My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 123121

Good Morning, Possums, from the Celebrity Suite of the UT Southwestern Hospital.  Today is Friday, December 31.

Happy Birthday to:

Anna Nielsen

Donny Perry

Jeremy W. Smith

Sam Crz

Sandy Steele Pursley

Holiday Countdown:

01 Day until 2022

Today is the last day of 2021. While it has been full of its challenges, it has been full of kindness, growth, family friendship, support and Love.

While COVID has dominated the headlines for the last two years (and look likes it may dominate 2022 as well), MS has dominated my life.  As I sit here in the hospital, my 4th stay this year, I can’t begin to thank you for all the love, prayers, strength, kind words and support you have sent my way!  

My only resolutions for the new year:

#1 - get my MS under control.  While this new treatment does not seem to be working, my next step is entering the Stem Cell Study.  You have two have failed two disease modifying therapies to qualify…I now qualify!

#2 - give back all of the love, kindness and support shown to me.  It may take a while but I fully intend to!

So - goodbye 2021 and hello 2022.   Be careful and be safe tonight and Happy New Years Eve.

I have an hour of high octane steroids today and tomorrow being infused into my body as well as fresh frozen plasma.  And I get discharged tomorrow morning.  YAY!

What's on your schedule today?

Anyhoozle, I hope you all have a wonderful day and whatever you do today and every day, do it with kindness in your heart. The world is full of kind people. If you can’t find one, be one!  And as always:

...wear a mask

...be kind and compassionate to one another

...dance/sing/laugh it out. It might not help but it sure as hell couldn't hurt. 

Peace, Love and Blessings to you all and Happy New Years Eve -AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 122821

Good Morning from the Celebrity Suite of my Parent's House in South Carolina. Today is Tuesday, December 28

Happy Birthday to:

Jan Tickle

Marty Grant

Scott Reister

Holiday Countdown:

04 Days until 2022

National Card Playing Day on December 28th encourages us to invite our friends to deal out a hand and play a game or two.

In the 9th century, the Chinese began developing games using money and other paper objects. These early playing cards bear no resemblance to the sturdier European playing cards that emerged a few centuries later.

My best card-playing buds are right here in York, SC - you know who you are!

Happy National Card Playing Day!

Well, I'm headed back to Texas from South Carolina this afternoon. I cannot believe I have been here almost three weeks. But it has been a FANTASTIC three weeks visiting with family, friends, neighbors, my church family.....everyone! As much as I could stay another week or two, I need to get back to work and my condo and more importantly, my neurologist.

Walking today is extremely difficult. Getting my plasma exchange on Thursday seems so far away, but it will be here soon enough. As much as I dread my MRI on Wednesday, 1/19, it's necessary to find out what is going on inside my body, what MS is doing to me and figure out how we can stop it.

So - time to pack up, head to Dallas and get some answers!

What's on your schedule today?

Anyhoozle, I hope you all have a wonderful day and whatever you do today and every day, do it with kindness in your heart. The world is full of kind people. If you can’t find one, be one! And as always:

...wear a mask

...be kind and compassionate to one another

...dance/sing/laugh it out. It might not help but it sure as hell couldn't hurt.

Peace, Love and Blessings to you all and Happy Holidays -AJ 

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 122721

Good Morning from the Celebrity Suite of my Parent's House in South Carolina. Today is Monday, December 27.

No Birthdays on my calendar today.

Holiday Countdown:

05 Days until 2022

Across the United States, fruitcake lovers young and old, commemorate National Fruitcake Day each year on December 27th. Oddly enough, it is after Christmas.

Made with chopped candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices and sometimes soaked in spirits, fruitcake has been a holiday gift-giving tradition for many years.

While I am not big on the fruit-brick, to each his / her / their own.

Happy National Fruitcake Day!

It's gonna be a partly cloudy day and 70 degrees in the Palmetto State today. I've got laundry to do and I will pack in the morning. I fly back to Dallas tomorrow afternoon. I cannot believe I have been here almost three weeks. The down time and time away from work has been fanatastic and much-needed. The time with my family, neighbors and friends has been much-needed as well.

But I need to get back to Dallas, back to work and back to my neurologist. It's time to get my MS under control. It feels like it has been running rampant through my body for two years and that needs to stop.

Regardless of how sucky MS is (not just to me but anyone blessed with it), am I the luckiest and most-blessed person around to have the family, neighbors, church families and friends that I have in South Carolina, Texas and all over.

What's on your schedule today?

Anyhoozle, I hope you all have a wonderful day and whatever you do today and every day, do it with kindness in your heart. The world is full of kind people. If you can’t find one, be one! And as always:

...wear a mask

...be kind and compassionate to one another

...dance/sing/laugh it out. It might not help but it sure as hell couldn't hurt.

Peace, Love and Blessings to you all and Happy Holidays -AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 122621

Good Morning from the Celebrity Suite of my Parent's House in South Carolina. Today is Sunday, December 26. Happy Birthday to: Christi Greene

Timothy Davis Toni Carreon Blumenthal Holiday Countdown: 06 Days until 2022 Today is the first day of Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture that is held from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually held on the 6th day. It was created by Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of Africa, including West and Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966. Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their households with objects of art, colorful African cloth such as kente, especially the wearing of kaftans by women, and fresh fruits that represent African idealism. It is customary to include children in Kwanzaa ceremonies and to give respect and gratitude to ancestors. The holiday greeting is "Joyous Kwanzaa". Joyous Kwanzaa!

It's warming up in the Palmetto State - the high today is 76. Not much on the schedule today. Christmas decorations will begin to go back in the boxes and Christmas will disappear until next September when the malls begin to decorate and the commercials will gradually begin on television. One thing mom and I 100% agree upon is when Christmas is over (12/26), the decorations go away. LOL My MS decided to rear its ugly head last Thursday - nothing major, just a flare up, not a relapse. It's affecting my walking (just my left leg) and my grip. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to ruin Christmas. I thought about going back early, but I am trying to stick to my schedule. I fly back to Dallas on Tuesday, I have an appointment with my Neurologist on Wednesday morning and I have plasma exchange already scheduled for Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning - I scheduled it before I left for SC. But something tells me there's going to be some high octane steroids involved as well. As much as I would like this current treatment to work, I am not sure that it is. If it is not working, I will qualify for the Stem Cell Study. But I won't know for sure until after my next MRI which is scheduled for January 19, 2022. What's on your schedule today? Anyhoozle, I hope you all have a wonderful day and whatever you do today and every day, do it with kindness in your heart. The world is full of kind people. If you can’t find one, be one! And as always: ...wear a mask ...be kind and compassionate to one another ...dance/sing/laugh it out. It might not help but it sure as hell couldn't hurt. Peace, Love and Blessings to you all and Happy Holidays -AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 122521

Good Morning from the Celebrity Suite of my Parent's House in South Carolina. Today is Saturday, December 25 - Christmas Day.

Happy Birthday to:

Lisa Daniel Jacobs

Holiday Countdown:

01 Days until Kwanzaa

07 Days until 2022

Every year on December 25th, over 2 billion people around the world celebrate Christmas Day. Traditionally, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Nonreligious people and those of different faiths celebrate the day as a cultural event.

Also known as Christmas Day, this holiday is derived from the Old English Crīstesmæsse which means Christ’s Mass. Today, Christmas is a public holiday in most countries. Only about a dozen countries do not recognize Christmas as a public holiday. Christmas traditions vary around the world and have evolved over time. They borrow from other traditions and cultures, too. Over time, beliefs and customs blended as peoples migrated and attitudes changed.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Lots of excitement in the air today - family breakfast - exchanging gifts - big lunch - afternoon nap - it's going to be a full day. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all.

What's on your schedule today?

Anyhoozle, I hope you all have a wonderful day and whatever you do today and every day, do it with kindness in your heart. The world is full of kind people. If you can’t find one, be one! And as always:

...wear a mask

...be kind and compassionate to one another

...dance/sing/laugh it out. It might not help but it sure as hell couldn't hurt.

Peace, Love and Blessings to you all and Happy Holidays -AJ 

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 122421

Good Morning from the Celebrity Suite of my Parent's House in South Carolina. Today is Friday, December 24.

Happy Birthday to:

Noel Rivero

Holiday Countdown:

01 Days until Christmas

02 Days until Kwanzaa

08 Days until 2022

It's Christmas Eve! Christmas Eve on December 24 kicks off a series of holiday traditions. Some are ancient practices with a modern spin, while others date back hundreds of years.

Christmas Eve is filled with both religious and nonreligious traditions. Religious traditions center around the birth of Jesus. Different denominations have their own traditions. On Christmas Eve Roman Catholics and Anglicans hold Midnight Mass. Lutherans celebrate with candlelight services and Christmas carols. Many evangelical churches hold evening services where families celebrate Holy Communion.

Around the world, Christmas Eve is celebrated with a variety of foods. In Italy, they celebrate the Feast of Seven Fishes. Russians traditionally serve a 12-dish Christmas Eve Supper before opening gifts. Meanwhile, in Bulgaria, the Christmas Eve meal consists of an odd number of meatless dishes.

Besides food and religious services, the holiday is when Santa Clause takes to the sky in his sleigh to deliver Christmas gifts around the world. Other names for the white-bearded man in a red suit include Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, and Saint Nicholas. No matter what he is called, the legend of Santa is based on a real-life man named Saint Nicholas of Myra. The early Christian bishop was known for secret gift-giving, as well as many miracles. Through the years, the legend of Santa grew to include the North Pole, a sleigh driven by reindeer, a naughty or nice list, and his jolly laugh, “ho, ho, ho.”

Happy Christmas Eve!

It's warming up in the Carolinas. It's going to hit 60 today and be mostly cloudy. I had a great visit with an old friend last evening (Beth Sherer Durham). It was very nice of her to make time to see me during her quick and busy trip home.

This morning, we will make preparations for breakfast tomorrow morning and that's about it. My niece, nephew and niece-in-law are making dinner for everyone tonight after we go to Christmas Eve service. It should be a fairly relaxing day.

MS continues to try and NOT be ignored - it does not take a break for the holidays. But I will be back in Dallas on Tuesday of next week. I see my neurologist on Wednesday and I am getting fresh, frozen plasma (bless you, whomever donated the plasma) on Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning. It's not necessarily the ideal way to spend New Years Eve, but it's a trade off with being able to walk, write my name, etc...

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone!

What's on your schedule today?

Anyhoozle, I hope you all have a wonderful day and whatever you do today and every day, do it with kindness in your heart. The world is full of kind people. If you can’t find one, be one! And as always:

...wear a mask

...be kind and compassionate to one another

...dance/sing/laugh it out. It might not help but it sure as hell couldn't hurt.

Peace, Love and Blessings to you all and Happy Holidays -AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 122321

Good Morning from the Celebrity Suite of my Parent's House in South Carolina. Today is Thursday, December 23.

Happy Birthday to:

Nan Mitchell

Holiday Countdown:

02 Days until Christmas

03 Days until Kwanzaa

09 Days until 2022

Happy National Regifting Day! Each year on the Thursday before Christmas, people across the United States participate in National Re-gifting Day. The day acknowledges the office parties and the unique Christmas gift exchanges that they do. This particular December Thursday appears to be the most common day for companies to hold their annual employee/company Holiday parties.

As a method of recycling, it is believed that regifting is becoming more popular, for that reason alone. Riiiiiiiight! That's why I do it. Wait - no - I never regift, but if I did, it would be for the environment.

Happy National Regifting Day!

It's a chilly, sunny day in the Palmetto state today. I've already been to the ER to get my dressing changed and port cleaned this morning - the blessings of having MS! LOL. Nothing else on my calendar today - just take it easy and hang out with the family and an afternoon nap - that sounds great.

What's on your schedule today?

Anyhoozle, I hope you all have a wonderful day and whatever you do today and every day, do it with kindness in your heart. The world is full of kind people. If you can’t find one, be one! And as always:

...wear a mask

...be kind and compassionate to one another

...dance/sing/laugh it out. It might not help but it sure as hell couldn't hurt.

Peace, Love and Blessings to you all and Happy Holidays -AJ 

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 122221

Good Morning from the Celebrity Suite of my Parent's House in South Carolina. Today is Wednesday, December 22.

No Birthdays on my calendar today.

Holiday Countdown:

03 Days until Christmas

04 Days until Kwanzaa

10 Days until 2022

National Date Nut Bread Day on December 22nd delivers a baker’s delight to celebrate. Incidentally, some sources also suggest the day is celebrated on September 8th, too.

You go, Bakers. Happy National Date Nut Bread Day!

It's a chilly, sunny Carolina morning and someone put Bailey's in my mornimng coffee....again! We had some friends over last night and it was nice to see all of them. I have some more friends coming over this morning and then others this afternoon and that's it for today. I see some lame Christmas movies in my future.

COVID is running rampant and putting a damper on everything. I have an overwhelming fear we are going to be on lockdown again but it's probably just me being paranoid.

What's on your schedule today?

Anyhoozle, I hope you all have a wonderful day and whatever you do today and every day, do it with kindness in your heart. The world is full of kind people. If you can’t find one, be one! And as always:

...wear a mask

...be kind and compassionate to one another

...dance/sing/laugh it out. It might not help but it sure as hell couldn't hurt.

Peace, Love and Blessings to you all and Happy Holidays -AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 122121

Good Morning from the Celebrity Suite of my Parent's House in South Carolina. Today is Tuesday, December 21.

Happy Birthday to:

Dave Nelson

Grady Callaway

Joey Levi

Michael Deen

Holiday Countdown:

04 Days until Christmas

05 Days until Kwanzaa

11 Days until 2022

Happy Winter Solstice! The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It occurs annually between December 20th and December 23rd.

The winter solstice is marked by the point at which the North Pole is at its farthest from the sun during its yearly orbit around the sun. Despite the temperature outside, the winter solstice is considered the astronomical beginning of winter.

Depending on how far north a person is in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter, their day can range from 9.5 hours to absolutely no sunrise at all. On the bright side, the days will gradually become longer in the Northern Hemisphere until the summer solstice in June.

Happy Winter Solstice! I hope the grid problem is fixed in Texas...then we would only have to fix the problem in the Governor's office - HA!

It's a cloudy, chilly and potentially rainy day in the Palmetto State today. Nothing big on my calendar today - having some friends over tonight for a bit and I am looking forward to seeing them all.

I got to visit with my oldest friend in the world, Leigh Sherer Boyd. Friends for 52 years - I was 4 and she was 3. I mean, friends for 32 years - I was 4 and she was 3.

My MS seems to be behaving so far today. My new meds have really helped. I can tell a big difference.

What's on your schedule today / this week?

Anyhoozle, I hope you all have a wonderful day and whatever you do today and every day, do it with kindness in your heart. The world is full of kind people. If you can’t find one, be one! And as always:

...wear a mask

...be kind and compassionate to one another

...dance/sing/laugh it out. It might not help but it sure as hell couldn't hurt.

Peace, Love and Blessings to you all and Happy Holidays -AJ