Didn't even think this could happen!

Of course if it has anything to do with muscles, M.S. can and does toss a huge monkey wrench into living life. Dealing with changes M.S. continually forces me to make, I'll bottled it up inside, not sharing it with anyone. Yes my silly pride still gets in my way. Thinking I could hide it by not speaking unless I had to, using two to four words answers this worked for a while when it stopped. Using every trick I knew to prevent people from noticing. Go as far as blaming people for not listening to me! The last time I said that to Jane, she got an odd look on her face and said “I don’t understand you, it sounds like your talking in a different language!” As she said it the feelings of guilt washed over me. Finally telling Jane everything, it had started back in July, with my words coming out in the wrong order, to the point where my words coming out more as sounds than words! No I did not have a stroke! It’s my M.S. slowly progressing. The tongue is made up of whole bunch of muscles and it’s also an organ. Any hoot! The muscles of my tongue are being affected by M.S. fatigue and spasticity so they’re not working right or as a team most of the time. I'm able to talk it just takes longer to get my words out, in a way that people can understand me. The longer I talk the harder it is to speak clearly. It’s another adjustment in the long list of adjustments I've had to make because of M.S. I admit this is the hardest adjustment I've had to make by far. As always I’ll continue to find ways to work around and within my ever changing limitations.

After many years of talking on the phone, for far too long with many different people M.S. has quieted and calmed my long windiness. Not really a bad thing because, I tend to talk way too much anyway. As with most of the ability M.S. has taken, I've learned new ways of doing what I want to keep doing. With this one I've noticed how much emotion, comes from the words people use or maybe it's because I wasn't paying attention. Yep, over time I do seem to find a positive way of looking at the adjustments, I've had to make as I travel through my life. There are more than enough negatives in life, I choose not to hold on to them too long. That's all!

The training with Nacho is going great, he now understands the hand signs, the noise I make as well as the number of clicks of most of the commands used on his walks. Very glad he's a smart dog or he would be pulling me around and down on our walk's

This is the look I get from Nacho when it's time to play!

He still is a puppy!

Happy Thanksgiving to eveyone

I have a great deal to be thankful for today, my family and friends. Our new buddy Nacho who is such a joy and yes I’ll be glad when he grows out of the puppy stage. With so many of our service members coming home and rejoining their families, welcome home we are all very proud of you and thank you for your service.

Now I want to share a bit of good news, I’m sure many people may disagree and that’s okay. The Heath Care reform act is the law of the land. At the V.A. hospital the horror stories about waiting for hours even when you have an appointment to see a doctor, having to wait for months to get an appointment is gone. How did this change? The V.A. has been asking for a new computer system since the mid 80’s, finally it came from the health care reform law. The V.A. hospital and Health care system, nationwide received the new computer system at first it was a bit messy. What it’s done by reducing fraud and stoped double dipping and paid for it's self. Has stream lined operations and the horror of wasting the whole day for one appointment is gone, as is waiting three months to get in. Now my doctor can and does email me to get my tests done before I see them saving a visit and has the results before I see them. Arriving for my appointment I've been called in before or on time. Even with the budget cuts made to the V.A. I still get great care, with this one tool the V.A. has become a leaner care giving team, like the hero's it serves.

I do believe if people are given the right tools, they will do great things. There are some people that only look at what's in it for them. From the old we can learn that history is lived, understanding if we don't learn it's lessens we will repeat the same mistakes again. As for sick and broken of which I'm one, are we a waste of space and time, just a drain on the system not worth saving. If so to heck with you! For without these groups of people, the break through's in learning how the human body, mind and the brain work's or how to fix it. Not long ago it was stated that humans only use 10% of our brains and the rest was just storage.  There is still so much that is unknown.