Tomorrow is the MS walk
and so far I am almost at $1200.00!!! Woohooo! Tod is at $7800.00 if you can
believe it! His idea to offer seminars on making radio have been a huge hit
and he received so many generous donations! So, if you still want to donate,
the website is still open and accepting donations! :) Here's
a direct link! Oh and if you're at the Tri-Cities walk tomorrow morning,
please say hi! I'd love to meet any of you readers. I've yet to meet another
MS'er in person, so that would be great. Let's hope the rain holds off!

Testosterone treatment might help men with MS

2006-04-08 19:29:20

Normally I wouldn't post this
finding as the study only has 10 men invloved, but the findings are interesting
and perhaps further studies will reveal much more. "For one year, the 10 study
participants received daily treatment with 100 milligrams of a testosterone
gel applied to the skin. None of the men were taking immunomodulating drugs
(which control the immune system) for their MS. The men were assessed every
three months. After 12 months, the men showed significant improvements on a
test that measured brain processing speed and working memory. There were also
signs of improvement in tests of spatial memory. The rate of brain atrophy slowed
by 67 percent during the last nine months of testosterone treatment, the researchers
reported. Blood tests showed that production of a chemical called brain-derived
neurotrophic factor (which helps promote nerve cell survival) increased more
than twofold after testosterone treatment."

Doubling the Copaxone dose shows better results

2006-04-08 19:40:27

This
just released this last week. "A 9-month, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group
phase II study of 90 patients comparing a 40 mg dose of Copaxone to the currently
approved 20 mg dose showed a 38% greater reduction in mean cumulative number
of gadolinium (Gd)-enhancing lesions as measured by magnetic resonance images
(MRI) of the brain in patients taking the higher dose compared with those taking
the 20 mg dose. In addition, patients taking Copaxone 40 mg experienced a reduced
mean on-trial relapse rate of 77% when compared to annual relapse rate prior
to entry, compared to 62% with Copaxone 20 mg."

We're all ready to go with T-shirts and everything!

2006-04-08 21:50:30

Tod made up all the T-shirt designs
Originally uploaded by OnlineKim.

Larry the Lesion T-Shirts
Originally uploaded by OnlineKim.

Mount Sinai launches CombiRx trial to treat relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis Wow, here's a rather large study in Canada an dthe US where both Avonex and Copaxone are being put in trials to see if the combo of them both does a better job than just taking one or the other. It's being called CombiRx and they are recruiting 1000 patients to partake. "

CombiRx will
determine whether the combination of these treatments is more effective than
either treatment alone. This trial is unique among placebo controlled studies,
in that none of the participants will receive placebo alone. All participants
will receive at least one active, FDA-approved treatment. Specifically, 50%
will receive the combined investigational therapy, 25% will receive interferon
beta 1-a weekly plus a daily placebo, and 25% will receive glatiramer acetate
daily plus a weekly placebo. One thousand patients are being recruited for these
studies at approximately 80 sites across the US and Canada. Men and women between
18 and 60 years of age who have been diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS and
who have not previously taken interferon beta-1a weekly (Avonex.) or glatiramer
acetate daily (Copaxone.) may be eligible to participate in both studies. Participants
will be randomly assigned to one of the three study groups and will receive
treatment over 36 months. Clinic visits will be scheduled every three months
throughout the treatment period to assess the impact of treatment." In addition
to CombiRx, participants will be offered the opportunity to volunteer for another
study known as Biomarkers in MS. This study is designed to determine if there
are specific genes and proteins that can predict the course and progression
of MS. More importantly, this study may allow identification of markers that
may be useful in distinguishing which MS patients may respond to specific treatments.
According to Dr. Henry McFarland, Clinical Director, NINDS, "As with the data
from the CombiRx Trial, the implications of the Biomarkers in MS Study could
be enormous, both for the individual patient as well as for the costs associated
with MS treatment and hence the health care providers and the general public."

Epstein-Barr Virus May Be Associated With Multiple Sclerosis

2006-04-16 17:04:15

Epstein-Barr
Virus May Be Associated With Multiple Sclerosis Tonnes of articles have
come out in the past couple of weeks talking about the Epstien-Barr Virus or
more commonly known for causing Mono (mononucleosis). For the MS'ers out there...
have you had it? I have. So has my brother. I got it when I was 23. One year
prior to getting my first symptom of two numb legs and one numb arm.

Happy Easter!

2006-04-16 17:56:50

Well, it's about time I caught up on blogging! Jeesh, where the heck have
I been!? I'm not sure why this last couple of weeks have been so crazy, but
they have. Let's see... Last weekend was the MS walk! The total for Team Mandatory
Rest Persiod was just over $$10,000!!! Amazing! Tod placed second top fundraiser
with 8000.00! And our team placed second overall too! We did the shorter walk
of almost 3km's and it was rainy but not in a "down pour" way. It was more like
light misting. We wore our T-shirts with pride though and I think people really
liked the team name :) The Tri-cities walk raised 43k the last number I heard!
I started a fun weekend class on Hardanger Embrodiary. I have zero knowledge
about it but decided with the price of 25 bucks for 3 lessons, it would be fun.
And so far it has been! I have to quit picking up my knitting and avoiding my
homework though! :) Ahh crafts... I love it. And lastly, but surely not least,
today I turned 30! Tod whisked me away Thursday after work to a shwanky hotel
downtown Vancouver to a full suite on the Penthouse floor! Woohoo! We were overlooking
the water and could see Stanley park in the distance. We had a super nice dinner
at the hotel and they somehow found out it was my birthday, and gave me a nice
free cheesecake dessert. Mmm... doesn't help the diet, but it was worth cheating
over :) And then my back decided it didn't like the beds in our room, so we
came home Friday afternoon and decided not to stay another night. 4 hours of
sleep in a night just doesn't do me well I'm afraid. And little did I know,
Tod had a huge surprise party planned for me on Saturday afternoon! So, when
we got home I started spotting little things that didn't seem right. A huge
bag of buns, my mom's plate warmer for a pot to sit on, extra wine glasses...Â
He pretty much had to tell me but only told me the time and not who was arriving.
It was great fun seeing who would walk through the front door! And to make me
feel even more spoiled I got an Ipod Nano! It's SO cute! And now I can listen
to podcasts in the car to and from work. Fun times. And just because MS doesn't
seem to like being ignored when its really my time to shine ;) My right leg
has been going more and more numb since last monday. It's just irritating at
this point and not really hindering me. It's like a constant reminder from Larry
the lesion... "I'm here... na na!". And all that being said, I hope everyone
is having a great Easter weekend.

Larry the Lesion -- One T-Shirt Only!

2006-04-19 11:02:30

Based
on popular demand, we are selling for charity a VERY limited-edition t-shirt
from the Mandatory Rest Period podcast. We printed one too many t-shirts for
our team on the M.S. SuperWalk, and this is the ONLY extra one.

All funds raised will go to the M.S. Society of Canada. BE
COOL. WEAR LARRY THE LESION!! Larry designed by Chuck McCollough. Visit his
site at http://www.videocdm.com Thanks Chuck!! FIND
OUT MORE OR BID HERE

$81.5 million to fund health research in Quebec.

2006-04-20 10:46:37

The
Canadian government announced $81.5 million in funding going to 224 research
projects including one for MS. I'm hoping to find out more info on what the
trial is exactly. Â Dr. Samuel David (Research Institute of the McGill University
Health Centre) will test a potential new treatment for multiple sclerosis

Stupid back

2006-04-30 22:55:36

Well, once again my back is going all wonky and I'm finally going to my doctor
about it tomorrow afternoon. About 2 weeks ago now the numbness started up my
right leg. It's moved up to my ribs but in a very different way than the last
time. This last few days it's in my left leg too, but feels more like floating
burning sensations that move around and don't stay in one spot. My lumbar feels
like it's frozen. i have no give in that whole segment of my spine. I don't
know if I have a slipped disc or if something else is going on MS wise. I kinda
don't really feel like it's the MS in fact. I have a degenerated disc at L5
and have for so long that I always expect it to be the culprit. Anyways, needless
to say, it's affecting my sleep in a bad way. Again, fatigue, but I don't feel
like it's fatigue in the MS way. Perhaps I'm just fooling myself and my family
doctor will just tell me to phoen the MS clinic. My massage therapist wants
me to get an X-ray so he can at least know what treatment he can do or not to
do and try to help, so I'll start with that route with my doctor tomorrow. The
good news is that Dave over at MS
not Just a Diary won the bid on ebay for the Larry the Lesion T-shirt! Congrats
Dave! We'll pop it in the mail! The money will be sent to the MS
Society in the name of the Blue Moves
II who are sailing in a race and raising money for MS.

Thanks RONA

2006-04-30 23:01:50

I think I'll be going to buy a "key" when I next head to RONA for some lawnmower oil. Thanks Mr. Dutton and Rona for choosing MS as your charity of choice! Yay! "For the second year in a row, RONA Inc. (TSX:RON), the leading Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products, will be selling "Keys to a Cure" at checkout counters in support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. The paper keys will be sold for $2 each and offered to RONA customers at checkout. The promotion will take place in RONA stores throughout Canada during May, MS Awareness Month. The program is expected to raise $90,000 and all proceeds will be donated to the MS Society. "Our involvement in this program symbolizes our desire to end MS," said Robert Dutton, president and CEO of RONA. "There is research taking place in this country that may hold the key to a cure and that's something we very much want to be a part of."