last night was a bad night.
Had to work my way through it.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Money money money
Grrr... so I don't have an AHB debit card yet, and I'm out of checks (or at least I can't find them). I am still figuring out this transfer thing, so I'm currently out of money (or unable to get to it, as is the case of AHB). It's just making things difficult because the bills are coming in now. It's times like this that I really wish I had a credit card.
Don't worry folks I'm getting my ahb stuff, it's just taking it's time to get to me... urgh. The other ones... well, they're pretty empty or untouchable right now.
Besides this is just be venting.
Don't worry folks I'm getting my ahb stuff, it's just taking it's time to get to me... urgh. The other ones... well, they're pretty empty or untouchable right now.
Besides this is just be venting.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Cell Phone
Hey, for some reason the sim card on my phone is not working. Sorry, I'm gonna go get it figured out in a little bit. It's bothersome.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
possible cure
Experimental MS Vaccine Proves Safe in Early Test
It could lead to individualized treatments for other autoimmune diseases, researchers say
By Steven Reinberg
Posted 8/13/07
MONDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental DNA vaccine to fight multiple sclerosis is safe and may also be effective, results of a small Canadian trial suggest.
The vaccine, called BHT-3009, works by preventing the immune system from attacking the myelin sheaths that protect nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The destruction of myelin eventually destroys a nerve cell's axon, which prevents cells from transmitting messages and is one of the hallmarks of MS.
"This was an early trial of a new class of drugs for autoimmune disease in general and for MS in particular," said lead researcher Dr. Amit Bar-Or, of McGill University's Montreal Neurological Institute.
The idea of the vaccine is to change the immune cells that target the nervous system, Bar-Or said. "What we want to do is focus on just those cells that are involved in the disease process," he said. "So antigen-specific therapies are designed to try to modify or eliminate only those bad-guy cells that are involved in the disease process."
The vaccine makes use of a backbone of DNA onto which is attached myelin basic protein, which is a component of myelin. When you inject it, the vaccine reduces the body's ability to attack myelin, Bar-Or explained.
The findings were published online Monday in Archives of Neurology and were expected to be published in the October print issue of the journal.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the disease's symptoms are unpredictable and vary from person to person, and even from time to time in the same person. One person may experience abnormal fatigue, while another might have severe vision problems. A person with MS could have loss of balance and muscle coordination, making walking difficult. Another person could have slurred speech, tremors, stiffness and bladder problems.
In the new study, Bar-Or and his colleagues gave the vaccine to 30 patients with relapsing-remitting MS, which is characterized by alternating periods of symptoms and then relief from those symptoms. At one, three, five and nine weeks, the study participants received injections of BHT-3009 or a placebo. After 13 weeks, those who had been given a placebo were given four injections of BHT-3009.
The researchers evaluated the patients using MRI scanning. They found that the vaccine was well tolerated and also appeared to produce antigen-specific immune changes that stopped the destruction of myelin. These changes were seen in the reduction in the number of CD4+ T-cells -- white blood cells that target myelin.
Bar-Or cautions that much more work remains to be done to see if the vaccine is effective. Whether it represents a possible cure is unknown; all that is known right now is that it's safe. "The trial did provide a biological proof of concept, he said. "In addition, there are other targets in the brain that are involved in MS.
"Now that this biological principle appears to be sound, one could develop DNA vaccines to different targets," he said. "Ideally one could develop a cocktail that deals specifically with an individual's MS."
Based on theses findings, the Montreal researchers have started a phase 2 trial testing BHT-3009 on 290 patients with MS.
The same approach could also be used to treat other autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, lupus, myasthenia gravis and rheumatoid arthritis, the researchers said.
Patricia O'Looney, vice president of biomedical research programs at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, thinks this new approach is promising, but the concept still needs to be proven in larger trials.
"This is like science fiction. It's something that wouldn't have even been thought about 10 years ago," O'Looney said.
Still, the results offer hope, she said.
"This is a fascinating approach to try to control the immune activity with folks with MS," she said. "We are always looking for new ways to help people with MS. It is important that this is a novel idea, and we will just have to watch and see if it goes forward."
For more on multiple sclerosis, visit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
It could lead to individualized treatments for other autoimmune diseases, researchers say
By Steven Reinberg
Posted 8/13/07
MONDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental DNA vaccine to fight multiple sclerosis is safe and may also be effective, results of a small Canadian trial suggest.
The vaccine, called BHT-3009, works by preventing the immune system from attacking the myelin sheaths that protect nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The destruction of myelin eventually destroys a nerve cell's axon, which prevents cells from transmitting messages and is one of the hallmarks of MS.
"This was an early trial of a new class of drugs for autoimmune disease in general and for MS in particular," said lead researcher Dr. Amit Bar-Or, of McGill University's Montreal Neurological Institute.
The idea of the vaccine is to change the immune cells that target the nervous system, Bar-Or said. "What we want to do is focus on just those cells that are involved in the disease process," he said. "So antigen-specific therapies are designed to try to modify or eliminate only those bad-guy cells that are involved in the disease process."
The vaccine makes use of a backbone of DNA onto which is attached myelin basic protein, which is a component of myelin. When you inject it, the vaccine reduces the body's ability to attack myelin, Bar-Or explained.
The findings were published online Monday in Archives of Neurology and were expected to be published in the October print issue of the journal.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the disease's symptoms are unpredictable and vary from person to person, and even from time to time in the same person. One person may experience abnormal fatigue, while another might have severe vision problems. A person with MS could have loss of balance and muscle coordination, making walking difficult. Another person could have slurred speech, tremors, stiffness and bladder problems.
In the new study, Bar-Or and his colleagues gave the vaccine to 30 patients with relapsing-remitting MS, which is characterized by alternating periods of symptoms and then relief from those symptoms. At one, three, five and nine weeks, the study participants received injections of BHT-3009 or a placebo. After 13 weeks, those who had been given a placebo were given four injections of BHT-3009.
The researchers evaluated the patients using MRI scanning. They found that the vaccine was well tolerated and also appeared to produce antigen-specific immune changes that stopped the destruction of myelin. These changes were seen in the reduction in the number of CD4+ T-cells -- white blood cells that target myelin.
Bar-Or cautions that much more work remains to be done to see if the vaccine is effective. Whether it represents a possible cure is unknown; all that is known right now is that it's safe. "The trial did provide a biological proof of concept, he said. "In addition, there are other targets in the brain that are involved in MS.
"Now that this biological principle appears to be sound, one could develop DNA vaccines to different targets," he said. "Ideally one could develop a cocktail that deals specifically with an individual's MS."
Based on theses findings, the Montreal researchers have started a phase 2 trial testing BHT-3009 on 290 patients with MS.
The same approach could also be used to treat other autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, lupus, myasthenia gravis and rheumatoid arthritis, the researchers said.
Patricia O'Looney, vice president of biomedical research programs at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, thinks this new approach is promising, but the concept still needs to be proven in larger trials.
"This is like science fiction. It's something that wouldn't have even been thought about 10 years ago," O'Looney said.
Still, the results offer hope, she said.
"This is a fascinating approach to try to control the immune activity with folks with MS," she said. "We are always looking for new ways to help people with MS. It is important that this is a novel idea, and we will just have to watch and see if it goes forward."
For more on multiple sclerosis, visit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Class-ic
So I'm trying to get my classes in order so I can finally, finally!, graduate. I thought I'd be able to take the OSU online Freshman Comp 2 class, but it's already full. I'm gonna try and call the English Department and see what can be done. Otherwise I have two other options and I'm gonna aim to do both. I can apply for the morning class on Mondays and Wednesdays here at AUM. The main concern with this thing is the stuff it requires. Other than that I'm also going to try and take the CLEP test again for this, and it'll be good if I've already started the class, just in case I don't do well. But either way, I've finally got a back-up... let's hope one of them works out!
MS Update
This last weekend hasn't been bad, but it's been an odd one. Katie and I went bowling on Friday, but I got so weak I couldn't bowl my normal 10 and 11 pound balls. I had to wearily bowl a 9 pound, which is the smallest ball they allow adults to bowl with. It wasn't a problem except I was so off balance with everything my score was cut in half. I kept trying my luck with the heavier balls, but I stopped after one point where I just sat down and pushed the ball down the lane.
It was a weird fatigue, nothing major. Just felt odd because of the weakness.
And since then I've had balance problems that eventually led to the last few days of drop foot. It's made me recieve a number of looks and comments from fellow workers. Basically if I'm not over-compensating for it by marching everywhere, I look like I'm drunk.... or drunk marching. It's been interesting, but it's keepin my balance and feet from dragging that's more on my mind than any comment.
It was worse on Tuesday when my legs felt like they were asleep... it's more so in my right leg.
I'm in debate about a chiropractor or not for this job.
It was a weird fatigue, nothing major. Just felt odd because of the weakness.
And since then I've had balance problems that eventually led to the last few days of drop foot. It's made me recieve a number of looks and comments from fellow workers. Basically if I'm not over-compensating for it by marching everywhere, I look like I'm drunk.... or drunk marching. It's been interesting, but it's keepin my balance and feet from dragging that's more on my mind than any comment.
It was worse on Tuesday when my legs felt like they were asleep... it's more so in my right leg.
I'm in debate about a chiropractor or not for this job.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Memories
Today I was reminded of a very old and very painful sadness. It's weird. I sit in the office talking to my dr., and all the sad memories I bring up and am almost on tears about don't hurt and make me feel the way this one does. He's an aweful person that I miss. And it puts an aweful feeling in my life. I suddenly have a waive of depression worse than, and different than, any other. I think it's worse because how it makes me feel. I don't want to stop thinking about it, as much as I know I need to to get out of the funk it's set me in.
I mean, I was having a perfectly great day, when all of a sudden a face came up on my computer screen that, in spite of not seeing for years, I knew so well. I cannot describe my pain for him as anything other than sadness. Immediately questions of "why?" explode in my mind, almost to fast to catch them, but then they all barrage me and leave wounds so deep I don't think any answer another person would give would heal them.
I mean, I was having a perfectly great day, when all of a sudden a face came up on my computer screen that, in spite of not seeing for years, I knew so well. I cannot describe my pain for him as anything other than sadness. Immediately questions of "why?" explode in my mind, almost to fast to catch them, but then they all barrage me and leave wounds so deep I don't think any answer another person would give would heal them.
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