MS Non-profit leaders and Entrepreneurs

How to keep busy in a MS'ed up life

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 "Make A Change Canada" themed for Business Development in Canada and Web Design which included basic instruction in graphic programs like Adobe Photoshop and design tools from coding with HTML to Bootstrap, PHP, SEO Tools, Blogging for Business which helps SEO on WordPress 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, "walknroll.info" is my domain for now.  Sometime over the decade I was enrolled, I had to borrow internet access from the Handy Circle resources Society.  I am hoping now to have you support my next venture in creating a "Web Design Company" by looking at getting your own website 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.

Employment from others

When I was first diagnosed I was employed by London Drugs in Prince George 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 Carefree Transportation Society which I built and gave to them and the one for Volunteer Prince George which I help with site maintenance.  I also facilitate the "Prince George StopGap Ramp project" 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.

Speaking of Volunteerism

I've met a few MS'ed up people in the field of Volunteer Management.  MAID receiver Jenifer Werk 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.  Tetra Prince George 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 "Professional Volunteers".  I've come across other MS'ed up individuals volunteering time at places like St Vincent de Paul's clothing store, serving food at the Drop In centre and at the Salvation Army giving out groceries, sometimes hope as needed.  One calls the numbers out at Bingo held weekly at the Activity Centre for Empowerment.  That MS'ed up person helped us get the room we now use there.

An interesting volunteer experience and a personal drive to #EndMS

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.  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 the MS Bike event.  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.   Check out his efforts here

True successful Entrepreneurs

Health and Wellness

Golden Rays Apothecary

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) "Golden Rays Apothecary and Wellness" on Quebec St in Prince George.  This MS'ed up business has herbs and essential oils, Reiki training 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 annual MS Walk in Prince George and can often be found managing the business community who have booths at our major event

 Ocean Rehab & Fitness

I attended the MS Connection event in October, 2019 held at Richmond British Columbia, it was held in the Weston Wall Centre by the Vancouver Airport (aka YVR).  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 very cool website 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 Northern Regional Chapter of the MS Society of Canada's BC and Yukon Division's area.  Contact them to find out more about it. 

There are others I am sure across BC

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 business website 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

MS Awareness month 2018 in Prince George

Whola cow, what a year this year.  Our Facebook Group page 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, you still have time to register!  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 located at the crossroads of British Columbia Canada, 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 World MS day! Another aim of the lightup is to commemorate the end of Canadain MS Awareness month 2018 in Prince George.

It 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 volunteerpg.com and I built a website for the Carefree transportation society with an attached Word Press blog~ carefeesociety.org).  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 Handy Circle Resources Society. In just a week or so I will return for another course with Make-A-Change Canada. 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

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 MS Society of Canada, BC and YT Division"  with its staff scattered around in major centres like Prince George 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!
Ken (aka-BCBud024)

My MS treatment.

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

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

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

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

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