month between Sept and June!" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to our new meeting room! Our time is between 1 and 3pm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
</h3>
PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-39928105176445762542019-08-31T13:34:00.000-07:002019-08-31T13:50:47.908-07:00Thrush in MS<h2>
Thrush? </h2>
<h3>
What is Thrush?</h3>
I am writing this as the burning sensation that I ignored for years (randomly and sporadically) in my mouth and over years is identified. I recognize it from occurrences long past in my personal history. It would happen as teeth were removed from my skull 1 by one over the years of my MS'ed up life from way before it was officially MS'ed up but with all the fun. I was just messed up back then, that "legend in my own mind" thing was building in the background of a busy life. Funny in a messed and MS'ed up dark way, <a href="https://www.msdmanuals.com/en-jp/home/infections/fungal-infections/candidiasis" target="_blank">Candidiasis is present in all humans</a>. Thrush has a real name. It has a low possibility of being caused by Tobacco use. I'll go with that as I blame it for everything in my life, even some positive connections over the years (rarely), those problems now id'd and being treated with more than Cannabis.<br />
<h4>
What is isn't</h4>
It's not is a sexually transmitted disease however it has a slight chance of being transmitted that way between immune compromised individuals or group sex with infected individuals resulting on multiple exposure shared between that network. It's usually controlled in us by a unique balance of internal natural chemicals and bacteria as far as I understand, likely is tied into the Gut Bacteria Hype. There are worse things to worry about with a risky lifestyle. Healthy individuals should remain unaffected by human transference of the bacteria in normal interactions. Flair ups of "growth" happen with painful results in arm pits, groins (uncircumcised males), anus, folds of loose skin, and yes, the oral cavity and throat<br />
<h3>
What causes Thrush?</h3>
As far as I can understand, Candidiasis outbreaks on the body exterior can be caused by a number of factors including but not limited to simple hygiene, hot and humid weather, chemical imbalances and stress. In the mouth, same but other factors include drugs after surgery, antibiotic use affects the entire body in and out. Who suspected there are <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/salivary-gland-disorders" target="_blank">sweat glands in the mouth</a>? Not actually called "sweat" glands, <span class="st">salivary glands in the body are located just below the ears inside the oral cavity</span>. Candidiasis outbreaks begin at those glands where they produce moisture. That link above in the preceding paragraph should explain fully much better then I, with my limited understanding <br />
<h4>
Treatment</h4>
It begins and ends with Hygiene. Best tool is self care, a beginning and end to many things about life is Hygiene, it can be washed off with minor outbreaks. If Candidiasis is left untreated too long, a doctor may prescribe an Antifungal drug, but never ignore good hygiene. Untreated may do damage to skin, and internal organs may be affected by thrush. I think it could be a factor in the famous "<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319802.php" target="_blank">tickley throat" of MS that makes us gag on a glass of water</a> or gulp of air and in severe cases, new food and soups. If you have that often, best get it checked by a medical professional. MS and Candidiasis is the least of the reasons it could be, having an immune condition is enough to bring out random unexplained outbreaks of choking and Candidiasis which in the combo is likely deadly, particularly if something else not diagnosed is present. It is the most common way we perish naturally with this condition naturally. We'll always die with this condition too, often trying to live in comfort. Practice good hygiene before that point for the best protection against sudden death. Boil toothbrushes or get a new one. Even if you have no teeth and just gums, bush them with a soft toothbrush the wider the better. It helps remove food and dead cells, latent bacteria lingering and feeding the Candidiasis where it has potential to begin. It also improves blood flow in the gums, a very important thing for overall health. Any medication will always assist good hygiene, it never means to replace that basic part of self care. Here is a 5 minute video to remind you in case needed. It is geared to a younger market to lead your memory to a parental figure drilling it into you as a child and again as a teen, perhaps a spouse. Prevention is better than curing with medicine, what they should have drilled into you at those ages:<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jQ2e0KH5WrI" width="560"></iframe><br />
<h3>
If you didn't understand above, here's a video that should help clarify:</h3>
It's 8 minutes, 37 seconds of education on Candidal. Thanks for producing this, <a href="http://osmosis.org/">osmosis.org</a>: <br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CeOMzQ1CeMQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
Comment below if you've been affected by Candidiasis and how you treated it! I love home remedies, in all cases, protection beyond self care should always focus on natural prevention. Your way may prevent it in me and others! Thank you reader for viewing so far<br />
<br />PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-25832666889459847412019-08-20T11:46:00.002-07:002019-08-28T11:00:55.450-07:00A Patient Partner post, Patient engagement<h3>
What is "Patient Engagement"</h3>
According to the <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/252269/9789241511629-eng.pdf" target="_blank">World Health Organization</a>, it refers to the process of building the capacity of patients, families, carers, as well as health care providers, to facilitate and support the active involvement of patients in their own care, in order to enhance safety, quality and people-centredness of health care service delivery. It starts at a personal interaction between you and health staff attending you while you receive healthcare until you are healthy and continues with interactions with your family doctor. <br />
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https://youtu.be/Elmx1nkQDI8<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Elmx1nkQDI8" width="560"></iframe><br />
<h4>
My MSed up definition:</h4>
That is the world scope, above. I've had lots of practice with executing Patent Engagement from long before my time with the <a href="https://patientvoicesbc.ca/about-us/" target="_blank">Patient Voices Network</a>, unofficially prior to 2009 and often at the risk of being shunned by the healthcare service as an individual because of my personal views on my MS'ed up treatment. By the way, I'll just say "Cannabis saved my life" and be on my way with a puff from that part of patent engagement. My story told of my personal successes such as ending a tobacco addiction and staying upright and active 18 years into my diagnoses of Multiple Sclerosis which impressed many in the health care field and I feel helped Northern Health accept PVN when approached in 2009. It was a good networking tool. That attitude helped change the health care system slowly toward accepting it at my personal healthcare team's level and a large part of what I saw in the Patent Voices Network who have our own definitions of Patient Engagement with shared discussions, based on the life experiences of patents from all professions from health care to homeless. O and it's not always about Cannabis but a few of the best engagements had some involved. Once a patent has that relationship with doctors and fitting with the theme of this post, Patent Engagement is a collective effort in groups as well as found by the health care experts.<br />
<h4>
How do we affect the health Care System?</h4>
<a href="https://canadian-nurse.com/en/articles/issues/2019/august-2019/a-nursing-perspective-on-patient-advisory-councils" target="_blank">Here is one blog post I found through the Patent voices Network</a>. Overall at many levels of the health care industry appears positive with these partnerships as far as I see. Here in British Columbia overall, people with life experience in health care working together with professionals in the Health Care profession have influenced many other patent's and their health care progress through out their life journey, while interacting with BC Health from family doctors to specialists in every health authority. Projects we worked at with the health care authorities included and influenced emergency room procedures, <a href="https://patientvoicesbc.ca/resources/understanding-patient-family-centred-care/" target="_blank">Person and Family Centered Care</a>, procedure specific reactions, other problems faced by medical professionals in communication with their patients and many more situations specific to conditions. That's the work of Patient Engagement and where it leads. At the BC SUPPORT Unit in Vancouver BC, it's <a href="https://bcsupportunit.ca/resources/patient-engagement-101-what-it-and-what-it-isnt" target="_blank">defined as this and what it isn't</a>, in a collective sense.<br />
<h4>
How will it evolve? </h4>
Patent Engagement is also encouraged while medical students go through courses at <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/" target="_blank">UBC</a> and <a href="https://www.unbc.ca/" target="_blank">UNBC</a>, as far as I understand. We're all patents, even medical students. The <a href="https://www.unbc.ca/northern-medical-program/our-story" target="_blank">Northern Medical Program</a> began at UNBC in 2000, to overcome to a severe doctor shortage we face in <a href="https://www.hellobc.com/places-to-go/northern-british-columbia/" target="_blank">Northern British Columbia</a>. That was the year I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in <a href="https://www.northernhealth.ca/locations/hospitals/university-hospital-northern-british-columbia-uhnbc" target="_blank">UHNBC</a> (then known as the Prince George Regional Hospital) while my dad died in that hospital. The school has graduated well over 100 new doctors who remained in our areas, while UBC educates doctors for use in the south-coastal and island health authorities local to them. People like myself are even sitting at national research boards on patent councils at the BC- Regional SUPPORT Units and within the PVN influencing medical professionals as well as their profession nationally with Patent Engagement. That's a great question on how it will evolve. Perhaps we all need to learn self care and not depend on the health care profession except for serious medical problems and regular checkups to prevent chronic development, all of Canada has to get on board with it as well. Most of the provinces have a Patent Voices Network and a SUPPORT Unit now, and in the USA much information comes from Patent Advisory groups like ours. It will evolve globally however it manifests.<br />
<h4>
Do other MS affected people sit on these boards?</h4>
Yes, we do. I've made provincial MS connections on both the <a href="https://patientvoicesbc.ca/" target="_blank">Patent Voices Network</a> of BC and at the <a href="https://bcsupportunit.ca/" target="_blank">BC SUPPORT Unit</a>. I have found similar mindsets in many from just our local MS Community and widespread across our MS'ed up province taking on civic roles of accessibility awareness, healthcare in the province or your local health authority. I hope to find them trough the <a href="https://bcsupportunit.ca/northern-centre" target="_blank">Regional SUPPORT Unit</a> I'm making contact with this afternoon too! <a href="https://bcsupportunit.ca/bc-regional-centres" target="_blank">What's this Regional center</a>? We're passing on our knowledge of overcoming barriers that we face to people that see those barriers while in their professions dealing with people with all abilities and can make the changes so many of us need. Be the change, it starts with you. <a href="https://itstartswithme.ca/" target="_blank">Not just with research.</a> We make life better with our wisdom of life experiences and having the time to sit on these needed boards to address these issues. We can become accredited citizen scientists. This makes life better for everyone with any level of ability. Access blocks no one from anywhere, it's needed in public spaces as well as healthcare for everyone.<br />
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.PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-4173745753760562452019-08-09T08:25:00.003-07:002020-07-25T20:42:30.502-07:00Assisted Suicide is dying with dignity<h3>
What is it?</h3><div>
What is "<a href="https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/get_the_facts_assisted_dying_law_in_canada" target="_blank">Assisted Suicide</a>"? It's 'Dying with Dignity', <a href="https://www.northernhealth.ca/health-topics/medical-assistance-dying-maid?keys=MAiD#" target="_blank">Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)</a> . Beyond being the cure and from what I understand, a person makes a personal decision at any stage of their MS'ed up or otherwise afflicted and potentially imprisoning body and whatever life they lead at that particularly sound minded point in their lives and realize the only escape is death. It is the only cure for MS in 2019. Well, providing they meet the criteria in the link I posted above. You cannot set it up in advance for it to be done <b>if</b> things get worse. In the past, it was illegal to commit suicide even if the person was unable to do it themselves the person assisting would often be considered a murderer by many and the law, or worse if the person survived. Self monitored suicides often resulted in the person living much worse off then previous too, costing much heartache and health care costs. But it is deeper than that. I can only imagine that to be the end of things. I have yet to see this discussed at the <a href="https://patientvoicesbc.ca/about-us/" target="_blank">Patient Voices Network</a>, but I am sure it will "arise", All patents will have this as a personal decision in the back of their minds perhaps. But talk to your primary care doctor (*including at "<a href="https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/services-and-resources/find-services" target="_blank">walk in clinics</a>") found in many places in Northern BC and elsewhere who can direct it from there.</div>
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What is the procedure?</h3>
I honestly have no idea at the moment. I can only imagine. This is Canada wide too. As I wrote above, then posted the first link and verified, a visit to a Primary care doctor is step one. Beyond that is I assume a series of appointments with mental health persons and other "life management" professionals and specialists. <a href="https://www.northernhealth.ca/health-topics/medical-assistance-dying-maid?keys=MAID#" target="_blank">This link from Northern Health </a>may better explain it. It also contains contact information from a doctor trained in the procedures local to our health authority. They may be able to provide local contact info if from other areas. The Prince George Multiple Sclerosis community has had the first 2 persons who chose this way to go. We were sad to hear of the first one, a free sprite named Patricia Irwin. I had a personal connection to that person and do miss her. No mater what the cause, death is hard on the survivors. We often only hear about the end and the cause. This is another end to a life with Multiple Sclerosis in Canada though. Better to do it "professionally" I feel when walking and rolling or strolling in front of a semi is not on option. Control your life and your end with style and dignity, just like an MS'ed up life should be. I may get a story from a person I talked to who was speaking on behalf of the second one I learned about, Mrs Jennifer Werk in August 2019, which will update this post. Stay Tuned!PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-20248482546511549352019-04-04T15:40:00.002-07:002019-04-04T15:40:41.106-07:00Perhaps more than a pipe dreamWell, this Blog was always supposed to be promoting life with Multiple Sclerosis Part of it is dreaming. Dreams always have a chance of coming true I've found, fantasies fool you into thinking they can be real and often bring a facsimile of reality but leave you broken after you figure it out. Hopefully before you die trying to make it a true dream of reality. Such is life with this condition. Anyway my dream beyond "cures" is accessibility focuses and independent free travel. I'm willing to wait for free.<br />
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I live in Northern British Columbia, Canada. It's a wild remote land bordered on the south by Via Rail and the Highway of Tears aka Highway 16 West. I actually live now on that highway, There are 2 routes between Prince Rupert (PR) BC and Prince George (PG). PG sits on the southeast corner of Northern BC and is known as the Hub for British Columbia, the gateway to and from Northern BC by water, land and air travel. All through it's history through before the European invasion. Settlements discovered in Northern BC may be the oldest on earth, as humans migrated across the Bearing Sea on a land bridge and headed south along the then known as "Turtle Island"'s western shores! Scattered through all that remoteness north of Highway 16 are diverse communities where the "simple" lives are led. Well, those of us living in the urban life in PG or PR perhaps next to a busy highway full of noise, it's often a throwback to the simpler life of our youths. I grew up in a community in Northern BC in the 1970's and 80's. A community of around 2,000 individuals, 60 Km north of Highway 16 from Vanderhoof BC. Up till 2018, Rail and Greyhound Canada serviced our intercity needs. Transportation for people and goods with costly inaccessible routes between PR and PG and PG to the nation to the east along 2 routes globally. Prior to 2006 I think, BC Rail went to Vancouver for passenger service and North past my home town. Also prior to 2006 in Northern BC we were a lot healthier overall, public intercity accessibility wasn't an issue for so many as no one travels to those communities with disabilities. They all had private rides out of those communities for diagnoses, and often treatment aging and eventually settled where they could find housing for their disabling conditions closer to the community housing their individual treatment. This saves travel costs and time. Some blessing. We're the healthiest province in the nation and 3rd Healthiest on the globe. Woot. That means the rest of the globe is a lot sicker than the worst ones here. Whoohoo. Access for all is being recognized all over BC, barrier free design denies no one and helps so many. Canada is beginning to think so, down to individuals like you who hopefully has realized before you need it.<br />
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Civic accessibility is but one part of it. Communities all over BC are trying to become inclusive and barrier free, however standards for intercity transportation need to be improved all across the nation. That is the responsibility of Transport Canada. As I imagine they would all be connected with each provincial entity and civic resources within our individual local government agendas. It includes a definition of independent inclusive and barrier free travel across Canada between the communities, by commercial and private vehicles and the transportation of people, goods & services. It is amplified by Provincial regulations and Municipal government communities concerning safety and recommendations for improvements within the areas of responsibility.<br />
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How has it improved in Northern BC? The change began when Greyhound pulled their lines from Western Canada due to low ridership. For years, they reduced their services in Northern BC. They appeared to ignore the Canadian mandate to become inclusive and accessible and physically denied many persons needing travel, with every ride they made. Some are of the mind they actually caused some of the Highway 16 mysteries along that "Highway of Tears" sensation, indirectly. Their denial of a safe passage between the communities that not everyone can use and that cost. Not real affordable for most, particularly the ones that needed it most who disappeared. Meh. Compassion goes a long way to protect fragile individuals, allow low income persons with afflictions the freedom of intercity transportation with everyone. People in other areas who had missing people may be like minded but those of us reading got by in our own special way or died, trying to disappear for a shorter time from home life. The closure of the service left other transportation services to take up and slowly evolve to those standards. New services across Northern BC since 2017 among the rest of Canada West provide services for some, but so far not complete to connect to the rest of the provinces inclusively within their provincial boundaries. I personally ran into a few "MSed up" people in that life of hitchhiking. It brought me to PG several times, in my youth. My personal vision in that National "Transit Future" it would be connecting every community in Canada via inclusive community transits going inter-community between larger centres, connecting that to inter provincial transits on communities closer to the borders separating. National lines, done in multiple short jumps. It can only evolve to cover "Turtle Island" aka North America as lines in the US and lines in Canada run close too and through little parts of both our nations now. But that is in the future.<br />
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Today, early springtime 2019 in Northern BC, MS Life is focused on the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/chapter/northern-regional-chapter" target="_blank">MS Walks in our region</a>. This year we are one step closer to stepping on the cure and last year we found out we (*That's you too-Start here* use <a href="https://www.flipgive.com/r/922695" target="_blank">this link to look at "FlipGive</a>", a way to get and give at the same time- PG Walk has a Team and I'll report how it's doing in further posts or as a widget below the countdown!!) could be citizen scientists actively working towards finding that cure, in part because of your funds contributed to the MS Walk in our collective community nationally. Researchers and their studies I've met and looked at are funded in part by MS Society funds. Read on here to focus on Northern BC as we see it primarily from Prince George's walk. Look on top of the page to see the number of days and hours in real time to our local walk (perhaps in your Canadian Community too), it will be updated to the new day in May 2020, shortly after the event in 2019).<br />
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<br />PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-28123568909559006312019-02-18T16:14:00.000-08:002019-02-19T11:52:24.666-08:00You can do so much!<h3>
Your normal First Reactions, after the shock of diagnoses </h3>
So you're diagnosed, and paid employment is secure. You have questions I bet, somewhere back in your mind. I think they are similar to these I had when I was diagnosed at that time. "How long will I work?" "How will this disease affect me while I work?" "What will I do if I no longer work?" "Can I now use Cannabis?" All answers will come to the same conclusion and I'll save you the time of doing the life study. The answer is "when you feel like it", and in the case of Cannabis, "if you want to". It's legal now in Canada, even recreationally. My question back then once I discovered it worked for helping me quit tobacco and managing my mental health was "where to find it in an illegal world", but I won't get into that here.<br />
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A few years into diagnoses</h3>
Your first reaction when you realize your job can no longer be adapted to your changing abilities is likely not healthy. When you finally "retire at a young age" without the kind of money you should have to retire that young, most without fore-site or not reading this post will sit back, think they are now useless and perhaps sink into a <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-addiction-connection/201506/the-deep-dark-hole-depression" target="_blank">black hole of depression</a> hard to get out of. Many with life partners separate now, small wounds get opened up and marriages crumble or get difficult during this part. No worries. It will get better or die trying for the best. It does not have to happen in quite this way, what if it didn't have to die? What if those thoughts never came up? In my headwas "What to do now? Who to ask? Where do I go for help? Mental help is so limited in BC, even back then! I had so many questions about MS and my future!" Luckily you likely live in Canada, diagnosed since 2010 and are registered with the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/" target="_blank">MS Society of Canada</a> in your local area. They have a Peer Support service available at <a href="https://mssociety.ca/support-services/ms-knowledge-network">https://mssociety.ca/support-services/ms-knowledge-network</a> and by phone at 1-844-859-6789. That was not available to me back then. They do so much good now. I just saved you years of life experience, have your life partner thank me and the Society as well. I am writing this on Valentine's day 2019 :) Share the love. I'll put a couple of links below too where you can positively influence the province of BC or your like minded Canadian Community as a whole, Volunteering with medical care for all people with health care concerns in your health authority and province. It is but one option to lift your moods. Volunteering anywhere is one way to lift depression and promote feelings of worthiness Another is to get an activity you enjoy. Walking is one. Smiling at strangers is another. Join a swim club, <a href="https://www.princegeorge.ca/Things%20to%20Do/Pages/Recreation%20and%20Activities/Aquatics/Fitness.aspx" target="_blank">Aquafit</a> is available in many community pools. A club offering <a href="https://www.therapeuticridingpg.com/" target="_blank">therapeutic horseback riding</a> may be available too. Let's get into volunteerism actions you can do to feel better. Or save that for a later date. I know you mean to get back to reading this, leave it open and come back to it. Or go for that walk. If you go for a <a href="https://www.physiomed.ca/walking-in-nature/" target="_blank">nature walk</a> or roll, it's considered affordable mental health therapy.<br />
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My biggest hats</h3>
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Online </h4>
In my MS'ed up life I have many roles connected to many volunteer groups. Online, check out and follow me on the <a href="https://www.huddol.com/" target="_blank">Huddol network</a>. Register with the website behind the link. I'm "bcbud024". You can become a valuable contributor earning tokens (money) in a variety of ways explained better onsite. In my "professional" life I am a student of life and webdesign. I have designed a couple of websites, thanks to the education i received through <a href="http://www.ibde.ca/" target="_blank">IBDE</a> and <a href="http://www.makeachangecanada.com/" target="_blank">Make A Change Canada</a>'s influence with the <a href="http://www.businessabilities.ca/" target="_blank">Business Abilities</a> course. They are the <a href="http://carefreesociety.org/" target="_blank">Carefree society</a>'s website <a href="http://walknroll.info/" target="_blank">and my own</a>. Through my own, I manage the updates on <a href="http://www.volunteerpg.com/" target="_blank">Volunteer Prince George's website</a> and if it ever needs a redesign, I do stand ready and able thanks to aforementioned courses which included <a href="https://wordpress.com/" target="_blank">WordPress</a> training:) I also manage a couple of Facebook pages for Cannabis, The MS Community of Prince George FB Group (and our international connections in a FB page) and our local MS Walk. Some of my online duties stem from boards I sit on. It is another way of feeling useful.<br />
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Advisory and working Boards, committees and projects</h4>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Multiple Sclerosis</span> </h4>
My very biggest claim to fame is my connection to you, the MS Community first in <a href="https://tourismpg.com/" target="_blank">Prince George BC Canada</a>, then to our Global MS connections in Research and the community of MS affected persons. I have done that since 2005. I have sat as Facilitator, or your Representative of Prince George to the MS Society of Canada, overall nationally. We saw this community held together through the loss of a local well established MS Society of Canada, BC Division Chapter office as we transitioned to the newer <a href="https://mssociety.ca/chapter/northern-regional-chapter" target="_blank">Northern Regional Chapter Office</a> now located in <a href="https://www.tourismkamloops.com/" target="_blank">Kamloops BC</a>, with connections in every community with an MS Self Help group within their responsibility up to <a href="https://www.travelyukon.com/" target="_blank">Whitehorse, YT</a> to act as Volunteer Liaisons between the groups and the society. It was a very familiar model, one we had while the chapter was local. Actually the model we had here was unique and is now followed across the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/division/bc-and-yukon-division" target="_blank">BC Division of the MS Society of Canada</a> MS affects a community which builds on a bridge of inclusiveness of all affected by the condition of MS & other diseases and conditions that MS lives with.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Carefree Transportation Society</span></h4>
The Carefree Transportation society has been in operation since 1971. They pioneered Accessible Public Transportation in British Columbia. Many improvements in BC Transit's accessible and inclusive design including the development of the <a href="http://www.accesstotravel.gc.ca/19.aspx?CarrierCd=543&CityCd=363&lang=en" target="_blank">HandyDART</a> door to door transportation fleets for those who cannot use the pubic system for any reason started out with the ideas and objectives of the early society. Carefree was also one of the founders of the Accessible Transit Action Committee (ATAC) along with officials of <a href="https://www.bctransit.com/prince-george/home" target="_blank">BC Transit in Prince George</a> (PG Transit) <a href="https://www.pwt.ca/" target="_blank">Pacific Western Transportation</a> and PG Taxi. I am treasurer for the Carefree Society as well as their <a href="http://carefreesociety.org/" target="_blank">Web Designer</a> and past chair of ATAC. Carefree also manages the <a href="https://bctransit.com/prince-george/riderinfo/handydart/taxi-saver" target="_blank">Taxi Saver program in Prince George</a>, those are used to pay for trips with <a href="https://pgtaxi.ca/" target="_blank">PG Taxi </a>and covers the fare for persons with a disability. A person buys a $40.00 sheet of tickets worth $80.00 of rides. They are to be used only outside of HandyDART's regular hours for travel around the city only.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">
The Patent Voices Network</span></h4>
In the mid 2000's around 2006/07 The <a href="https://patientvoicesbc.ca/" target="_blank">Patient Voices Network</a> (PVN) came to Northern British Columbia to <a href="https://www.northernhealth.ca/" target="_blank">Northern Health</a>. The movement had actually began a few years earlier, introducing the <a href="http://www.bcands.bc.ca/links/british-columbia-health-authorities/" target="_blank">health authorities of BC</a> to an early model of "<a href="https://searchhealthit.techtarget.com/definition/patient-engagement" target="_blank">Patient Engagement</a>". Our first slogan was "every one is a patent". We adapted another slogan, "Nothing about me without me" Wasn't much longer and one of the supporting societies, "<a href="http://www.impactbc.ca/" target="_blank">Impact BC</a>" provided an umbrella for PVN to grow. Towards 2015 Impact BC changed focus and PVN began the quest to find a new supporting Partner. We had thought about one, but their goals were slightly different then the mandates PVN developed over the years since it was formed and we wandered about the province doing "PVN engagements" with health authorities throughout the province. The <a href="https://bcpsqc.ca/" target="_blank">BC Patent Safety and Quality Council</a> (BCPSQC) was formed about 2009 and became PVN's supporting partner by 2015. BCPSQC had <a href="https://bcpsqc.ca/about-the-council/partnerships/" target="_blank">partnered with</a> several Canadian Provincial Health Authorities that were adapting the Patent Engagement Strategies. In BC our new partnership with BCPSQC had brought the <a href="https://bcsupportunit.ca/" target="_blank">BC SUPPORT Unit</a> to engage <a href="https://www.child-bright.ca/what-is-patient-oriented-research/" target="_blank">patient oriented research</a> with regional SUPPORT units in every health authority. They soon joined national PVN Members to SUPPORT units in most of the provinces, with partnerships with the "Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research" <a href="http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/41204.html" target="_blank">(SPOR</a>) and<a href="https://bcahsn.ca/" target="_blank"> The British Columbia Academic Health Science Network</a> (BCAHSN). We've got the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/news/canadian-provinces-ranked-from-least-to-most-healthy" target="_blank">healthiest province in the country and 3rd best globally</a>. Patent Voices played a huge part in making BC that way with patent involvement at all areas of Health Care management. I am a BC SUPPORT Unit member on <a href="https://bcsupportunit.ca/patient-council" target="_blank">the Patient Council</a> and an "Activated Patent" of PVN.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">
Handy Circle Resources Society</span></h4>
<a href="http://www.handycirclepg.ca/" target="_blank">The Handy Circle Resources Society</a> started out in the mid 1990's as the Handy Circle Promotions Society and became active in the accessibility of Prince George. Founded by Vivian Candy, she was an outspoken advocate for accessible public areas like sidewalks and trails. Vivian had lost the use of her legs due to Diabetes which took her life by 2009. She hired Mrs Lorraine Young as Office manager around 1995. HCRS is a resource center for people with a disability. Lorraine is still the office manager. I began volunteering there about 2005 and was hired sometime between 2012-2014. I do some computer maintenance and instruction as well as networking with various organizations like the City of Prince George Advisory Committee on Accessibility, the MS Society of Canada (Prince George Chapter when we had one), The Prince George Mental Health Consumer Council and various media outlets. I am the Emcee for many of their public events.<br />
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You don't have to be as active as me but...</h3>
I am so busy because of my mental health. You might not be as crazy as I seem, I certainly hope not anyway. When I was diagnosed with Multiple Scleroses in 2000 and "retired" early in April 2002, I went kind of crazy. Thanks to a former venue to treat Mental Health in Adults I took a workshop on Assertiveness which gave me the tools to take charge of my life, end a 35 year addiction to Tobacco at 39, and proved to me that in order to remain sane, I would need to do something and I began to donate my time to various organizations. I encourage you to do what makes you happy. If get frustrated looking for gainful employment then offer to volunteer someplace. Most people find that rewarding, and that's just therapeutic in its own way. You could even volunteer with the MS Walk in your community! That's coming fast here in Prince George, the banner on top of this page counts down to the event happening at <span class="st"><a href="https://www.princegeorge.ca/Things%20to%20Do/Pages/Learn%20about%20Prince%20George/LheidliTenneh.aspx" target="_blank">Lheidli T'enneh Memorial<i> </i>Park</a> on 17th Ave in Prince George. If you are a Prince George resident living with MS I encourage you to join the Self Help group's team (the "<a href="http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/BCandYukonDivision?team_id=103617&pg=team&fr_id=6339&fbclid=IwAR1vBMWcbb1Yx_8lqFDexGuoBSWwhUePJCnujpt961y4yZjcEgUPdcRuwPU" target="_blank">Self Helpers</a>") or form one of your own from <a href="http://mssoc.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=walk_homepage" target="_blank">anywhere in Canada</a>. You may donate to our team too from that link. A Self Help Group team's earnings have 10% returned to the community unrestricted for their use. Thank you in advance and we'll see you there!<i><br />
</i></span>PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-22574882190675897812019-01-20T20:00:00.003-08:002020-12-15T09:32:45.961-08:00What is the hype about Gut Bacteria?<h3>
So much research focused on our guts...</h3>
Have you noticed that there has been a lot of research lately about the stuff in your tummy? They are on We've done our own research through our lives. We all learned in school about how the stomach aids in digesting food our experiences tell us what makes us well, what makes us sick and what we don't like to eat. We know how some foods make us happy, some have other moods associated with them and some foods cause real problems as many have allergies to it. Commercially processed food and pesticides, all that food hype! It's not specifically all about Multiple Sclerosis, <a href="https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/what-your-gut-bacteria-say-your-health#1" target="_blank">all of humanity is affected by what goes on in the gut</a>, even since before we were born.<br />
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How does the Gut affect humans?</h3>
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Overall it has been said that the <a href="https://medium.com/@drbradysalcido/how-your-gut-influences-your-brain-841173517673" target="_blank">gut is another brain</a>. We all have a gut working hard the same way using that bacteria as it has all your life all through the history of humans. What you eat can really affect your mood, and if you starve yourself, it weakens you sometimes to become immobile. Same if you eat food that your body rejects or is infected with competing bacteria. <a href="https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca.html" target="_blank">McDonald's anyone</a>? Generally any fast food has its problems for many sensitive people. Reactions, silent allergies that develop into chronic illness can all be attributed to <a href="https://www.hyperbiotics.com/blogs/recent-articles/89735302-your-diet-changes-your-microbiome-fast" target="_blank">changes to the Microbiome</a> (another term for the collective bacteria your <a href="https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/picture-of-the-stomach#1" target="_blank">stomach</a> holds). One of the diseases (and the the one I'll focus on, inspired in part by <a href="https://blog.mssociety.ca/2018/02/actrims-2018-what-are-some-emerging-concepts-in-ms/" target="_blank">Dr Kim Lee</a>) is Multiple Sclerosis. It is highly affected by the gut...<br />
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From pre-birth to post-death, your gut is actively working.</h3>
Your individual collection of Gut Microbiome were given to you from your birth mother and all the diverse genetic line of women before we were who we appear to be today. It is unique, just like the body it inhabits. It can be influenced more by what you eat than the environment you live in. Upon birth, your entire body is new. Before birth, the bacteria grows and develops individual reactions from the ingestion of nutrients derived from the mother. The microbes prepare the infant for the world they will arrive in approx 9mo from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ZpXOQsYQI" target="_blank">the spark of life</a>. All through the life it influences emotions, health outcomes and energy levels and more including mental health. It continues after death to help the body decompose <br />
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There is a similar disease that brews completely from our Guts</h3><p>
Up to about 15 years ago as of 2019, a few diseases were misdiagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis. Most commonly, it was <a href="https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/Other-Conditions-to-Rule-Out/Lyme-Disease" target="_blank">Lyme Disease</a> which manifests in similar fashion. For confirmed cases of Multiple Sclerosis, some MS Flareups could be attributed to <a href="https://www.mstrust.org.uk/a-z/aspartame" target="_blank">artificial sweeteners</a> and <a href="https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/slow-burn-one-smokers-battle-ms-addiction/" target="_blank">tobacco use</a>, Coincidentally, those do change the structure of the Gut Microbiome in a negative way. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4480172/?fbclid=IwAR03IxD2i0ElQYFVLhpxEln6RufaZHT2A6JI25pgbgHjhIg99mmIpqyxzk4" target="_blank">Helicobacter pylori (Hp) Hp Sydney Strain-1 antigen</a> is a disease very similar to Multiple Sclerosis born in your guts. Some of us have both or even just Hp misdiagnosed. If you are new to this disease, or even if you are a "Vet" (more than 5 years of diagnosed life) and you have questions about your diagnoses, talk to your MS Specialist about that. It could be possible it was overlooked to test for it. Who knows. You may be "Cured" of MS before death. I'll leave you with a question: Does <a href="https://newatlas.com/science/gut-microbiome-brain-depression-endocannabinoid?fbclid=IwAR0bdXOYMyqhcXZMUdfJ20qUPM0E_KEDI4gVr_0-pEWPhKhDFTFzdQFzSg8" target="_blank">Cannabis affect our Gut Bacteria</a>? Perhaps a subject for a new post perhaps on <a href="http://Walknroll.info">Walknroll.info</a><br /></p><p><br />
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Thank you for reading about our guts</h3>
And in the end, it all gets flushed out with oils and toxins. There is a saying about your personal plumbing system. Just like your house, it can get backed up or have other issues voiding waste. This sometimes can be attributed to changes in that Gut Bacteria. Some of it is in the Lower Intestine where the Bowel voids solid waste aka Feces. For more information on Gut Bacteria. Multiple Sclerosis, misdiagnosed conditions etc, the MS Society of your nation (in Canada, the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/" target="_blank">MS Society of Canada</a>) will have accredited information they give free of charge. In addition always maintain a good relationship with at least one accredited medical professional that knows your disease and you. If you would like to help change the path of Health Care in your Canadian health region there are links to provincial <a href="https://searchhealthit.techtarget.com/definition/patient-engagement" target="_blank">Patent Engagement </a>teams found via the <a href="https://patientvoicesbc.ca/about-us/" target="_blank">BC Patient Voices Network</a> on their website and connected partner sites like the <a href="https://bcsupportunit.ca/" target="_blank">BC SUPPORT Unit</a> on theirs. At the SUPPORT Unit in your Canadian province you could even become a "<a href="https://scistarter.com/citizenscience.html" target="_blank">Citizen Scientist</a>". How cool would that be?<br />
<h3>
Support more research on the Gut</h3>
To help fund more research on the Gut and other subjects leading to MS and it's effects, as well as supporting those of us living with the Disease nationally, consider a donation to our MS Walk in Prince George through our <a href="http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/BCandYukonDivision?team_id=103617&pg=team&fr_id=6339" target="_blank">Self Help Group's Walk Team</a>. (link will come active closer to the date where our top banner says the walk is happening soon, about 150 days before I think. All other links should work). 10] of the money donated through our team stays in Prince George to be used for our local community. For news about the <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/mssoc/site/SPageServer/;jsessionid=00000000.app30115a?NONCE_TOKEN=FFAF780DD6C35050B15B3A10FE644BDD&pagename=walk_homepage&s_locale=en_CA" target="_blank">MS Walk</a> and other events in your community, refer to the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/contact-us" target="_blank">MS Society of Canada's website</a> and locate your area of support.<br />
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<br />PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-1084840807142872522019-01-09T14:10:00.001-08:002019-01-25T20:36:05.094-08:00How do you handle negitive stress?<h3>
The science of Stress:</h3>
We have ample knowledge of what negative stress (NS) does to us. Well, those of us who live with MS for more or less than than half a decade are aware of it. In 2018, <a href="https://newatlas.com/stress-autoimmune-disease-ptsd/55109/?fbclid=IwAR1ZdFAYHu3prFaXJgcMCQHxG6jegFA5wEkhMTs7uT4fNNQB7kkcbEpl1I4" target="_blank">Researchers finally proved what we knew</a>. Awesome. But what good is knowledge and facts without knowing how to avoid NS? Do we just sit at home and avoid it? Is that even a good idea? Experts such as health authorities say "No" very loudly.<br />
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<h3>
What is Stress?</h3>
<span class="ILfuVd">Stress is your body's way of responding to any kind of demand. It can be caused by both good and bad experiences. When people feel stressed by something going on around them, their bodies react by releasing chemicals into the blood. There is positive stress. That gets infants from crawling to walking. Learning new ways to overcome barriers. Improvements in life. Success in goals affecting lives including your own and family. Those affect our disease in positive ways. Negative stressors like arguments, angry thoughts, actions, pain are the things that do damage to those of us in all autoimmune diseases.</span><br />
<h3>
<span class="ILfuVd">How to reduce stress in your life</span></h3>
<span class="ILfuVd">This post would be useless without telling you how to avoid that stress. Fact is though, you can never avoid negative stress. You can only change it to positive stress. But how do you do that? There are many ways to learn "<a href="https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management?fbclid=IwAR16zJRYQstyPFdxN6_SzH2W2uYBr6LNb-TboJXFxxcLo0IcbKPZhFZAHBI" target="_blank">Stress Management</a>". The most basic way is to recognize internal negative thoughts and change them to reflect positive. One way to do this is to force your face into the shape of a smile and hold it 10 seconds. Try it now. I'll count for you. 10----9----8----7</span><span class="ILfuVd">----6</span><span class="ILfuVd">----5</span><span class="ILfuVd">----4</span><span class="ILfuVd">----3</span><span class="ILfuVd">----2</span><span class="ILfuVd">----1. Breath in slowly and deep, exhale just as slow. How do you feel now? Try it as soon as you open your eyes. <b>This is known as the "10 second smile" exercise</b>. I guarantee your day will go better when you start in a good mood. Go for a walk, but <a href="https://blog.northernhealth.ca/active-living/adulting-101-walking-safely-in-winter?fbclid=IwAR2BNRdeQ7eLTWC6W55ThI40qIyPxanPNfbLU4aNTOcGxdxmFt3OeVdLT7s" target="_blank">be prepared for the weather and environment you walk in</a>. You could even try <a href="https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/10-simple-yoga-poses-that-help-everyone-at-any-age" target="_blank">yoga</a>. There is some poses for chair bound individuals and is so simple to do at home with no real expensive training or specialized equipment. Some other activities are listed below the video posted</span><br />
<span class="ILfuVd"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o1SSLGmpFig" width="560"></iframe></span><br />
<h3>
Mindfulness to relieve negative stress</h3>
This is a powerful way of calming your thoughts to reduce NS Simply put, it involves sitting or lying in a quiet comfortable space, closing your eyes, breathing deeply and steadily not too fast and not thinking of anything except sensations in your body occurring during the exercise. Be aware of your body and try to block harsh sounds distracting thoughts and interruptions. <a href="https://palousemindfulness.com/?fbclid=IwAR1o8BbfX7iWroB-3wjswbD0aRJnFdIfSZZJY1dLdm0H4GYxrhcKoQSM4FQ" target="_blank">There are free courses offered in this exercise</a>, I will encourage you to learn and practice it often. if you live in the region covered by the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/chapter/northern-regional-chapter" target="_blank">Northern Regional Chapter of the MS Society of Canada</a>, (much of British Columbia outside the Lower mainland east of Victoria but includes <a href="https://www.hellobc.com/places-to-go/haida-gwaii" target="_blank">Haida Gwaii</a> and the <a href="https://www.travelyukon.com/" target="_blank">Yukon Territory</a>) there is a "Regional Self Help Support Group" that meets electronically or by telephone on the 4th Friday of each month. Contact the Chapter to learn more. Sign up for their "Messenger" newsletter sent out once a month to be aware of all MS activities affecting our MS'ed up part of the world. We live here with a huge percent of Canada's large MS population. The Northern Regional Support meetings are facilitated by an instructor in Mindfulness. We also have a very active Self Help group in Prince George, as do many communities throughout the region and caregivers are as welcome as people diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, just like the face to face groups in our communities <br />
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<h3>
Social activity to combat stress</h3>
Social activity is great to combat negative stress. If your community has no "live" self help group, perhaps you can start one. For a number of years, I facilitated a group of one here. If you would rather, join a walk group at a local mall or park or just call a buddy and set up a walk. Find new friends on a public transit bus. Almost all communities have some very diverse social groups and activities, many are free and all are welcome. You will enjoy yourself if you let yourself feel free. Accept that some NS must be ongoing, particularly grief. It helps keep memories alive and knowledge that death is only hard on the surviving contacts. Truly enjoy life and smile lots to overcome NS, even if grief. Practice that "<b>10 second smile</b>" (described above) now.<br />
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<h3>
Ending stress and this post</h3>
Simply said, Stress will never end. This post must though. Practice changing it all to Positive Stress. Smile at strangers, it is incredibly therapeutic and self empowering when they smile back. Start each day with a smile. Laugh more often. Praise, don't criticize. Practice good hygiene and always find the silver lining to every situation, take value in experiences good or bad. Try to relax at all times, and live well. Till next post, practice smiling!<br />
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<h3>
Did you enjoy this post about Stress?</h3>
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Consider donating to the <a href="http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/BCandYukonDivision?pg=entry&fr_id=6339" target="_blank">Prince George MS Walk</a> through our <a href="http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/BCandYukonDivision?team_id=103617&pg=team&fr_id=6339" target="_blank">Self Help Group's "Walk Team"</a>. You may join there and help us inspire your contacts by raising money collectively, or simply donate to a member of the team securely with all our thanks. 10% of that donation and other monies collected by the team gets returned to the Prince George Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Group to share through the community unrestricted from MS Society restrictions and obligations.PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-45644227106573263912018-10-14T15:20:00.001-07:002018-10-14T15:20:23.737-07:00MS Walk 2019 Prince George Well it's getting closer every day. I just installed a widget on top, to display the time down till our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/princgeorgeMSwalk/" target="_blank">MS Walk traditionally held on the last Sunday in May</a> (find, join and donate to us on Facebook) annually, taking over <a href="https://tourismpg.com/activities/lheidli-tenneh-memorial-park" target="_blank">Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park</a>. Well, if we go back into the history of Prince George's MS Walk, long before the park had its rightful name returned, we would host it in June annually. It would go from Cottonwood Island at the Nechako and Fraser confluence. It continued in June for a few years after we came to the park formally known as Ft George. I cannot remember exactly what year May became our Walk date. What are your favorite memories of the walk in Prince George, since before 2000 till last year as when you read? I am sure Lonny in Nelson BC (The "Event Coordinator" for the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/chapter/northern-regional-chapter" target="_blank">Northern Region Chapter of the MS Society of Canada</a>) would like them for her publication. Future widgets will countdown to other events to happen in the Prince George Multiple Sclerosis community, a post like this will follow! Thanks for following these posts made infrequentlyPG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-75529145061914794872018-09-29T09:07:00.001-07:002019-08-30T09:47:31.456-07:00MS and Cannabis. Weeducation 101The post you have been waiting for. I know I have waited for it to be published. Tired of waiting I will write it myself. Meh. All good. lol it's what I do anyway. So I hope to answer your questions of this "new" thing that is happening in Canada. What is weeducation? Is it free?<br />
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<h3>
What is Weeducation?</h3>
Weeducation is learned experiences. Best way to obtain creditable experience is to actually have a puff. Eat a "Medable" (that's a Cannabis editable, perhaps your first lesson in Weeducation). Consume a small amount at first but consume the whole thing in one long sitting. Survive happily or not, key is survival and no medical intervention is needed unless you actually hurt yourself. Drink a<a href="https://youtu.be/P5RALCM2i0g" target="_blank"> blended Smoothie with some form of cannabis added</a>. Second best method is accredited study, self study best. Learn the differences between raw and activated Cannabis. <a href="https://www.projectcbd.org/science/cannabis-pharmacology/dr-ethan-russo-cbd-clinical-endocannabinoid-deficiency" target="_blank">Learn about CBD</a>, a component of the plant. Study the <a href="https://www.cannabinoidclinical.com/science-cannabinoids" target="_blank">Cannabinoids</a> beyond the hype<br />
<h4>
Sub<span style="font-size: large;">-</span>question "What are Cannabinoids and Endocannabinoids?"</h4>
I'll answer with a video:<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tzxvoy0rWFI" width="560"></iframe><br />
<h4>
Now that that sparked an interest...</h4>
Go further with second hand research. See that raw <a href="https://www.civilized.life/articles/can-you-eat-raw-cannabis-to-get-high/" target="_blank">Cannabis has an acid that makes it inert</a> in your next study and that suggests the whole plant is better than parts of it. Raw cannot make anyone high, it is as much of a preventive measure for all ages as we age from birth to death. The Cannabinoids it adds to the diet are closely related to our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2241751/" target="_blank">Endocannabinoid system</a> thought to control major parts of health and wellness. All in all you can just chill with this webinar that was presented on on the 3rd of October 2018 from 11-12pm, presented <a href="https://vimeo.com/293369171" target="_blank">from the MS Society of Canada</a>. A blog post <a href="https://blog.mssociety.ca/2019/03/now-is-the-time-for-cannabis-research/" target="_blank">I've yet to read on</a> it, from the MS Society of Canada (part of your donations to events like the MS walk occurring nationally on countdown displayed on the top banner) was written by the society President (<em>Pamela Valentine, President and Chief Executive Officer </em>)in 2019. She would love it if the Society becomes "Weeducated" to help them understand their clients. That's us, the ones with lived experiences with this disease. You are well on your way to becoming "Weeducated" yourself.<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">But is it all free?</span> </h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>This part is free</b></span>. Share it. Weeducate your contacts<span style="font-size: large;"><b>. "Puff Puff Pass- Share it forward! </b><span style="font-size: small;">That next part of Weeducation is also free and it inspires your contact, could be a blazing partner! Legal stores now exist for full blown weeducation but so does the original market knocking on your buddy's door, perhaps at midnight. Many times it's understood market open 24 hrs and much less expensive, somewhat safer than legal but discretion born durning the prohibitive "Refer Madness" years.</span><b><br /></b></span>PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-34911609580763602962018-07-09T06:36:00.001-07:002018-07-09T07:41:36.983-07:00Back home<h2>
Begin the adventure:</h2>
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The trip there was uneventful. Not really boring it started out with a trip from home to the Airport. Thanks to the partnership between PG Taxi, Airporter and because of an agreement discovered via a network of sources at Transport Canada concerning the connection between communities and departure venues such as Airports. I wrote about that <a href="http://mslivesinme.blogspot.com/2018/06/vancouver-bound-2018-adventure-before.html">in my last post</a>, it went through without a hitch. The flight was good, the staff at the airport was extremly friendly and helpful, I really enjoy <a href="https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/index">WestJet</a> for these litlle adventures. We landed at YXS and Skytrain was there to take me downtown Vancouver. I got out from Waterfront Station on Cordover and asked Google to take me to Granville Island.<br />
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<h2>
The 1st Adventure, Waterfront Stn on Cordovea St. to Aqua Ferry by West Hastings St.</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6xxQdGzKmOffYgoXQo9eCw2YrsbaI3EEzIalq64zGeSv1d1CpfgSmjqg_RHfd1bZCtrEVUV74SshNX6otCyEtZvSJaQyu2xGTGQI5XKeo5ynutw0BJ3Er2cgr_4vUQO4av7u5U8INUc/s1600/waterfront-granvilleisland2018EndJunevancouverbc.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Google Maps screen capture showing route between Waterfront Skytrain Stn and Granville Island Via the Ferry, and 2 land routes." border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="908" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6xxQdGzKmOffYgoXQo9eCw2YrsbaI3EEzIalq64zGeSv1d1CpfgSmjqg_RHfd1bZCtrEVUV74SshNX6otCyEtZvSJaQyu2xGTGQI5XKeo5ynutw0BJ3Er2cgr_4vUQO4av7u5U8INUc/s320/waterfront-granvilleisland2018EndJunevancouverbc.png" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption">Google Maps screen capture showing route between Waterfront Skytrain Stn and Granville Island Via the Ferry, and 2 land routes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Simple right? Google has a cool feature, as long as my phone reached Wireless which I have discovered is very common throughout the city, particularly in West Van of navagaing a path it warns may be missing sidewalks and amid heavy traffic on Highway 99 could be worrying to the pedstrian's parental figures. I exited Waterfront. The route down the South east street was the farthest, it appered to use the Sky. I attempted that from my Hotel and got to one of several barrers I found on the Seawall, distence being one of them when I attempted the night before departing. I decided enroute from Waterfront that the Aqua Ferry would be wiser to arrive at the hotel and get settled. Very cool thing about visiting Vancouver, the frequent Wifi hotspots. For those of us who don't mind Google tracking our whearabouts that is and rolling pedestrians who canfocus both on the phone and the path ahead skillfully avoiding footed pedestrians amid stares and finger gesters from vehicales, getting wiser in navagaing those distracting turns deturing into allys to lightup through a medicianal tour of Vancouver. "Turn left here" screamming louder and louder, then recalulating then signal lost untill I turned around and came back along my path towards the ferry launch point at Hastings. It wasn't all that far and I found it looking for a hotspot with the second Joint which became a roach. That was the area of town I usually stayed in so far, familular ground as I used that part of the Seawall east quite a bit for viewing and toking towards the ocean winds. I boarded the Aqua Ferry and took a short hop across the bay to the <a href="https://granvilleisland.com/" target="_blank">artificial Island called Granville</a>.<br />
<h2>
The reason for the trip</h2>
But what am I doing on a Patient Oriented Research group, to begin with? What is any patient doing in research other than being a test subject? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HxyDbOOrfY" target="_blank">What is it to begin with</a>? Well, there are different nonintrusive ways for researchers to gather information. You can do it too, just become an activated patient with the <a href="https://patientvoicesbc.ca/" target="_blank">British Columbia Patient Voices Network</a> and wait for opportunities to arrive from <a href="http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/41204.html" target="_blank">SPOR</a> and/or the <a href="http://bcsupportunit.ca/" target="_blank">BC SUPPORT Unit.</a> We are a very valuable resorce for all Canadain patients to communicate with their medical support teams. When I was asked to introduce myself, I explaned that among other duties in my community I consider myself the Facilitator for Cannabis changes in Prince George and I could talk for hours on it. I also explaned all the knowlwedge I have is second hand other than how it has worked on me and my MS, it needs to be proven to sceptical pharmacy trained medical professionals. I see this as the biggest change in Canadain mediine for the coming year, if not decade and longer and perhaps a use for my voice<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4SOK8CA6mQk" width="560"></iframe>
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<h2>
Going home</h2>
I checked out of <a href="http://www.granvilleislandhotel.com/" target="_blank">Granville Island Hotel</a> around 830am after enjoying a "Continental" breakfast of Yogurt, Muffin, Fruit and enough coffee to have a cup and fill my travel mug... The <a href="https://docksidevancouver.com/" target="_blank">Dockside Restaurant</a> had many pleasent views of West Vancouver. I got slightly lost heading to the Aquabus. All good, it was a straight line from the hotel at one end of Granville Island to anywhere "local". Got across the bay. Decided I had time to cruise back down the Seawall, take a picture of the distance as I had attempted to get there from Granvel Island over the Seawall and go to WaterFront Stn the night before. I got a few blocks down, encountered one spot on the Seawall not accessible and I tipped my scooter. Got back to Aquatic Centre Ferry Dock on Hastings and asked Google to point me in the direction of WaterFront. 2.5 Km (about 10+ blocks) later I found familiar territory on the other side of West Vancouver. Well, that would have been the case if I followed a straight line between Hastings and swing left a block on Cordova to 601. Through my actual moving and detouring between construction zones and areas of inaccessibility, aesthetic distractions and other turns and distractions (<a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2014/09/07/wild_in_the_city_watch_a_butterfly_and_feel_time_stand_still_beside_you.html" target="_blank">look- a butterfly in the city</a>!) it took me the better part of 1.5 hrs, slightly down in battery power to arrive finally at the proper Skytrain Station which had a lift down to the trains. I got to the airport in time to munch a <a href="https://www.carlsjr.com/" target="_blank">Carl's Jr</a> burger and hop on the plane after rinsing it out of my mouth with a drink of water. Love all those shops past Security in Vancover's airport , aka YXS.PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-23121897488365135342018-06-08T13:09:00.000-07:002018-06-08T13:37:20.905-07:00Vancouver bound 2018- The adventure beforeFrom the 28th of June to the 1st of July 2018 the City of Vancouver will be my rolling playground. I have an introductory meeting there for the <a href="http://bcsupportunit.ca/patient-council/">BC SUPPORT Unit Patient Council</a> that I will be joining. As far as I can understand, it's about researching diseases affecting BC patients. There are 2 persons affected by MS on the board now and I'll be the third. I have a feeling I was chosen because of my Facilitator position at the Self Help Group and I am an Activated Patent of the <a href="https://patientvoicesbc.ca/about-us/">BC Patient Voices Network</a>... I joined way back when they first came to Northern Health's hometown of Prince George and expanded their reach through my Health Authority influencing patents of all walks of life and professions to the Yukon border and beyond. All Canadain provinces have a Patient Voices network now, we're just the most influential imho here in BC. This paragraph is written before I depart, I have a couple of things to do in advance:<br />
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1. I need a house sitter. My cats will need to have water changed daily, perhaps litter scooped out. This was not an issue last time I went down. Since then, my toilet was changed and they no longer can have that as a drinking bowl when I go for a couple of days. Their water gets dirty when sitting just a few hours but I don't expect a house sitter to live here the whole time unless they want to and I can trust them. Once a day with a larger container of water changed in the morning should satisfy them just fine. I put down a larger container for their water, it stays cleaner longer but does not last 24 hrs yet. Any larger container might be too large for them. May try 2 large containers next. Seems to be good that way. Now to see if Litter boxes can go 3 days to be cleaned upon my return. On day 2 now, no complaints from the cats.<br />
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2. I need to ensure the Airporter knows how to book me with a mobility device coming and going. <a href="http://www.pgairport.ca/flight-info/transportation/">Airport </a>and <a href="https://pgtaxi.ca/">PG Taxi</a> have an agreement. Traveler has a mobility device calls and requests accessible transit to the airport. Airporter books departure and arrival makes a call to PG Taxi, who has accessible taxis. PG Taxi will pick up the traveler. The traveler will pay the cab driver only the Airporter shuttle's fee for the ride. Airporter and PG Taxi square up the account as per their agreement. When I tried, I got a clerk who knew nothing of this and denied me passage. I contacted Michelle Kenny, <span class="st">Manager of Corporate Services for the PG Airport Authority and she assured me the information will <a href="http://www.pgairportshuttle.ca/">now be put on their website</a>. I hope she will put it on both those web pages. PG Taxi will always have accessible cars you may call them if you need them while in town <a href="https://www.mobilityscootersdirect.com/blog/mobility-scooters/best-mobility-scooters-to-take-on-airplanes/">(providing you have a travel-ready device)</a>. She gave me another number to call and this should never happen again where a traveler with a mobility device is denied transport on PG Airporter. I got my ride booked as of the 5th. If the information is not available on either the Airport's or the Shuttle services website or a sales clerk is confused then please contact me (comment below) and I'll again contact Michelle Kenny to have it available for you when you travel. I am not going to be the only one privileged for it. Prince George leaves a lot to be desired regarding transportation between airport and city. Presently Vancouver is much better for ground transportation between multiple departure points and city. Well, after I typed this, it would be a great time to ensure my mobility device is travel ready... </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwOoEk0GeHxQwF8yuvtElO3LAaC-wS5RYHCMg9XzT3iUJxmJQQAz9GqidpIaS-3FtBcC17kez3U3OE2vPVKCughbCNoziMN8_Z4DW6j_hfFX20kNueGS6rlzxTT506v7htUojxOSLJTI/s1600/scooter-june-2018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwOoEk0GeHxQwF8yuvtElO3LAaC-wS5RYHCMg9XzT3iUJxmJQQAz9GqidpIaS-3FtBcC17kez3U3OE2vPVKCughbCNoziMN8_Z4DW6j_hfFX20kNueGS6rlzxTT506v7htUojxOSLJTI/s320/scooter-june-2018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Travelers have apparently can be denied passage because of their device. Nope, I have Gell Cells, not Lithium batteries. It's a lightweight, and short enough. 48" end to end, Tiller folds down, the seat is removable if needed. They usually disconnect the battery, it has clips to break the connection. It's even clean and in good condition. I should be ready to go with it. If you have any doubts about your device, consult the place you purchased it from, have it serviced at regularly<span class="st">, a user's manual perhaps, a website even if opened by a friend will help.</span><br />
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3. Meetings. Yes, there are several this month, not including phone meetings for my course at <a href="http://www.businessabilities.ca/">Business Abilities</a>, available through <a href="http://www.makeachangecanada.com/">Make A Change Canada</a> where I am an Alumni of <a href="http://www.ibde.ca/">IBDE</a> and BA. I also have a couple of personal meetings for the latest and one speaking engagement <a href="http://mslivesinme.blogspot.com/2018/05/voices-in-my-head-and-in-front-of-you.html">described in a previous post</a> here. The Power Mobility Society of Prince George. So far, We have found a new home for the Power Mobility society at the end of May, preparing for a new time on the Second Thursday of every month at 10 AM. We have strengthened our connection to Medichair Northern BC as they offered us a room to use for our meetings at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/53.9102953,-122.7426129/MEDIchair,+849+2+Ave,+Prince+George,+BC+V2L+3A6/@53.9150729,-122.7535358,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m16!1m6!3m5!1s0x538898e8a6e17123:0x8f7c15bbaf46fec3!2sMEDIchair!8m2!3d53.9154598!4d-122.738158!4m8!1m1!4e1!1m5!1m1!1s0x538898e8a6e17123:0x8f7c15bbaf46fec3!2m2!1d-122.738158!2d53.9154598">Medichair Prince George</a>. The first one will be on the 14th of June. Comment below if you ride a mobility device in your community in British Columbia. Medichair is also found servicing many of you in British Columbia. Contact the Society by commenting below and I'll pass the information on how you can help us grow through the province to promote safe enjoyment of our needed devices.<br />
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The next 2 meetings will happen back to back on the 21st. The first will be with the Accessible Transit Action Committee, a group of civic Transit authorities, civic officials and members of the public who ride public transit. We discuss changes in bus routes, challenges faced by use, and we brainstorm ways to overcome and make our transit system the best in the nation for accessibility. We've been doing that since 1995. The latest highlight will be my experience trying to book Airporter with a non-folding mobility device. Right after that meeting, we have an MS Self Help Group meeting, the last one before Septemeber 2018. We will be at <a href="https://burgerstobeatms.ca/">A&W for the "Burgers to end MS</a>" event to be held on the 16th of August this year. As in previous years, I cannot find a link this far from the event for this year. It's held annually, this year $2 from every Teen burger sold will go towards MS research Our community will be at the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/53.9102953,-122.7426129/A%26W+Canada,+5998+Southridge+Ave,+Prince+George,+BC+V2N+7A1/@53.8896481,-122.8128083,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m16!1m6!3m5!1s0x53889c02f949eb5b:0xc98633c5d0fdf149!2sA%26W+Canada!8m2!3d53.8655!4d-122.7820961!4m8!1m1!4e1!1m5!1m1!1s0x53889c02f949eb5b:0xc98633c5d0fdf149!2m2!1d-122.7820961!2d53.8655">Southridge location</a> in Prince George. Perhaps see you there! If you have an aversion to burgers, there are donation tins at every till or A&W location in Canada<br />
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On the 11th of June, The community will host <b></b> <a href="https://mssociety.ca/chapter/northern-regional-chapter/137/members">Lonnie Facchina, Community Services Coordinato</a>r for the Newly formed <a href="https://mssociety.ca/chapter/northern-regional-chapter">Northern Regional Chapter of the MS Society of Canada</a> who is doing a <a href="https://mssociety.ca/events/969/northern-bc-education-tour-mood-ms?force_lang=en_CA">tour around the large Northen Regional Chapter's area of concern </a>which goes into the Yukon Territory. It should be very interesting, this is the second visit Lonnie will make to our city at the "head" of their region that mirrors Northern Health's area of responsibility for the MS Clinic of the <a href="https://www.northernhealth.ca/OurServices/Facilities.aspx?FacilityID=53">University Hospital of Northern BC </a>in Prince George.<br />
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4. Life. Well, won't go too deep on this. Going out and socializing, networking and enjoying life in Prince George. I've managed to do that since getting my head on straight in around 2005 after accepting that life is better without fighting against this MonSter inside of me and quitting Tobacco. I had enough of the true monsters inside my head and evicted them from my thoughts. Now the MonSter inside me is accepted and coexists in my body. MS does not own my life, I own it. It cannot affect me. I will not let it. I can hurt myself way worse than the MS, it knows that and is relatively tame. I use no <a href="https://mssociety.ca/managing-ms/treatments/medications/disease-modifying-therapies-dmts" target="_blank">DMDs</a>. I consume <a href="https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/the-complete-list-of-cannabis-delivery-methods" target="_blank">Cannabis in multiple forms</a> when I can afford it. I'm ready to go, stay tuned for my next post which will happen when I get on my way to <a href="https://granvilleisland.com/" target="_blank">Granville Island in Vancouver, BC</a> to join the <a href="http://bcsupportunit.ca/patient-council/" target="_blank">BC Support Unit Patient Council</a>, on the 27th. WOOT!<br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-14116098085678669132018-05-29T14:45:00.000-07:002018-05-30T12:08:00.154-07:00Voices. In my head and in front of youI started this blog back in 2010. As of the last post I posted, just a few days ago and never really shared anywhere but everywhere in the mainstream of people who may be looking in on me from many public talks I have given, 2 eyes have seen it. Thank you for looking in. I hope at the very least you'll see this one. My writing was used during my rebellious teen years living in a functionally dysfunctional family and that continued to the first few years with this condition but life post-MS and mental health treatments took some of that skill as well as my confidence as I took care of myself. Years ago, the MS society helped me with a membership to Toastmasters. A particular chapter of that international organization is still is connected somewhere back along my personal timeline. I managed a blog for them in my past. That was around the start of this blog as I began to work on my technical Blogging skills. I have always thought that a good speaker is a good writer, and I have been told I am a great speaker and my writing at times has impressed, inspired and directed. The MS Society was willing to continue paying my membership to Toastmasters but I refused. The limited times I spoke there, once or twice it came back and I realized my voice again in sporadic passionate speeches themed towards that I confidently have knowledge of. It's not good at all times but when I need it, it's powerful and strong.<br />
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My voice training had occurred in my youth. Around 15, I joined up with a new chapter of a<a href="http://www.cadets.ca/en/what-cadets-do/sea.page"> Royal </a><a href="http://www.cadets.ca/en/what-cadets-do/sea.page">Canadain Sea Cadet </a>Corps that began in Ft St James in around 1981 and died around 1992. By 1983 I was a Senior Cadet in charge of a Division of 20 or more cadets and in 1984, I aged out and often led a group of 40 or more cadets on and in Parades and at Sea a couple of times on a ship, my position was a "<a href="http://www.cic-pac.ca/rcis/Course_Info.htm">Sea Training Officer</a>" long before there was standardised training for it. In around 1989 I left that Sea Cadet Corps and drifted to Alberta where I had limited exposure as a civilian volunteer with the<a href="http://www.cadets.ca/en/what-cadets-do/army.page"> Army Cadets</a> there and then through Vanderhoof with <a href="http://www.cadets.ca/en/what-cadets-do/air.page">Air Cadets</a> to Prince George with Sea and<a href="https://navyleague.ca/navy-league-cadets/"> Navy League Cadets</a> till my mental health made me leave after 22 years. My writing left after the Mental Health sessions were completed in 2005 when I became "sane" and quit tobacco use in August.<br />
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Why would I need to have voice training that would take money from our MS community in my adulthood? By 2005 I had found my place as the facilitator of the Self Help group in a then chaptered city. It caused me more internal conflict and a little more of my voice left with the stolen confidence. I began Emceeing for the <a href="http://www.handycirclepg.ca/">Handy Circle Resources Society</a> around that time, by 2015 I was Emceeing all their events and <a href="http://www.handycirclepg.ca/cando.html">CANDO</a>. I had been on<a href="https://ckpgtoday.ca/"> local TV </a>as well, interviewed a couple of times for accessibility stuff while I sat on the <a href="https://www.princegeorge.ca/City%20Hall/Pages/Mayor%20and%20Council/Committees%20and%20Boards/AdvisoryCommitteeonAccessibility.aspx">Advisory Committee for Accessibility</a>. I have spoken on a couple of radio interviews as well for <a href="http://www.cfisfm.com/html/index.html">CFIS 99.3 Fm</a> doing business as the Prince George Power Mobility Society. All that happened after 2010, it's 2017 as I type. It's weird when I think of it. My confidence returns when I stand in front of an audience, 99% of the time. I have Emceed at many events, as a volunteer most of the time. The first couple of times I messed up but have been complimented lots. I am often medicated on THC and CBD when in front but that's to deal with the pain of standing, a constant deterrent to my confidence. All my speaking I have done, with the exception of Cadets, has been inside. My next public speaking engagement will be a milestone moment in my career of public speaking. I was approached by a contact of mine, who first saw me as a Cadet leader and was impressed. <br />
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I had spoken at her home business and wellness shows a few times and she attended many of the events I emceed for Handy Circle. I was Emceeing at the CANDO 2018 event at<a href="http://princegeorgeciviccentre.ca/Pages/Welcome.aspx" target="_blank"> Prince George's accessible Civic Centre </a>in early May. I used my voice well, billing the Volunteer time to my MS community. My contact approached me just after the event ended and invited me to Emcee her new event to be held on June 3rd, 2018. I contacted her 2 weeks ago to confirm. Sure enough, I will be speaking at <span class="st">Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park on June 3rd from shortly before 10am. This will be inspiring for me as I am building a business plan with help from <a href="http://www.makeachangecanada.com/">Make A Change Canada</a> through their <a href="http://www.businessabilities.ca/">Business Abilities course</a>. I am a very recent graduate of their "Internet Development for </span><span class="st"><span class="st">Entrepreneurs" <a href="http://www.ibde.ca/">(IBDE) course</a>. Yes, I do websites and WordPress setup and management as well as Public Speaking. Check out my business goals <a href="http://walknroll.info/">here behind this link</a>!. That website will be hosting my client's questions about SEO and other design options and problems that arise</span><em></em></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicl9Jc-6SZDBWeeHXmSXBYNHmLjkRldEohv_CTAEodfDPxv-mdjtQnErB8lBqWzDFRJ1TduynDrkzB7jfg0tAwb0tOFe3WO1euRhhqgTJe1x118jWwleXIBC9pdyN0w_sM5ROF4-S3LnY/s1600/artwellnessinthepark2018june03.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A fun event in the park formerly known as Fort George Park" border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="700" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicl9Jc-6SZDBWeeHXmSXBYNHmLjkRldEohv_CTAEodfDPxv-mdjtQnErB8lBqWzDFRJ1TduynDrkzB7jfg0tAwb0tOFe3WO1euRhhqgTJe1x118jWwleXIBC9pdyN0w_sM5ROF4-S3LnY/s320/artwellnessinthepark2018june03.png" title="Arts + Wellness in the park-2018Jun03" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-67447539417746762892018-05-26T18:32:00.001-07:002018-05-26T19:20:51.737-07:00MS Awareness month 2018 in Prince GeorgeWhola cow, what a year this year. Our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/pgms.self.help/">Facebook Group page </a>has grown fast, with 31 members as I type so far and gathering MS'ers around the city. Tomorrow, the MS Walk will happen in Prince George on May 27th, 2018, <a href="http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/BCandYukonDivision?pg=entry&fr_id=5848">you still have time to register</a>! Several members of the Prince George community were involved in the planning and event preparation. It was very cool to see the energy a group of MS Affected individuals can do collectively that will be displayed on May 27th, 2018. To cap off that evening, Mr. PG which is<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/cqPKcSvBQi72"> located at the crossroads of British Columbia Canada</a>, will be lit in Red starting that evening till the 31st. This will be for a couple of reasons. One, it will be symbolic to the world that passes and the contacts who will see the pictures they post. They will know the unique relationship that exists in Northern BC Life with MS. We have a "partnership" of sorts between the medical support at Northern Health's MS Clinic at UHNBC (toll free number 1-888-967-6774), through the individual communities where MS lives in Northern BC and the Yukon. They are connected to the MS Society of Canada's Northern Regional Chapter which is connected to the same communities. Those two sides are symbiotic with the collective community of affected persons in those communities connected through this connection, which includes staff and volunteers of the society and the clinic in those respective Northern communities where they live and work. It can be represented as a triangle of support. We all know our places in the Global community and that is one aim of Mr. PG's color display as May 30th is <a href="https://worldmsday.org/msevent/prince-george-ms-lightup/">World MS day</a>! Another aim of the lightup is to commemorate the end of Canadain MS Awareness month 2018 in Prince George.<br />
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<img alt="Mr PG at the intersection of Highway 16 and 97" border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpSaTECIMbnZGPkSTx7fTrev2kWW8fJwYXzRUg3vYuB3dcvCGrnucpP-kwLZ74D3pyncjbBSUBFj17lu_aXQ-4IaZ5FGwx0JrwPJ9fBbDHtgdv_pJfpGjgMhFNsYipdER_SeKpPdWolo/s1600/256px-Mr_PG_-_Prince_George_-_British_Columbia.jpg" title="Mr PG at the intersection of Highway 16 and 97" /></div>
<br />PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-15929752195596682062018-02-17T16:50:00.000-08:002018-02-19T06:38:41.041-08:00Cannabis and Multiple Sclerosis- My experiences<h2>
The Disclosure (Cannabis is a personal experience):</h2>
Before I begin, I'll start off by guaranteeing my experiences with Cannabis will likely not be like what you may feel, experience or "survive" while <a href="https://honestmarijuana.com/consume-marijuana/?age-verified=d85252cb54" target="_blank">huffing, puffing, munching, vaping</a>, <a href="https://cannabis.net/blog/medical/how-to-make-homemade-cannabis-skin-cream-and-lotions" target="_blank">slathering on your skin</a>, <a href="https://cannasos.com/news/business/cannabis-chewing-gum-would-you-try-it" target="_blank">chewing in the gum</a>, <a href="https://cannabisdigest.ca/cannatory/" target="_blank">shoving up your butt in a suppository</a> or however you consume Cannabis. Raw uses are inert for your information, more akin to Lettuce. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PWPBgi3ebI" target="_blank"> It has to be heated singularly to be active</a> to have the effects that could be confused for Recreational use. It could also be used to <a href="https://www.lamota.org/en/blog/marijuana-lubricant-orgasm/" target="_blank">enhance relationships for female pleasure</a>, slathering places I can't discuss here on a family friendly blog... Ahem. Anyway my experiences are mine alone, but there are credible studies on how it affects Multiple Sclerosis overall. I do encourage you to explore and see how you like best. At its worse, it will not do harm unless you let it, I cannot say in all honesty it's completely safe but it has done way more good than bad in my MSed up life since 2000. One hit in experiment, a single cooke even if eaten fast and feelings of OD are overwhelming, sleep is all that is needed. Sometimes sex but this is a fairly safe blog and we'll stick to a therapeutic sleep. Onward past 2005 when I used it first to quit a 35 year addiction to Tobacco at 39 years old.<br />
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Early Use and Cannabis:</h2>
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I was introduced to Tobacco before I was born in 1965, through my mother who was a tobacco consumer until the late 1970's or early 80's. My father quit after a stroke in the early to mid 1990's. I lit my first cigarette at around 5 years old as an act of independence I am sure, it must have gone unchallenged by adults. The 1970's were a strange time as no one saw any problems with kids and tobacco use. Childproofing was a swat when caught. By the time Tobacco use got tough on youth I was an adult. Cannabis came into my life with some pretty powerful strains fresh out of Vietnam when I was 12, carried me through my Teen years with other influences and chemical experiences.<br />
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Wazat connection to Vietnam?</h4>
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<a href="http://fortstjames.ca/" target="_blank">My home community </a>was close to a remote <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/vietnam-war-draft-dodgers-left-mark-in-canada-1.2329725" target="_blank">community of draft dodgers</a> from that<a href="https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war" target="_blank"> war during the 1960's</a> and then the actual Vets themselves once that war ended in the 1970's who went there to the <a href="http://blogs.unbc.ca/ridethewild/tag/prince-george/" target="_blank">wilds of Northern BC</a> to recover. <a href="https://www.cannimed.ca/blogs/blog/cannabis-and-ptsd" target="_blank">Cannabis is a treatment for PTSD</a> among its diverse medical uses, very illegal in the Canada and USA of the time and <a href="http://www.gradesaver.com/the-things-they-carried/study-guide/marijuana-and-heroin-use-during-the-vietnam-war" target="_blank">widely used by the solders</a> without realizing it helped what they felt... They had some major grows around the area, growing in the woods and cabins on Crown Land. Everyone local that I knew had at least one plant, some were actually seeds left over from the Vet's first generation stuff. That was my original form of rebellion, as my folks didn't seem to mind the Tobacco use but had Refer Madness views they tried to impress on me. I was hauld home once by the RCMP at 14 while I warned of a life of crime ahead. A school expulsion still I puffed as I explained why I should remain in school after selling the "Demon Weed". I think I heard that my roots were in hell like the plant they caught me distributing. I lived that life till I was in my early 20's, a rebel without a clue bumbling through life and trying to find work. I began working with the Canadian Forces through the Canadian Cadet organization as a volunteer at 19 as well as the BC Forest Service around 21. I had pretty much quit Cannabis before I turned 25, no longer wanted to make Dad mad and had work to do. Thrill was gone, I would have a puff at camp. it wasn't addictive like pain pills were earlier in life trying recreational use of that thanks to a fellow Bud I outlived. That was the life I lived before MS spiced with Cannabis and individual rebelion shaping that life really hurting no one but personal relationships.
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Limbo to MS Diagnoses</h2>
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1999 was the start, the first indicator of the Diagnoses that would come a year later. The woman I had been living with for 5 years not so gently placed my stuff on the sidewalk one rainy morning in late May. Wasn't all my stuff, but that is another story too long to get into here. Thrilling if you didn't live it yourself. Long and short of it, about a week later in very early June, just after settling down into a new residence I walked into a wall. The corner of the wall actually. It kind of surprised me, that wall hadn't been there the day before I thought or the hall had shrunk somehow. I went to the bathroom I had been heading to and checked the small cut above my eye in the mirror. At that time I discovered I had problems seeing from that eye, which concerned me more than that wall. I rushed down to an optometrist who referred me immediately to a specialist where I found out the recent break-up had left me without medical coverage. Meh, the specialist's 20 min lookover gave me a $360 bill and a stern warning about how medical insurance is mandatory in BC and it is illegal to be without it. No answers, but I think I heard the words "<a href="https://www.medicinenet.com/optic_neuritis/article.htm" target="_blank">Optic Neuritis</a>" mentioned. I looked at her and thought "well, suicide is illegal too..." It was the start of my decline. I had not tried Cannabis at this point in a number of years. I started a year of spirail and doctors looking at everything except my mental health, to have an MRI in a mobile unit which gave me a diagnoses in June 2000. It got worse, just after diagnoses, my father died in July. It would take me on a roller coaster of Antidepressants that darn near killed a family I resided with and DMD's that made my MS worse and almost killed me. My refusal of those treatments got me tossed from the MS Clinic who refused to treat me and my personal health care provider doing the same when he learned of my Cannabis use which I restarted in 2003 to combat the drugs when I refused the MS DMD's and antidepressants. I did not know the exact <a href="https://cannabis.net/blog/medical/cannabis-for-multiple-sclerosis" target="_blank">benefits it was doing for my MS yet</a>, it was combatting other problems and challenges at that time much better than pharmacy is all I knew.</div>
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The non-medical Cannabis supported years</h4>
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I learned of Mental Health support in 2003 after a really low time in my life after leaving my doctor's care. The Mental Health condition I had carred since youth undiagnosed was discovered because of the MS while my doctors tried the DMD's, the Antidepressants brought it out as they tried to prepare my body for the DMD's then being denied treatment upon refusal. Being not supported by my permanent health care team I had to find the tools myself during those years. Those tools still exist if you need them (at least that was what I was told by UHNBC but I cannot confirm on their website), they can be found through the Northern Health building across Edmonton Street from the University Hospital of British Columbia. It's called the <b>Community Resource Centre</b> or <b>CRC</b>, ask for it by name <a href="https://www.northernhealth.ca/OurServices/Facilities.aspx?FacilityID=48" target="_blank">when you contact that office</a>. The "<a href="https://cmha.bc.ca/programs-services/bounce-back/" target="_blank">Bounce Back Program</a>" was developed from those years, I spent 2 years going through those sessions, both group and private with a psychiatric nurse. A group session I attended on "Assertiveness" gave me the tools to control my mental illness and my life. The first positive step I took after that was in August 2005 when I gave up on a 35 year Tobacco addiction. Cannabis was a big help in that step. Tobacco was a trigger for the Mental Health. I had contacted Northern Health who in 2005 was exploring Tobacco cessation techniques from a Northern Health office on Milburn Street between Spruce St and where Milburn chances to Upland St. Not sure if that's still there but "Tobacco Cessation" is now a big part of Northern Health's overall structure of wellness along with <a href="https://www.northernhealth.ca/YourHealth/HealthyLivingCommunities.aspx" target="_blank">other healthy living lifestyles</a>. Before 2006 I had been invited back to the newly structured Northern Health MS Clinic which had visiting MS <a href="https://ms.centreforbrainhealth.ca/ms-clinic__0" target="_blank">Neurologists from UBC</a> to manage clinic patients, mine knew of Cannabis but ignored the use and respected refusal of drugs. My family doctor also requested my help, was impressed I had quit smoking and agreed to respect my choice of medications but ignored the Cannabis and got my acid reflux, high blood pressure and cholesterol under control. He was most impressed that I had quit smoking tobacco on my own (*the road I took actually). It apparently was a failure of his for every patient he had up to that point, his own habit had been dropped and was a bit of a sensitive spot I felt when he had asked me to leave his office for Cannabis use a couple of years before. I found out from a personal contact with MS, a former Nurse for Northern Health that he had his own issues with mental health. Meh. Doctors can be patients too I realized and softened towards his attitude, I had made contact and had became an <a href="https://bcpsqc.ca/about-the-council/patient-voices-network/" target="_blank">Activated Patient of the Patient Voices Network</a> by the time I returned to my doctor and the MS Clinic, I encourage you to to the same. It will connect you to our provincial MS Community at all levels among every other affliction and condition and profession, just with your friendly nature and knowing your journey to become who you are to that point. It also gave me trips to <a href="https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=cannabis+friendly&find_loc=Vancouver,+British+Columbia" target="_blank">Cannabis friendly Vancouver</a> and opened many doors in that world. Just because it's considered medical, it does not stop anyone from enjoying it, particularly me. That did not work so well with Pharmaceutical, alcohol and this way was way safer in my humble opinion. Coming back safe and alive appeased my contacts.<br />
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<h2>
Cannabis and our future</h2>
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Sometime before 2009 my MS Neurologist signed my legal paperwork for the Consumption of (then known as) Medical Marihuana, the "Medical Marihuana Possession Requirements" form or MMPR. Around 2013 my Neurologist retired and I switched to a new one, she refused at first. I sighed and asked my doctor. He tossed up his hands and said "If you have something for me to sign, bring it in. Until then, shut up about it" as he stormed out of the room. I chuckled. I downloaded the form from the Health Canada website (it was a difficult search at first) then he filled the form, did not charge me for several years. Last year it was 10 bucks. Doctors have a ceiling in BC as to how much they charge for any form, I ask people to "shop around" if the price seems too steep. It's a single signature, an amount not exceeding 5g a day and his contact information not to exceed 12 months. He found a way to make money (likely hard to find from BC Health insurance patients) and he does volunteer a lot of time in the <a href="https://bc.skipthewaitingroom.com/city/Prince-George" target="_blank">Walk In clinics</a> of the city. I had no problem paying it. Thanks to changes in our federal government it is now called "Cannabis" and the information can be found on <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/medical-use-marijuana/procedures-accessing-cannabis-medical-purposes-licensed-producer.html" target="_blank">Health Canada's new website </a>that was changed to reflect Healthy lifestyle choices but directs you to seek a Licensed producer. You can find how to grow it yourself. That is the direction overall I see that Health Canada is adapting at its core, that page should be updated for the most current information when you look. The <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/medical-use-marijuana/licensed-producers/sample-medical-document-marihuana-medical-purposes-regulations.html" target="_blank">form you need</a>, now <b>known as the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes (ACMPR) </b>form that you take to your doctor can be found there, here it is in <a href="https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/migration/hc-sc/dhp-mps/alt_formats/pdf/marihuana/info/med-eng.pdf" target="_blank">PDF form to download and print</a>, It will be changed to the most recent if changes happen from these links to their site. You must have it before you apply to become a grower,</div>
<h3>
But what does it do fo me?</h3>
<div>
*sigh* For starters. It replaced all those antidepressants that took me on a roller coaster ride through early MS life. It helped when I dropped the MS DMD's cold turkey described above, still helping me say upright today. I did some damage to my right arm with a Scooter accident that is wild when I describe it but too long for this post. I got a strong dose of heavy duty opiates to deal with the pain as I was in the Hospital for about a week and got a batch of pills to take home. The moment I arrived home I started to consume Cannabis. I had withdrawals from the narcotics given by the hospital it was easier to deal with Cannabis. No one should be convinced to do dishes and take out Kitty litter at 3 am as I had to with one arm. The opiates did noting for the pain that shoulder was feeling. Cannabis got me all the way through it and the pills are ready to be returned for disposal. It does more. It helped with the Tobacco cessation. I did have other help from Northern Health as described above and I think it is still helping as 35 years of abusing it with Tobacco I am still relatively healthy despite having MS for 17 years as I type this. I have no Cancer so far, No serious terminal diseases or other serious indicators. My bones seem stronger. The accident I had should have created more damage, I was traveling so fast as I hit the ground</div>
<h4>
Tell us about the accident already and how does it relate to Cannabis?</h4>
<div>
Some MS Affected friends had come to town for <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/labour-day" target="_blank">Labour Day Weekend</a> 2017. I <a href="https://www.yellowpages.ca/bus/British-Columbia/Prince-George/Connaught-Hill-Residences/4508978.html" target="_blank">live in an apartment</a> building, the weather was nice. I took my mobility scooter to the park in what I consider "My Backyard"<a href="https://facesplacesnorth.wordpress.com/2016/03/03/connaught-hill-park-did-you-know/" target="_blank"> atop of Connaught Hill</a>. We got to the spot, relatively fast. We consumed a few Cannabis cigarettes as we watched small rodents and birds and other forms of nature occupy their time. It was a lovely way to reconnect with old comrades. It came time to roll back down the hill home, and just like I had done a millions times before I rotated my seat on my scooter and prepared to go. Something was wrong. My power was on and my triggers did not move me back or front. I considered my options. It was downhill. There is a "freewheel" setting used to move the scooter in this situation. I thought there was a safety feature built in to Scooters, a misunderstanding somehow burnt into my thoughts, that prevented overspeeding. Anyway I slowly rolled free to the top of the hill. I could use my feet at that time to control the speed and sit to ponder if I had the safety feature in this machine as I took off. I was quickly building up speed when I realized I didn't have the safety feature. That realization came just as my hat took off from my head and likely landed behind me someplace. I felt I was going faster than the posted speed limit on an active road and it was getting hard to control the device, I was drifting over to the oncoming traffic lane on an active road and there was a corner arriving very fast with a speed bump behind it. I simply stepped off at high speed once I pulled myself into the lane I should be on and expected that the worst that could happen likely was better than trying to roll all the way down on the scooter. I tore some small bone very important to controlling the arm at the socket which I broke a corner off of and had a ton of road rash.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
What will Cannabis do for you?</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That I cannot say. Like Multiple Sclerosis, your experiences will be unique to you. I can guarantee that it will not kill you, <b>you MAY enjoy it</b> if you let it be enjoyable. If you get too high, you will sleep it off peacefully. Eventually. You just need to get comfortable. Take it slow when you are new. Just because you are a seasoned consumer of one way be aware different forms of consumption have different effects on your body. be open to explore all of them at a pace comfortable to you. All use is medicinal and there are many more ways to consume and use than smoking it! Many uses do not make you high. It is safe to experiment. Take it slow at first, with new ways of ingestion and consumption. Find your best way and don't limit yourself.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Closing. Very little to do with Cannabis</h2>
</div>
<div>
A couple of years ago, our local office of the MS Society of Canada closed suddenly and the entire structure of the Society changed nationally. We have a new chapter now, with a Society staff member from Nelson coordinating a new region of MS affected people across Northern BC, the Yukon territory and a few communities in Southern BC. The New chapter is known as the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/chapter/northern-regional-chapter" target="_blank">Northern Regional Chapter</a>. The Prince George Multiple Sclerosis Self Help group was left in Prince George to manage the hole in our community left by the closing of our local office. We Are not affiliated with the chapter. In fact we consider the chapter part of our community, exactly 1/3 of the population of support we enjoy as patients. There is another Self Help group in Quesnel and there could be one in your community. The biggest thing we found in Prince George is that the Prince George MS community has no independent source of income. Our group had to reform to fill that void and restore the trust in our locally affected community that the MS Society of Canada had not completely abandoned us. The first thing the group needed was a leader. A "Co-Facilitator, Meeting Chair Person" was located, as well as a member of the Northern Regional Chapter to act as a Society Lesion. My position of Facilitator sets the direction the community goes over its existence, someone else will hold that role eventually.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Rebirth needed funds to grow</h3>
When the chapter was here we enjoyed a lot of activities because of the funds supplied by the office for our regional events held locally, we had a lot of clients throughout the PG Chapter's small area. The MS Walk is the biggest fundraiser the Society has, It has happened here for at least 20 years. A large percent of the funds donated to the popular Walk stayed local because of the Chapter. Support from Prince George and surrounding areas had dropped drastically since the office closed. Another of our members, actually our MS Society Lesion <a href="http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/BCandYukonDivision?team_id=99473&pg=team&fr_id=5848" target="_blank">formed a Team for our MS Walk</a> happening on Sunday, May 27 in <a href="http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/BCandYukonDivision?pg=entry&fr_id=5848" target="_blank">Lheidli T'enneh (formerly Fort George) Memorial Park</a>, check in 11am. The thing we discovered was that Self Help Group teams get 10% of donations collected returned to us to give back to our community. If you help us, we can help others. our meetings run between September and June, 1 to 3pm every third Thursday of the month. Plans are underway to host a second meeting in a later time slot that could be more convenient for others. <a href="http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/BCandYukonDivision?pg=entry&fr_id=5837" target="_blank">There could be an MS Walk in your Northern community too</a>, the Quesnel Self Help group helped their community form a a walk event and has a team too!<br />
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<div>
<h3>
Find your way to our Walk in Prince George below!</h3>
</div>
<div>
See you there! Don't forget to <a href="http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/BCandYukonDivision?team_id=99473&pg=team&fr_id=5848" target="_blank">donate or join our Walk team</a> supporting Prince George!</div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2350.606236053042!2d-122.74188788445329!3d53.90320238009944!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x538898d8e827ad69%3A0x5776276a2a418ae5!2sLheidli+T'enneh+Memorial+Park!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1519047113114" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0Prince George, BC, Canada53.9170641 -122.749669353.6178746 -123.3951163 54.216253599999995 -122.10422229999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-2802634616005226442017-10-03T16:57:00.001-07:002017-10-04T00:13:38.735-07:00What if you had a chance to change the future?<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #444444; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Source- </span><a href="http://walknroll.info/youcaninfluencebcsfuture/" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1abc9c; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">http://walknroll.info/youcaninfluencebcsfuture/</a><br />
<h2>
What if you had a chance to change the future?</h2>
It looks like I did post in here this year. lol I need to assign this job to someone, perhaps my assistant Facilitator will accept this roll. I'll have to ask her. I'm actually working on another Blog site, to which I may move this one over to its own sub domain on that <a href="http://www.bluehost.com/track/walknrollinfo/" target="_blank">BlueHost server</a>. Please click that link if you need a website of your own! Oh right. I need to promote my courses! I am in school with <a href="http://makeachangecanada.com/" target="_blank">Make a Change Canada</a>, taking <a href="http://www.ibde.ca/" target="_blank">IBDE web design training</a> (finishing it with this course on <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/start-a-wordpress-blog/" target="_blank">WordPress</a>) and <a href="http://getbootstrap.com/" target="_blank">one update to go</a>
from a previous course I took). I'm also in a business abilities
course through Make A Change Canada as well. If you are considering a
business, you should check them out. Lots of free training there too!<br />
<br />
Anyway, the reason for this post is to let you know you can change our shared future. I am real sure you've heard about Cannabis, and the expected changes to take place in April of 2018. You will be affected by the change in Canada. Here in BC, a new committee, the <a href="https://engage.gov.bc.ca/BCcannabisregulation/" target="_blank">BC Cannabis Regulation Engagement Committee</a> has been tasked at getting our province ready for that change. For my class, I have to <a href="http://walknroll.info/youcaninfluencebcsfuture/" target="_blank">republish a post I made on my website</a>, "http://walknroll.info" which is a request from the committee for "Stakeholder input". As a citizen of BC you are a stakeholder. Enjoy, let them know what will look best! If you had clicked the link above to the committee, the survey's behind that and you can skip the rest below!<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ <br />
Do you live in British Columbia, Canada (aka BC)? Have you heard about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_history_of_cannabis_in_Canada" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="legalize it, access to healthy medicine silently is through recreational use!">Cannabis</a>? No doubt you have a well formed opinion, it's been illegal for 100 years as I type this. Read on to see how you can help BC make sense of our future. Do you know that you will be locally affected by <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/services/health/campaigns/introduction-cannabis-act-questions-answers.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="national questions and answers">National policy changes</a> and <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-almanac-on-location-1.4301763" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="UBCM talks pot">overburdened provincial forces</a> concerning the impending legalization of Cannabis? It's on track for July 2018. Speaking of our UBCM, here is an after report <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/programs/bcalmanac/sept-27-2017-marijuana-legalization-at-the-ubcm-convention-1.4310173" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="Thanks for promoting Cannabis, CBC News">as seen by a reporter </a> at CBC News. Or have you <a href="http://androidpubs.com/serv01.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="only 10 bucks!">purchased a ticket on the Mars Shuttle</a> and are planning on departing this planet? That's not my link by the way...<br />
<br />
You might be using it for Medicine even before the change. You may be even authorized by your doctor. More often than not, if you consume while diagnosed you likely do it "illegally" as that doctor may not believe in the power of it. All good. In April of 2018, things are going to change and it'll be as common as tobacco. You can hide your medical use. Imho, all use is medicinal, recreational is just a mask, silently making things better and protecting healthy individuals from chronic illnesses. Whatever. It all boils down to freedom. You will be free to choose, or refuse. Things are confusing in the political world, help the BC Cannabis Regulation Engagement Committee do the best job they can so our shared future is less confusing then it is presently... Thanks in advance! <br />
<br />
<h2>
The Request:</h2>
Have your say in the matter! You will be affected in other provinces as well and apparently in the USA too but alas, this is only directed towards those of us who live here in BC! Onward to freedom, be the change here on the west coast! The BC Cannabis Regulation Engagement Committee wants to hear from you, as a stakeholder in our shared future!<br />
<h3>
(won't cost you anything but time)</h3>
<a href="http://engage.gov.bc.ca/BCcannabisregulation/stakeholder-submissions/" rel="noopener" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="Please let them know how you feel"><img alt="BC Cannabis Regulation Engagement" height="332" src="https://walknroll.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Revised-5508_CannabisConsultation_web_1200x627px.jpg" width="640" /></a>We want to hear your thoughts on the regulation of non-medical cannabis in B.C.<br />
Source: <i><a href="http://engage.gov.bc.ca/BCcannabisregulation/stakeholder-submissions/" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="you are considered a stakeholder if you live in BC">Stakeholder Submissions | BC Cannabis Regulation Engagement</a></i>PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-82640848550912287512017-05-15T08:54:00.000-07:002017-05-15T08:54:55.813-07:00It has been a long time since I wrote on this blog. In the last 7 years, I have now my own business, just going to start a new course to help that, I manage 2 WordPress Blogs (Volunteer Prince George hired me last year to manage theirs at <a href="http://volunteerpg.com/">volunteerpg.com</a> and I built a website for the Carefree transportation society with an attached Word Press blog~ <a href="http://carefreesociety.org/" target="_blank">carefeesociety.org)</a>. I am known as a Professional Volunteer, still remain the Facilitator of the Prince George Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Group among other volunteer positions I hold. I am also employed pert time by the <a href="http://handycirclepg.ca/" target="_blank">Handy Circle Resources Society</a>. In just a week or so I will return for another course with <a href="http://www.makeachangecanada.com/" target="_blank">Make-A-Change Canada</a>. The local hospital, PGRH or Prince George Regional Hospital, was renamed since the last posting, it is now known as the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia or UHNBC<br />
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The Prince George Multiple Sclerosis Self Help group will be reforming again this year, in the fall of 2017. Our role in our city has become very important with the closure of our local MS Society of Canada office closing (in early 2016) to be reborn (mid 2017) as a new, larger region covering all of Northern BC, a few southern BC communities and up to Whitehorse in the Yukon territory. It is now known as the "Northern Regional Chapter of the <a href="https://mssociety.ca/division/bc-and-yukon-division" target="_blank">MS Society of Canada, BC and YT Division</a>" with its staff scattered around in major centres like <a href="https://princegeorge.ca/" target="_blank">Prince George</a> and other lager communities in the region. Our local MS SH group, not unlike and other MS SH groups in the province, includes members of the MS Society board that reside in our communities as they are as affected, with some afflicted individuals helping the community we cover locally. They do fit the criteria of membership that includes people with MS and anyone who has interests or awareness of our community. To that end, we do have a board member to act as lesion between the SH Group and the Society, to
assist us in the reformation and sustainable existence of the group. Looking forward to the near future! O and Cannabis at this point is set to be legalized in the very near future, but at present time, it's still risky to be involved in the trade either as a purchaser or as a distributor and "legal weed" has all sorts of restrictions subject to government recalls... it is becoming well known to be an effective safe treatment for the effects of Multiple Sclerosis. Stay tuned for another report hopefully sooner than another 7 years. Safe travels!<br />
Ken (aka-BCBud024)<br />
<br />PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0Prince George, BC, Canada53.9170641 -122.749669353.6178746 -123.3951163 54.216253599999995 -122.10422229999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-3377186128527170732011-04-03T18:52:00.000-07:002011-04-03T19:36:15.185-07:00Vancouver BC bound in 2 weeks<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, my being stuck in Prince George for all these years is about to come to an end. On the 15th of April 2011 I shall be aboard a BIG airplane, on my way to change the health-care system in my home province... I am so excited! It all began one year ago on the 16th of April 2010.... Happy Anniversary Patient Voices Network, C U there! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not all of us are as keen as others to be affiliated with an organization or group. As facilitator of your Prince George Self Help Support Group, I realized the problem and worked to overcome it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I began to check out this new network thing a few years ago, learning all I could about the Net. I discovered a network of Patients thinking around the same lines I had been thinking since becoming the Facilitator.I supported them by joining.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Self Help group are patients in Prince George. In fact, all persons affected by Multiple Sclerosis are patients. Every Doctor and other medical professionals are patients too. Heck every single one of us in the human race (in all its' diversity) are patients. This network is just BC... On<a href="http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#%21/pages/Patient-Voices-Network/193358687356916?sk=info"> Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.patientvoices.ca/">Live on-line</a>. It can be as simples just signing up to receive the information or getting involved on committees with all levels of healthcare</span>PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-91899014677072492352011-03-27T17:46:00.000-07:002011-03-27T17:47:44.179-07:00MS Lives where TV is not avalible, nothing at BlockbustersHere in British Columbia and the Yukon there are remote areas of the world which only has basic TV through the air and no high quality video rental centers. Some living in my local community face that as a lifestyle choice too, DVD's can get to be an expense not worthy of spending the coin. It really doesn't make sense to pay for TV; it is so yesterday.... <br />
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On the other hand Internet should be available wireless & affordable for the public. TV should follow suit BUT- It is a total different argument. Likely you rent videos but the one you want was rented already or not in stock. Anyway here is how I deal with that problem :) There are quite a few sites like this one; I just<a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/home/"> Stumbled Upon</a> this one this afternoon while Stumbling movies online :)<br />
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<a href="http://free-horror-movies.com/moviesgenere/freemovies.htm">http://free-horror-movies.com/moviesgenere/freemovies.htm</a>PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-80037462312333278882010-09-08T06:06:00.000-07:002010-09-08T06:15:17.439-07:00The 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 <b>effects of weather</b> on <b>MS</b>. No wonder there is such a controversy with <b>CCVSI</b> (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<b> MonSter</b> had not overpowered us. Some of us were stricken with other conditions while battling the <b>MonSter</b>. To each of us dealing with the <b>MonSter</b>: <b>adapt and survive</b>, 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. <br />
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<a href="http://www.empowher.com/multiple-sclerosis/content/seasons-change-so-may-symptoms-your-multiple-sclerosis?page=0,0">As the Seasons Change, So May The Symptoms of Your Multiple Sclerosis</a> - <a href="http://www.empowher.com/">EmpowHER.com</a>PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-10758973019499621482010-08-20T10:10:00.000-07:002010-08-20T10:10:30.966-07:00MS trials: we need to do thisWhereas this post below slams the <a href="http://mssociety.ca/ccsvi/resources/201001_CCSVI.pdf#xml=http://mssociety.ca/SCRIPTS/texis.exe/webinator/search/pdfhi.txt?query=CCVSI&pr=default&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=500&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=500&rlead=500&sufs=0&order=r&cq=&id=4b821320c">MS Society of Canada</a>, 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...<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.leaderpost.com/health/trials+need+this/3406720/story.html">MS trials: we need to do this</a>PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914072330952272636.post-16282170374845827242010-08-10T05:38:00.000-07:002010-08-10T05:39:34.189-07:00Brain Changes in MS May Spur DepressionFor 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!<br />
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<a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/news/view.aspx?id=640857&xid=nl_EverydayHealthLivingWithMultipleSclerosis_20100810">Brain Changes in MS May Spur Depression</a>PG Multiple Sclerosis Self Help Support Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996607506367834173noreply@blogger.com0