Monday, July 28, 2008

Let's try that again...."Don't let Myositis Fence You In"

I was just going through my mail from the weekend and I have been asked to help with another Myositis event. A TMA member by the name of Lydia Vazquez donates a quilt to the Myositis Association each year and they in turn raffle it off.

I have 25 raffle tickets to sell and they are each $2.00.

It is a fence designed quilt with butterfly detailing. It's actually quite beautiful.
If you are interested in purchasing a raffle ticket or would like to pass the word on to others that might be interested that would be great.
Please email me at
wbarger@wi.rr.com or beemarket@gmail.com if you would like a ticket.

Thank you.
Kris B

"Don't Let Myositis Fence You In"

WOW...

WOW...
I just looked and I can't believe that the month of July is nearly over and I have been terrible keeping you up to date. I guess that might be what happens when energy comes back into your life and you can start doing more.
I am very pleased with the results of the homeopathic approach. I have an energy that I haven't had for years. I am still taking it slow but I am also really excited about being able to add more activity back into my life. The feeling is indescribeable.
My next appointment with Dr. Cohen is the first week of August and I am hoping that we will restart the process of tapering the prednisone again. That is always the true test.

Sneak peak....July miles to date are 318.3. I am completely overwhelmed by everyone's commitment to walking and excited to let you know that employer is holding a walking campaign and all the PyraMax Bank miles will be added to the trip to Denver. All the miles for July are precious to me but the ones that came from the "Just Bee" team that completed the Danskin Triathlon this year are really cool.
My friend Ruth from the Historic Third Ward Association, my mom, my sisters Beth and Vicki and my sister Beth's sister-in-law Neesa and her mother-in -law Devra all participated in the event, and all crossed the finish line. It was a really neat to cheer them on and it was inspiring beyond words to see all the participants. I am hopeful that I will be among the participants next year.

I am sure there is much more to tell but for now I must sign off.
Thank you my friends for catching up with me.

Kris B

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Calcarea-carbonica

I decided yesterday that I was going to try the homeopathic approach to my disease versus the route of the trial drug study I had been considering. I got caught up on the word "chemotherapy" and just didn't want to have to try and get past it at this time. I want to be healthy. I will choose health.

The first step I took was signing Bill and I up for a cooking class:

"EATING FOR ENERGY "Wednesday, July 16th 5:30 to 7:00 PM, $29In this class, food coach Suzanne Monroe will focus on healthy cooking that provides lasting energy for hearty summer play. You'll learn about which specific foods to avoid, and which foods to eat for increased energy and stamina in these long summer
For more info, call 414.336.1111 or visit www.milwaukeepublicmarket.org

Not only did I sign up for the cooking class but Suzanne Monroe and I have a phone appointment tomorrow at 1:00 pm to discuss my health and see if she has any suggestions regarding nutrition and how what I ingest might help. If you google Suzane Monroe you will see that she has a site/business called reallifefood.com. More to follow on that.

So now what is calcarea-carbonica? It is what was on the five little tiny pellets I put under my tongue at 2:00 pm today. It is the remedy that Dr. Sweeney came up with to help the symptoms of my disease. Again, he emphasized and I will emphasize for you...this is not a cure, but there isn't a cure in traditional medicine either.
It is my hope that it will bring some energy back into my life. It is my hope that it will help curb the crashes that happen after I have a day of "normal" activity and "crash and burn" that happen the days that follow a fun filled weekend.
I am suppose to make notes of how I am feeling and then call Dr Sweeney back in two weeks and fill him in on the details. I will either take more of the remedy at that time or he will make an adjustment based on the feedback I am able to provide. I am excited about this new approach.

That's all for now.
Take care.
My quote for today: "Nurture Hope. Open your Mind."

klb

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

The weather must be getting better....

The weather must have improved because we nearly doubled our miles in the month of June.
Together we walked 488.89 miles to bring our combined total to......2647.6 miles as of June 30th. At this rate a 3rd person is going to be able to come along to Denver before the end of July. I will try and do a better job getting the miles communicated as I understand it is providing motivation to many of you and certainly to me as well.

I felt great last week. So great that I actually thought maybe I had turned the corner and remission must be right there within my reach. Guess what? I did it again. I rolled around in that good feeling like a happy puppy in the sunshine. I had energy and I used it and I loved it and this week, I feel like a truck hit me. Oh well, it was FUN while it lasted and it will come again.

Today, I caught up on a blog of a fellow myositis person. I was stunned to see that she had quickly slipped out of remission and was prescribed with chemo infusion. Guess what...it's the same drug, same procedure as the trial drug study I have been keeping my fingers crossed at participating in. No where in all the consent forms was this drug referenced as a chemo drug and by no means did the side effects sound as dreadful as the ones she experienced. So, I am going to forward her blog to the doctor that is heading up the study here at Froedert with a few more questions. I am not saying that I will not do it, but I am saying that I will be asking a few more direct questions before signing my name on the dotted line.

I'll talk to you all soon.
Thanks for checking in.
klb