tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53979539390667565192024-10-24T10:44:33.553-05:00Determined to be free from the prison I have entered physically and emotionally; this blog will be a journal of my escape to the freedom that is found in better health.Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-63564342655504242132010-09-10T16:11:00.000-05:002010-09-10T16:11:17.272-05:00

I've been surprised to find that I've made it through my first summer in the desert heat better than anticipated. After all, heat exacerbates MS symptoms for many. I fall into this category.  I was advised not to come out to Vegas last summer, as it was expected that I would have an increase in my symptoms. However, after being out here for a month during a visit last fall, I noticed on our

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-16723673464543460302009-12-12T13:45:00.002-06:002009-12-15T13:58:08.867-06:00

Before I had my first symptoms of pain, weakness, and disabling fatigue; I was fortunate to be living in a body that I loved, a body that I was proud to have. I was five foot nine with the measurements of 36-26-38 (in my book…perfect). I didn't understand how people allowed themselves to become overweight. I thought of them as weak and not caring enough about themselves. I knew I would never

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-84081502629721770082009-12-04T22:23:00.003-06:002009-12-04T23:29:13.018-06:00

I hadn't planned to reduce anymore of my medications until after the holiday season, it can be such a stressfull time of year to be making drastic changes, but after much encouragement from many readers and I'm sure prayers too, I have decided to continue the process of dwindling down the amount I'm taking until I'm not taking any at all. For the past three days I have successfully taken less

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-41178393877067288042009-12-03T07:14:00.003-06:002009-12-04T13:30:32.438-06:00

Yesterday and through out the night, I had been concerned with how I was going to be able to stomach the taste of liver broth. No longer is this an issue. No longer am I fretting over swalling the soup. I am now looking forward to finding a place that sells liver. Obviously my taste buds couldn't have changed in a matter of hours. No, instead my perspective has changed. My doctor of

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-15242308372154944212009-12-03T02:43:00.005-06:002009-12-04T13:31:19.972-06:00

I'm guessing that the French's taste in food and mine aren't quite the same...not the same at all! Upon pondering how I was going to make liver have a decent enough flavor so that I would be able to drink its broth; I remembered that my french cookbook, Le Creuset's French Country Kitchen, had some liver recipes in it. Note from the authors, "Calf's liver should always be cooked very

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-16681456205163757152009-12-02T12:55:00.003-06:002009-12-02T21:04:33.361-06:00

I'm tickled that through the success I have been having with my acupuncture treatments and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine; I have had a few friends ask me about my doctor. I am so pleased with my results that I wanted to add her website to my blog so that others can find out more about her and if in the Montgomery area, maybe even have a treatment. I have had every treatment she

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-77646650265700618562009-12-02T07:55:00.003-06:002009-12-06T04:01:38.447-06:00

I'm so thankful that my cousin, Tonya, first asked me to join facebook. I can't imagine not having the connections that it has allowed me to rekindle after years of not seeing friends, students, and other loved ones. I love that no matter how far apart I am from my friends, facebook takes the many miles away. Living with multiple sclerosis, sleep apnea, and fibromyalgia I suffer from severe

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-56729185920277045112009-12-01T22:41:00.005-06:002009-12-06T00:07:09.977-06:00

It's hard to believe that I'm still using as much medication as I am each day…not that I'm not succeeding with my plan to get off all the medication as possible. No, I'm very pleased with my success. Like the saying goes…it's all a matter of perspective. To me it seems like I'm taking nothing, but then when I think about my husband who really isn't on any prescription medication at all…I know

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-55497129722369191352009-11-24T17:13:00.004-06:002009-12-02T02:19:50.330-06:00

During one of my appointments with my doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Dr. L said, "You have soooo MANY problems! YOU drive doctor crazy!" We both had a good laugh.  I said, "Yes, I'm a challenge for a doctor!"  "Yes! Yes! Ooooh, goodness!"  How could I laugh when someone, especially a doctor, was telling me that I had so many problems that I was driving them

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-77066740001212492662009-11-23T04:02:00.033-06:002009-12-06T00:06:11.232-06:00

The summer before last, my mother called to tell me that she read about these new flip flops that actors and actresses were wearing. They were being worn by Hollywood because they added a benefit to everyday walking...they provided a workout by replicating the effects of using a wobble board. The shoes my mother wanted me to give a try? FitFlops She was especially interested in

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-4383992846456016262009-11-19T23:42:00.008-06:002009-12-06T00:04:08.464-06:00

At my second visit (which has been a few weeks ago now) to see my doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Dr. L. and I began to see more clearly just how sick I am. Traditional Chinese doctors can tell the status of your health in ways that fascinate me; by reading radial pulse, looking at the tongue, the eyes, the color and feel of the skin, sensing the way the body

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-8986711092684137842009-10-28T18:11:00.011-05:002009-12-05T23:59:41.555-06:00

The short conversation below, is a snippet of my first consulation with my new doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Dr.  No babies? Me: No, never been able to... after all these years of marriage (14 years). Dr: No wonder! All these medications you on. All your germs. Your house is dirty! Must clean house first! Can't make baby! What my doctor was telling me about my

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-35330153586400396432009-10-27T21:03:00.008-05:002009-12-05T22:26:00.859-06:00

Due to a recent move, I was in need of finding a new acupuncturist. I hadn't had a treatment in eight months and was very anxious to begin treatment but concerned about not knowing which acupuncturist to choose. After all, I was basing my selection on ads in the yellow pages. I finally decided to go with one who is considered a Chinese doctor (specializing in different aspects of

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-28955591903296596182009-10-26T16:43:00.005-05:002009-12-05T22:21:53.754-06:00

Early on, even before I knew something was wrong...before the profound weight gain...my feet would often ache at night; a side effect of teaching all day on linoleum floors. But now, I had to plan my shoes for work. No longer was the pain limited to my feet at night. I was beginning to feel pain radiate from my heels all the way up to my hips. I began carefully selecting shoes that

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397953939066756519.post-15695475766434113532009-10-23T20:40:00.003-05:002009-12-05T22:19:47.449-06:00

This blog will hopefully be an inspiration to others to escape a prison that they may feel they too are in due to their health; whether it be physical, emotional, or mental. Writing has always helped me to learn more about myself...allowing me to take a step back to really analyze what is going on in my life. I no longer want to feel as though my only option in life is to take medicine for

Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744675000622263112noreply@blogger.com0