October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Taking two minutes per month out of your busy schedule to perform a self breast exam could save your life. Please share this valuable information with the women in your life. Breast Patrol… Fighting the Terror Within

Is Marijuana a Miracle or Menace? How you view it just may depend upon your individual circumstances. Interesting comments from folks with multiple sclerosis follow the post.

Between traveling and laying around pool side, I managed to finish two novels. Quickie, by James Patterson, had me going with all its twists and turns, but by the time I reached the final chapters, I thought it to be a case of overkill. The Associate, by John Grisham was another winner from the master; I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Monday it’s back to full-time work and plugging back in, but I think I’ll keep a piece of Key West in my mind’s eye. Aaaaahhhh

You may be the one with MS and the physical symptoms that go along with it, but you can’t build a fence around yourself in order to protect those around you. Like it or not, MS spreads its tentacles out and affects the lives of your loved ones.

Besides being a person with MS, you may be a sibling, a spouse, a parent, a friend, a co-worker. You count on others and they count on you.

Depending on how MS has manifested itself in your life, it will touch everyone around you in small ways, and in profoundly significant ways, both emotionally and financially.

Emotionally: We’ve all had to do it at one time or another. Watching a loved one struggle with health is not a pleasant experience. Relationships between husband and wife or parent and child are disrupted — not that it’s an entirely negative thing, but change isn’t always quick and it isn’t always easy. In the case of MS in the family, close relationships may forever be in a state of flux.

A spouse who becomes a caregiver may feel overwhelmed by responsibility and fearful about the future. It’s a perfectly normal response. Open and honest discussion is necessary to avoid the pitfalls of an ever-changing relationship.

A child whose parent has a chronic illness may have trouble expressing the fear and doubt that accompany it. Worry about the parent, as well as concern for their own fate, may not be apparent. Discussion should be initiated by the parent(s) and questions addressed directly and honestly.

Friends and co-workers will have their own questions about changes in your health. Some of them will find the topic uncomfortable and may avoid any mention of it. If your MS is not a factor in their lives — particularly on the job — you owe no explanations. However, if it will impact the relationship, you needn’t wait to be asked a question — it’s okay to broach the subject yourself and say what needs to be said. It is the unspoken question that has the power to come between you.

Financially: MS can be an expensive disease. The issue of health insurance, if you don’t have a good group policy, is a major obstacle for many people with MS. Individual insurance policies with a pre-existing condition are difficult to come by and are very costly.

Aside from the obvious expense of health insurance and out-of-pocket costs associated with medical care, some MS patients find they have to purchase additional items to maintain quality of life. These may include mobility aids and other assistive devices, home renovations, vehicle alterations, etc.

If you can no longer function on the job, the switch from full-time employment to part-time work — or unemployment — can have a dramatic impact on the household. In some cases, family members who take on the role of caregiver, with its associated restrictions, also experience a decline in income.

No one in the family is immune to the emotional and financial impact of a chronic illness. Those of us who have loved ones to lean are the fortunate ones.

Originally published on Care2.com’s Healthy and Green Living

Defense of Marriage Act.

The name itself is disrespectful and suggests that homosexual unions cause harm to heterosexual marriage… that people like me have a need to defend our marriages against outside forces — other couples — and I must confess that I just don’t get that.

Respect for Marriage Act. Now that has a much nicer ring to it.

You don’t have to approve of my marriage and I need not approve yours, but we should all have the same rights under the law. It’s been my experience that many heterosexuals feel the same way… we just haven’t been very vocal about it. So comfortable and secure are we in our marital rights that we give little thought to those who only wish for that same comfort and security. Shame on us.

Respect is a two way street.

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/829079

Read this post in its entirety and answer the poll — Do you support the Respect for Marriage Act?: R-E-S-P-E-C-T my marriage

Health care for humans — no way. For our pets — absolutely. That GOP Health Plan is For the Dogs.

Imagine looking into the mirror and not recognizing yourself. Alzheimer’s disease steals memories, the precious bits and pieces that make up our lives. It is a disease that is as horrifying to those who must bear witness as it is to those who have it. Learn more by reading Memories Lost…

More than a million people in the United States have multiple sclerosis… or is it half a million… or a quarter of a million… does anyone really know? Both the Senate and the House have pending legislation that, if passed, would create a registry for MS at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more about the legislation: Multiple Sclerosis by the Numbers… but Who’s Counting?

I just picked up another Grisham novel that I’ve neglected. I’m about half way through and will definitely finish it, but I’m not getting as much enjoyment out of it as is usual with a Grisham. The Partner is missing something important — that one person you want to root for. Maybe I’m missing something here, but I don’t care so much about these characters. The thing is, I still enjoy the writing and, hopefully, it will pick up in the second half.

There’s a new networking site called Women on the Verge that is worth checking out — it’s a great way to promote your skills and your business. You can also follow them on Twitter @WomenOnTheVerge.

Maybe MS was part of the picture prior to the relationship or maybe it was diagnosed later. Either way, it has the potential to dominate every facet of your lives. It’s easy to become a little self-absorbed when living with chronic illness and, for the spouse, it’s normal to resent MS and the impositions it imposes. The trick is not to resent each other.

Whether you are in a traditional marriage or some other long-term committed relationship, it can weather many storms when treated as a true partnership and those storms are faced as a team.

Lack of communication can lead to feelings of isolation. It is truly a blessing when married couples develop a bond and can almost read each other’s thoughts, but when it comes to MS, nothing should be considered obvious.

The MS patient should be up front about symptoms that are interfering with the ability to function. To assume that your partner will instinctively know without being told is a mistake, and so is holding a grudge if they don’t. Even to the well-versed, sometimes the symptoms of MS are hard to detect.

Likewise, the caregiver/spouse must be able to speak freely about the extra responsibilities they face due to MS. Resist the urge to overprotect each other — that can lead to much bigger issues down the road.

Flexibility is a must. You may have the road map all laid out, but there will be detours. If you’ve got relapsing/remitting MS, the road may alternate between smooth pavement and rough terrain, with zero visibility. The willingness to alter plans and work around sudden change will serve you well.

Show your appreciation for the little kindnesses as well as major sacrifices. It’s not difficult to fall into a pattern of dealing with daily living while forgetting the niceties, but everyone appreciates acknowledgment of their efforts. No one likes to be taken for granted.

Nurture the relationship. The patient and caregiver relationship must peacefully co-exist with the husband and wife relationship rather than overpower it.

Romance is good for the soul. Whatever you do, don’t let that slide. It’s not so much the grand gestures, but the simplicity of a whispered, “I love you,” or an unexpected cuddle that will come back to you a thousand times over.

Originally published on Care2.com’s Healthy and Green Living

Speaking of slippery slopes, how about that Baucus health reform bill? Seems to me that the Baucus’s Gang of Six is Beating up on the Average Joe — mandated to buy insurance, but with no public option. Thank you, sir, may I have another?

Your signature is worth six cents, and can safe a life, so please take a moment out of your busy day to read Money for Your Signature. Also, it’s a mind-boggling statistic, but approximately 13 million children right here in America are at Risk of Hunger every day.

“You Have Multiple Sclerosis” Those are Fighting Words, so ignore the temptation to climb into bed and pull the covers over your head — get in there fighting! My MS has been giving me a break of late, and it shows.

Ever have one of those days where nothing seems to run smoothly? That’s describes my entire week. The good news is that the weekend is here and I’m still plugging away, none the worse for wear. I still have one article to write before Monday and a list of chores to tackle, but the change of seasons always uplifts and inspires me.

My woman’s intuition has never been particularly good, but I’ve got the feeling that positive change is around the corner. Right or wrong, it’s a great feeling.

September is Hunger Action Month. The Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act authorizes all of the federal school meal and child nutrition programs, which provide funding to ensure that low-income children have access to healthy and nutritious foods through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; Summer Food Service Program; Child and Adult Care Food Program; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children; and Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program…

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/799909

Read this post in in its entirety:

America’s Hungry Children at Risk

It’s easy enough to take safe drinking water for granted when it’s there for the taking, straight from the tap, right in the comfort of our own homes. There’s little reason for us to give it much thought, but that’s exactly what I’m asking you to do today, because an estimated one billion people in developing countries are not so fortunate. Their health and well-being, in fact, their very lives, are endangered every day for lack of something so basic as clean drinking water.

Your signature can safe a life… read the post… sign the pledge:

Money for Your Signature

There’s a lot of emotion connected to owning, using, or observing someone using a handicapped parking placard. For people who truly need one, Handicapped Parking should be a Guilt-Free Zone.

What can be said of the President’s Address to the Joint Session of Congress? What he actually said got less attention than the hecklers did — ah, yes, our esteemed members Congress. Meanwhile, Obama Scolded the Republicans and Defended the Public Option. It was one hell of a night.

Do you fear a Death Panel? You should. The Death Panels are run by our nations insurers who routinely deny coverage to the sick. This story in this article, Young Man Dies for Lack of Public Option, is a a real eye-opener. No family should have to suffer such senseless tragedy for lack of health insurance.

Even as a long-time Grisham fan, I managed to go a few years without reading his work. Recently I picked up a copy of The Last Juror, and thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in the lives of his characters. Now that’s entertainment.

I’ve got the writing bug bad this week and am hoping to spend some quality time with the book, still a work in progress. Write on…

Do you tweet? Give a tweet to @ninaneely and congratulate her on her nuptials earlier this week.