Just a quick note as things have been very busy this week (I can't believe it is Thursday already....where has the time gone?) Do you ever feel like you are running in circles? That is the kind of week I am having. I am hoping, however, that I will get some time to just relax this weekend. That would be nice.

Okay, so the real reason I am here! I wanted to let you all know of a couple things......

The Everybody Falls CD Event is coming VERY soon. It is March 2nd in New York City at the Guest House. I would like to encourage anyone who lives in the New York area to go to this wonderful event. I can't stress how important it is to help support the MSAA. This is a wonderful organization that helps people with Multiple Sclerosis and they need your help! A full 90% of the proceeds of the CD is going directly to the MSAA (which turns around and goes directly to people with MS). Also, please note that the MSAA has a new website. The new site address is http://www.msassociation.org/.

The other thing I wanted to let you know about is that if you have not already done so, please check out Trevis' blog. He had an audio broadcast earlier that is very much worth a listen! The topic was MS Progression: Can it be slowed? and along with Trevis hosting the program, there are two MS specialists talking about MS progression. This is something that is of course on the back of everyone's mind who has MS (at least at one point or another) and so I would encourage each of you to tune in.

I hope that all of you are having a good week. As soon as I get a free minute, I will be around to check in on each of you. Take care and have a good weekend!

With all my trips to Seattle over the past year I am starting to think I should invest in a second home there, lol. Okay, not really. I am headed back to Seattle in the morning however, and I am hopeful that it will be a very productive visit.

First off I have a doctor's appointment. I have a new specialist to add to my very long list of medical providers. I am seeing an Endocrinologist and I am hopeful that he will be able to help me sort some things out. It will be nice to have someone managing the NASH again and hopefully he will also have some ideas as to how to help jump start the old metabolism. I have been wondering if there is something else I could possibly be doing. I have a wonderful team of doctors, a nutrition specialist, and have even worked with personal trainers....still no luck. Not to mention I am overdue to have my thyroid looked at. My appointment is at 10:40, which means I will be leaving home bright and early....about 6am in order to allow for plenty of time to get there.

Next I have an appointment up at Pikes Place Market...which should not take long. Then I will be heading over to the NMSS offices where I will be picking up stuff for the MS Walk, Dinner for Two program in Sunnyside, and Men's Poker Night in Richland. My main purpose for being there however is to work on the Women's Wellness Retreat. I have really enjoyed being a part of the planning committee for this retreat and think that a lot of women will benefit because of it. If nothing else it should be a nice weekend where we can all come together, hear from some wonderful speakers, and have time to relax.

I hope that each of you have an equally productive Friday and a wonderful start to the weekend. Take care!

It's Valentines Day! A day celebrated all over the world where candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged as a sign of ones love to another. Well, that is unless you are single. Most of the year it does not bother me that I am single. I am comfortable with most aspects of my life and let's face it, for the last few years I have just had too many other things going on to try and focus on a relationship.

This time of year, however, reminds me of what could possibly be. Of course one day I would love to get married....it is just not something that usually crosses my mind. I guess after my divorce and then struggling with my health, that thought was placed on the back burner. Like many of us I figured I would have a lot of time, that I never needed to worry about it. And, I am still young.....at 30 years old I should not have to worry, right?

The thing is when you have an illness like MS you do tend to wonder. It can be hard enough to find the right person, but when you have an illness that can be even more of a challenge. I would hope that people could be mature about the subject, but then again....how do you approach the topic "I have MS". Do you tell people right away? Anyone who knows me knows that I am pretty much an open book (would I have a blog if I wasn't?) and seeing how so much of my life is now dedicated to MS, it would be difficult not to disclose that.

Over the last 11 months of having my blog, I have read entries from so many of you who struggle with your relationships because of the way MS impacts that relationship. So, I am curious how all of you who are single and in the dating world have dealt with the challenges that come into play when trying to find Mr./Mrs. Right. And, for those of you who are married, give us single MS'ers some advice on how you keep a healthy and happy relationship despite the challenges that can come from this illness.

I hope each one of you have a wonderful Valentine's Day! Take care. :)

*For a slideshow of photos click on the picture off to the side!*

Advocacy Conference was a great success! Or, at least it is my feeling that it was seeing how there were so many of us who showed up last Friday at the capital to talk to the representatives in our districts. I am especially proud of our group! Little ol' Tri-cities (let me tell you...compared to the western part of the state, the Tri-cities is not very big....and I think we just may have been the only group from the eastern side of the state as well....don't quote me on that though). Anyway...back to the point. There were 17 of us (14 with MS) who traveled to Olympia. :)

The trip started for us Thursday morning. We loaded the bus and traveled the 5 hours to Olympia where we then checked into our hotel rooms. That evening we heard from several speakers, which included Rep. Dennis Flannigan, Nick Federici, Ruth Cashell, Trevis Gleason, and our Governor, Christine Gregoire. I was especially encouraged to hear from the Governor as she spoke about health care issues. Trevis is a hoot! (You may recognize his name because he also has a blog....HealthTalk) I also got to meet some other people that I have talked to, either through working as an Ambassador or through the internet, but had never met in person....so that was great fun! Plus it was nice to see some of the girls from Seattle that I work with on various projects from time to time, but don't get to see (being on the eastern side of the mountains I just talk to them on the phone or we email a lot). lol

Friday was the big day at the capital and I think the traveling did me in a bit. After some breakfast the group of us (there must have been 150 of us total from all over the state) loaded up on several buses wearing orange scarves with the NMSS logo on it headed for the capital. Once there we then split up according to our districts and got to business. Not before taking a few pictures in front of the capital first though!

Two of three of our Representatives were to be there so that is not bad! First off we went to find Shirley Hankins. She was wonderful. She spoke to our whole group about a variety of issues.....ranging from the issues in session to our personal problems and how the issues affected us. She must have spent a good two hours with us. For those of us that had specific concerns she even took down names, addresses, and phone numbers. Then a few of us went to track down Larry Haler. We were told we were not going to be able to speak to him, but we wanted to see if we could catch him. We did! He only had a few minutes but spent some time talking directly with us and listening what we had to say. He was very attentive....they both were and for that I am appreciative.

So, although we may not have made major changes in one day, we definitely left an impression and that is what counts. We also left Shirley Hankins with an orange scarf and both her and Larry Haler were given a red band of hope. Something to remember us by! This has been a wonderful experience and I am more energized to go and do it all over again next year. I have told Ruth (she is in charge of the conference for the chapter) to contact me as things come up throughout the year!

I know that sometimes it seems as if we may not be able to make a difference, but I am here to tell you that we can. It takes time, patience, and persistence. What is that saying....the squeaky wheel? I hope that all of you who read this will be so inclined to write to your representatives and take action in your area. You never know who will be listening or how your story will change the life of another! Even something as simple as making a phone call or writing a letter can help. But, if you do nothing where does that get us. These issues that we are fighting for don't just impact you and me. They impact every person who has or may ever have a disability. Not necessarily just MS. That is HUGE! If I can do something to make life easier for the next person, then why not?

I hope you are all well. Take care!

Tomorrow morning I get on a bus to head for Olympia for the 2007 Advocacy Conference. I will have the opportunity to meet with my State Representatives to discuss a variety of topics that directly effect people with MS. Some of these topics include Health Care Access & Funding, a Sales Tax exemption for Durable Medical & Mobility Equipment, Medicare Part-D Co-Payment Coverage, Transportation for Persons w/Disabilities, an Accessible Parking Violation Hotline (Mdmhvonpa...you may need to work on this for your state as well, lol), and the Definition of "Disability".

I have to tell you this last one makes me a bit nervous. I for one would like some clarification on this because my thought is that if the Washington State Supreme Court changes the definition of Disability what will that do to the people who are already getting Social Security benefits that need them. Will that have an impact on them? I am really excited to finally talk to someone about Health Care Access & Funding however. I know that there is not a lot that can be done on a state level in regards to the two-year waiting period for Medicare for those people who are on SSDI and not SSI, however the state does have the ability to decide if recipients of SSDI qualifies for Medicaid....they also control the amount of spend down, deductible, and accessibility someone with a chronic illness has to other possible health plans....seeing how an illness like MS pretty much limits your options once you are no longer working.

I will be taking along with me my camera in hopes of taking lots of pictures and I promise to take good notes as well. This way when I return I can fill you all in on what I have found out. I figure if we don't stand up to make a change then who will? This is our time to let the world know what our needs are....and this is just the first step!

Just a reminder that the Everybody Falls release party in New York City is coming up soon. Tickets are available through www.everybodyfalls.com or by calling the MSAA at 1-800-532-7667 x.117. This is going to be a fun and exciting event that you won't want to miss!Also....if you have not gotten your copy of the Everybody Falls CD, remember to get your copy now. International shipping has now been activated. So, what are you waiting for?! It's for a great cause....it benefits all of us with MS. And, to top it off it is great music! :)