My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 022822B

It’s Monday February 28 and a great day to cure Multiple Sclerosis. I have MS and it is something I would not wish on anyone. Today marks two weeks since I started asking for sponsors for the MS Walk in Dallas. My goal is $10,000. So far, I have raised $5970.00 - AMAZING - almost 60% of my goal.

If you have not donated, please consider sponsoring me this year. Help me reach my goal - Help me get to $10,000.

Support me and make a donation to the Dallas MS Walk by clicking the link below. Check to see if your company will match your donation as well.

https://mssociety.donordrive.com/participant/71804

I would like to thank the following people for your incredibly generous donations:

Matt Roush

Janet Jeffery Harrison and Bob Harrison

Renee C. Love

Greg Nipper

Pam Brown

Eunice Hiott Blain

Cathy Harrison Graves

Tricia Sluder Witherspoon

Kenneth George Janous

Lynn Harrelson Palazzo

Craig Wilbanks and Monty Kehl

Peggy Love Dickson

Hannah Randee Knight

Barry Wakeling

Bud Jones and Suzanne Jones

Jan Sweigart and Dick Sweigart

Becca Wheeler

Nan Mitchell and David Mitchell

Shannon Brown

Richard Kahn and Barry Pierce

Jane Scott Shererer

SueAnna Newsome McPhail

Donnie and Mary Jane Shuler

Teri Andrews Carpenter

Jacey Lett

Suzanne Shumway Loftis

Carrie Jones Beatty

Michele Gough and Andy Gough and family

Bertice Teague Robinson

Melinda and Melvin McKeown

Bruce and Blanche Kelly Bryant

Chris Williams and David Watson

I thank you in advance for your love and support. I Love You All.

-AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 022822

Good Morning, Possums, from the Celebrity Suite of the Wyndemere Condominiums on Turtle Creek. Today is Monday, February 28.

Happy Birthday to:

Harold Boot

RJ Jessie

Amy Phinney

Time to kick off another work week but where did the weekend go?   That one went by quickly, but I guess they all do.  Nevertheless, it’s going to be s partly cloudy day in Big D with a high a 63 - not too bad.

I thought yesterday was going to be a fairly lazy Sunday after church, but that all changed.  I was feeling my oats a little bit and decided that I would run a few errands.  So, I got dressed and I decided I felt steady and strong enough to use my walker instead of my wheelchair.

I made my way down to my car, loaded my walker and made my first stop - the bank.  No problem!  I went on to my second stop, the grocery store, to pick up my prescriptions at the drive up/walk up window.  The window was closed which meant I had to go in.  It’s a bit of a long journey to go in and pick up my meds vs. using the window.  But I decided I could do it.  I was slow and it took a while but I did it.

When I got back to my car, a nice gentlemen stopped and helped me load my walker - there are good people out there - I got inside, started the car, turned on the A/C - I was done and I was whipped.  That little trip inside the store wore me out.  But Finally - a victory against my multiple sclerosis; at least I that’s what I called it.  When I got home, I unloaded my walker, got up stairs, took off my shoes and took a nap.  It was AWESOME!

I know that may not sound like much at all, but a little win like that means everything and gives me hope that I can still improve and will improve doing things in my every day life.  Plus, I am stubborn as hell, so there’s that.

Only one meeting today so I hope to get a lot of work done.  What do you have planned 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 when appropriate

...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.  -AJ

My Life with Multiplee Sclerosis 022722

Good Morning, Possums, from the Celebrity Suite of the Wyndemere Condominiums on Turtle Creek. Today is Sunday, February 27.

Happy Birthday to:

Lisa Plemmons Dissington

Nick Tullock

Laura Crockett Curnes (May she rest in peace)

It’s a beautiful, sunny day in Dallas with a high of 55 degrees. Nothing on my calendar but church and a little work. I may go to PSSA softball uniform night, but navigating a walker or wheelchair in that crowd may be a little too much.

I went out yesterday to meet a few friends (and to get out of my house - I was getting cabin fever). As I was on my way out to head back home, someone stopped me, someone I have never met, and said, “Are you Andy?” - I said “yes,” and she said, “I am one of your possums.” I said, “Thank you so much” and went to on to my car. I had absolutely no idea what the hell she meant. When I got home and thought about it I realized she reads my daily posts to here or my MS Blog.

Who knew? I really have Possums!

I’m moving around better today so I think I may go for a walk when it warms up a bit more. I have dollars to add to my Multiple Sclerosis fundraising total too, so I will post that later this afternoon as well as THANK YOU to all the people that have supported me.

What do you have planned 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 when appropriate

...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. -AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 022622b

It's Saturday AND a great day to help find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. I have multiple sclerosis and would not wish it on anyone. I have had more doctor's appointments and taken more pills than I thought I ever would and walking is incredibly difficult. More importantly, all of this really cuts into my social time.

Help me reach my goal of $10,000 - I am over half way there. Click the link below to sponsor me in the 2022 MS Dallas Walk for a cure. Thank you for your generosity and support.

https://mssociety.donordrive.com/participant/71804

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 022622

Good Morning, Possums, from the Celebrity Suite of the Wyndemere Condominiums on Turtle Creek. Today is Saturday, February 26.

No birthdays on my calendar today.

It’s a cold, cloudy day in Big D today with a decent chance of rain. The temperature looks like it may bounce around a bit; in the mid-to-low 30’s all day. I plan on being at home all day. Walking is still a bit difficult but a little better after the PLEX.

Yesterday was a bit rough. I went to PLEX early - at 7:30am and my body did not approve. It did not want to take the new plasma at first - well, for the first 20 minutes. But it finally caved, behaved and the new plasma was well-received. We had to go at a lower speed, but it got done!

Unfortunately, the first part was a bit stressful on my body and I fell asleep and missed several folks (nurses/staff) who came by to say hello. Oh well - there’s always next Friday.

I’m going to throw a roast, carrots, potatoes and onions in the crockpot and let it cook all day. I’ve got some work to do and maybe, well probably, an afternoon nap.

What do you have planned today / this weekend?

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 when appropriate

...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. -AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 022522

Good Morning, Possums, from the Celebrity Suite of the Wyndemere Condominiums on Turtle Creek. Today is Friday, February 25.

No birthdays on my calendar today.

Its FRIDAY! WOO WHOO! We made it through the week and I, for one, am very grateful. I do not have a lot going on this weekend and I am OK with that.

Yesterday, the arctic air really smacked me down, well, my legs down, and walking has been extremely difficult. Luckily, the UT Southwestern SPA and Resort called and requested a schedule change. So, I am going in for my PLEX in about 45 minutes. It should help some, but I will be inside in my warm home for the weekend.

That's OK - I need to get a little work done. I think the right thing to do is wake up tomorrow morning, pull out the crock pot and throw in a roast, and some potatoes, carrots and onions and slow cook that thing all day long while I work.

Or I could R&B (Rest and Binge) and order in - decisions, decisions.

What do you have planned today / this weekend?

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 when appropriate

...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. -AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 022422

 
Good Morning, Possums, from the Celebrity Suite of the Wyndemere Condominiums on Turtle Creek. Today is Thursday, February 24.

Happy Birthday to:  

Chloé Jones

Happy Friday Eve! It is a balmy 24 degrees in Dallas, TX this morning with a high of 34 degrees. But it won’t reach that until 6pm…and after it rains all morning and freezes. At least that’s what the meteorologist is saying on TV. It’s not raining yet, so maybe it will pass us over. Who can say?

Not a big deal for me (so far). I still have power (so far) and can work at home as usual and I only have 3 meetings today so not too bad. I hope everyone stays warm or has a warm place to ride this out. 

On the MS front, this snap of cold weather has my legs pretty stiff. They do not hurt, but it’s like walking with legs made of concrete - so I try not to walk. My neuropathy seems to be under control and I have PLEX tomorrow too, so I am grateful for that.
It’s the little joys and blessings MS has bestowed upon me - LOL.

What do you have planned 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 when appropriate
...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. -AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 022322

Good Morning, Possums, from the Celebrity Suite of the Wyndemere Condominiums on Turtle Creek. Today is Wednesday, February 23.

Happy Birthday to:

Evelyn Correll

Christina Sanchez

Brenda Brandon

It’s Hump Day!  We made it half way through the week.  It’s a cold, cloudy day today,  The temperature is currently 32 and is slowly dropping into the 20’s.  The wintery ‘stuff’ is on the way.  It starts this afternoon and goes through tomorrow.  The high doesn’t go above freezing until tomorrow late afternoon.

I’ll be inside where I (hopefully) will keep power and it’s heated.  This storm won’t be so much ‘a pretty snow’ as it will be an annoyance - all ice, freezing rain and sleet on and off for 24 hours (unless the forecast has changed again).  But as long as I have power I can still get my work done - and I have lots of deadlines coming up.

One week from today is Ash Wednesday.  Many Christian denominations  emphasize making a Lenten sacrifice, as well as fasting during the season of Lent and in particular, on its first day, Ash Wednesday.  For those of you that recognize Ash Wednesday and participate in the recognition of the day, are you ready?

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.  -AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 022222

Good Morning, Possums, from the Celebrity Suite of the Wyndemere Condominiums on Turtle Creek. Today is Tuesday, February 22.

Happy Birthday to:

Cindy Jones Knight

Elex Blaylock

Lance McNeil

It’s a cool, partly cloudy day in Dallas today.  Currently, the temperature is 67 degrees but it’s just going to drop from there.  Another little icy event is upon us.  I’m just going to stay inside until this blows over.  My power stayed on for the last one.  I hope I am lucky again this time - we’ll find out tomorrow night and Thursday.

There is nothing on my work calendar today - no meetings or anything.  Time to get a little work done.  I am getting around fairly well today too.  Today can’t be that easy.  In the back of my mind, I want to sit quietly and wait for the other shoe to drop.  But I’m not going to live my life being scared of MS or a quiet day on my work calendar (odd as that may be).  It’s a four-day work week!  Let’s do this!

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.  -AJ

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 022122

Good Morning, Possums, from the Celebrity Suite of the Wyndemere Condominiums on Turtle Creek. Today is Monday, February 21. Happy Belated Birthday to: Charles Urich Eunice Hiott Blain Jeff Sams (May he rest in peace) Happy Birthday to: Ben Anderson David Hensley Beth Welch Colton King Isabel Marquez Kelly Rentzel Kenneth George Janous I had a Church Board of Trustees meeting yesterday, which took most of the day, so I took a day off from social media and posting. It’s going to be a cloudy day in Big D today with a high of 75 degrees - we may get a little rain too. We are building up to our 40 degree temperature drop on Wednesday evening and a threat of a wintry mix Wednesday night, so be sure and buy plenty of bottled water, toilet paper, meat, caramel corn and cheese puffs for that one night the temperature us going to drop (FYI: that was a joke). It is President’s Day (I thought every day was President’s Day) and I have the day off from work. I am thinking a mani / pedi may be in order since I didn’t go last weekend and these claws and hooves are out of control. Then I think I may R&B (Rest and Binge) Yellowstone. My mom and dad have officially gotten me hooked on it. On the MS front, I am actually walking better, slowly, but better today. Last week was rough and I’m not sure why. I have physical therapy at 6:30am so we shall see exactly how mobile I am. I think I may be up for a nice walk this morning - inside (I need climate control). My feet are not swollen any more either. Last week, my left foot was once again a cankle; even my right foot was puffy and it was slightly painful to stand / walk. But as of yesterday, they are two normal looking feet that desperately need a pedicure. Once again, the inexplicable joys and blessings of multiple sclerosis! What’s on your schedule today / this weekend? 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. -AJ 

My Life with Multiple Sclerosis 021922

Good Morning, Possums, from the Celebrity Suite of the Wyndemere Condominiums on Turtle Creek. Today is Saturday, February 19.

Happy Birthday to:

SueAnna Newsome McPhail

It is Saturday - the first day of a three-day weekend. Sadly, mom and dad leave today to go back to their lives in SC - as well they should. They have the cutest great grand-baby to spoil (see picture below - she is adorable).

They did, however, go to PLEX with me yesterday and meet my crew at UT Southwestern; Mimi, Nancy, Anthony, Joann, Marty and my favorite, Shay. Christopher, Bridgette and Laura Leigh weren’t available but all of these other guys came by and said hello to them which I greatly appreciated. I kid you not - nicest nurses in the universe.

I was pretty wiped, as usual, after that. But we had another great surprise. My friend, @Carol Margo, from Texas A&M (that I lived with when I first moved to Dallas) brought dinner over last night and we a great evening visiting with her.

The extreme shifts in temperature is having a blast with my MS and, in turn, my MS is smacking my legs around like nobody’s business. They just don’t work well (or do what I tell them to, when I tell them to) in these temperature fluctuations. This does not bode well for me this week as it is going to be 80 degrees on Monday and 35 degrees on Wednesday.

The joys and blessing of multiple sclerosis (and Texas weather) - LOL!

Dad is cooking breakfast this morning and I am completely OK with that. I don’t have much going on over the weekend - just a little work and a church board meeting tomorrow. I guess I will R&B (Rest & Binge; similar to ‘Netflix and Chill’ but includes Hulu, HBO Max, Prime and all the others).

What’s on your schedule today / this weekend?

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. -AJ