Yooo Hooo!

Anybody out there?

First Times

Well they say there is a first time for everything.

I am trying to get some conversation going on Sexual Health Connection about people's first time of having sex. My goal is to show young folk, especially, that it is sometimes better to wait than to give in to the raging hormones. I do think many people regret their first time as they might not have been emotionally or physically ready.

So anything you have to add to such a discussion please visit this link!

http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/824092/93661/connection

Remember that you can be anonymous in answering if you are shy about contributing to such a discussion.

I am going to be speaking...

at a conference! yaaaah!

I am nervous. I will need buckets under my arms for sweat! It is scary but also a great honor. I will talk all about it when I am done. I don't want to jinx myself. But I will be talking about things which are very important to me including the reason for why I write. My reason is a little boy...my son.

I love blogging...I really do. I was "blogging" before blogging had a name.

Words really do have meaning. It is possible to change the world through your words. What a long strange trip it has been. But...I would not change a thing.

Even if you are alone and think that nobody is listening to you....WRITE! It is important. You matter. And you can help someone else who thinks...nobody is listening. Know that no matter what you are going through...you are not alone.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend...I will tell you how it goes.

Thanks to anyone who still visits me here. I am so grateful.

The stuff in my mind...

Life seems...surreal lately.

It is like this big motion picture...you are a part of it...but you are also watching it as the film moves along.

What will happen next? Am I the main character or simply a bystander?

Read a book recently about a CEO who had 100 days to live. He had the "perfect death" where he planned out everything. And also wrote a book. Useful to the very end. I have decided I don't want a perfect death. I want real. This guy asked things at the end like "why am I here" and "what is my purpose?" but...I have been wondering these things since I was ten. I am always living like I am dieing.

Always been afraid of death. But now...I can sorta see it...understand it as a part of life. Had a friend who I confided in that I feared death and she says to me, "Wouldn't you, at some point, be ready for a new adventure?" I laughed out loud at her optimism. Death as a new adventure...well okay then!

Not sure how I got on such a morbid topic. Maybe it is the fact that yes....I want to live fully now...truly understand what is important and what is not.

So many people out there are not right in their mind...delusional. I have never had the pleasure of a delusion. Wonder what that's like. I am glad I am not that way despite how difficult life and reality can be.

I am glad I am alive. Grateful for the opportunity. The chance to help people. The chance to help myself. Even the opportunity for more pain...and subsequent growth. It is all good.

Hello world! I am here.

Come on over...

Hi guys and gals!

Just going to throw this little news blurb out at ya. Today the FDA approved Gardasil for males. Gardasil is the vaccine for the HPV virus...and was being used for females only. Now males can get it...and what it does it helps to prevent HPV from being transmitted to your female partner and...it also helps to prevent genital warts in males.

The population who can receive this drug are males from 9-26 years of age.

Please stop by the sexual health site to give your opinion on whether you think you would get this vaccine for your child. Please!

Here is the link.

I would be most appreciative! :>)

More to come...

Your question could be on The Washington Post!

Hi guys!

Listen...we have a special thing going on over at My Depression Connection where you can pose a question about faith and healing and if your question is selected...it will be posted on The Washington Post site....and answered by the faith and healing bloggers over there. So what do you say?

Come on over...join the discussion!

Here is the link.

I hope you all are well and...I am gonna try to be a super human here and be here and there...we will see if I can do this!

Thank you to anyone who still comes by to visit here!

The UNfriendly skies

I am playing hooky from my regular writing job to blog here! Shhhh be vewy vewy quiet!

Just went on a plane ride recently...haven't flown in several years. Sheesh. Now you can't even have a water bottle on the plane. AND they friggin charge you for each suitcase. They wanted sixty bucks for my baggage. So I put my purse in one...and just checked my big suitcase.

I was also wanded during my lovely time at the airport. Seems I wasn't fast enough getting shoes off, computer out of the case, and so forth. Then the plane was late.

But the icing on the cake...was the A-hole I had to sit next to. The plane was small and crowded and some big dude was yelling at the stewardess upon entering the plane. I think he was told to find a seat anywhere...and of course he had to sit next to me. "EXCUSE ME! I HAVE TO SIT HERE!" he bellowed at me. He threw the seatbelt across the chair and plumped his fat ass down and pouted like a baby. He had his Ipod touch out...playing games...and would not put it away for the take off. Meanwhile...I am terrified of flying. I am like white knuckling the arm rest as the plane takes off....and he is there playing games when he shouldn't be!

Then he spreads his legs wide as I am smashed up against my arm rest. I am a small person so...he was taking up like a seat and half at least. WTF!

What possesses people to act like assholes when they are in the sky? Is it suddenly suitable to do so?

Thankfully it wasn't that long of a flight but geez. Not a very pleasant experience. Next time I would like to take the train.

How have your flights been lately?

I am still alive!

Yes indeed...still alive and kicking!

I hope to revitalize this blog thang soon. Really and truly. I am amazed anyone still comes here.

One big change...I will no longer be writing about MS for Health Central. Waaah. Totally my decision....lots of reasons...but to the powers that be...I am praying and hoping that this change will make a big problem go away. BE GONE! PLEASE!

Wouldn't it be cool if you could just tell your problems to go away and they would? :>)

Hope you are all doing well.

Gotz to go to yoga now.

More to come...hopefully!

Please stop on by...

Hi guys!

I need to get with the program and keep up this blog!

Wanted to invite you all to a discussion I have begun on Health Central's MS site about Obama's proposed health care reform bill and...I want your opinions! You don't have to have MS to contribute. This is your chance to make your views heard as they may go all the way to Washington D.C.

Just follow this link!

We want to get as much discussion going as we can and try to steer things towards productive ideas or even solutions.

So come on over! Please!

Still here...

Hi out there!

I don't even want to know how long it has been. I am sorry for not being here. I miss my blog. I miss you guys. I am just busy. Same old same old. Trying to find a good way to maintain my blog here so...I think I am just gonna post my Health Central stuff here and links to find me there. I don't want to say that is my new home but it kinda is. My home away from home.

I hope you guys are all doing well.

Sending you all a big group hug!

Merely Me

____________________________________________

The Losses of Growing Older


There is nothing that gets you feeling more nostalgic than cleaning out the attic. I was cleaning out my attic the other day and I came across a box with maternity items in it including a brochure about breastfeeding and a well used manual breast pump. There were also maternity clothes, a few bibs, and a "boo-boo bunny" fashioned out of a washcloth. I held the bunny to my cheek. I had never used it with my children as it had been held captive all these years in this box. Then there was the bag tied with curled ribbons. It held all the cards I had received to say congratulations for having my babies. I opened one of the cards. It was from a dear friend from years ago who has since passed away.

I sat in my hallway with these things, remnants of a time of my life which will never come again. And then the tears came.

If you want to read more just follow this link.

It's a Man's World!

Hey out there!

She speaks! She is alive!

Ya know...life and stuff. And its summer. Too hot to blog much. But never fear...I am back and blogging. (I hope)

I did want to bring a very important matter to your attention. You want to know why I have Captain Crunch at the top of this post? Well I will tell you.

IT IS A CONSPIRACY!

Okay just listen to this list: Captain Crunch, Snap, Crackle, and Pop, King Vitamin, The crazy rabbit from Trix cereal, The leprecaun from that marshmallowy cereal, Tony the Tiger, Count Chocula, Franken berry, Toucan Sam...I forget which cereal he is from, and the list goes on!

Do you see what is going on here? There are no women icons for cereals! Don't give me garbage about now and then a woman is on the wheaties box. Okay...I am talking lasting icons here. They are all male. Find me a female icon for a classic cereal. I double dare ya. They do not exist.

What's up with this? Huh....huh? Yeah I dunno either.

While you are pondering the sexism inherent in children's breakfast cereals I will give you something else to think about.

As always I am writing tons.

Here are some links for whomever is interested:

1. On Health Central's Depression site I ask the question as to whether it is possible for depression to make one fall out of love.

2. Once in a blue moon I write something I am very proud of and this post on the MS site is one of those times. It just all came out of me and quite cathartic. I would be honored if any of you would come over to read it.

3. Let's talk about sex. Specifically...how illness can affect your sex life. Chime in with your experience right here.

4. Do you have a child who is hyperactive? Or maybe you are hyperactive yourself. Sensory Integration can help, I promise. Just follow this link to find out more.

5. You all know Dr. Deb right? Well she is just like one of the bestest bloggers out there who just happens to be a psychologist too. And she granted me an interview for the Friends of Quinn site. Please come check it out here.

I hope you all are having a magnificent summer thus far. Stay cool! Eat some Captain Crunch for me despite the sexist ramifications. At least the captain could have a girlfriend or something...sheesh!

My love of cheese

I do...I love me some cheese.

I love swiss, cheddar, and string mozzarella. But...just recently I have found THE cheese of cheeses. It is called Robusto Gouda and it is to die for...it has this nutty flavor which is intense...just a little bit of this stuff packs such a flavor...you will begin to crave it. Found it in a health food store in the cheese aisle where they had samples. Just one taste of this stuff and I was in love.

Cheese can be like that.

But some cheese is not cheese at all! I dare say there is cheese fraud going on out there! And I am here to warn you of it. I had never ordered a Pizza Hut stuffed crust pizza before. And so I finally caved in to seeing those commercials of hot melty cheese in the crust and...my family ordered one.

All I can say is "YUCK!" and...what is that stuff? It didn't taste like any cheese I have ever had. Instead of chewy...as mozarella cheese should be...it was the consistency of...glue.
I was very disappointed.

Have any cheese stories? I want to hear them but of course I do!

In the meantime...here are some links for you!

On the depression site: Social Skills for the Depressed and Socially Anxious

On the MS site: "But I'm Not Quite Dead Yet!" Mortality and MS

On the AHD site: When "Good Job" doesn't cut it: Alternative Ways to Praise

On the Friends of Quinn site: Walking in my Son's Shoes

On the Sexual Health site: What you need to know about Urinary Tract Infections

If you ever wanted to be like Doctor Ruth and answer sex questions here is your chance! Come on over and give your opinions and share your expertise right here. The world can be coming to an end and people will still have sex questions.

That's about it for now. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me here. You are too wonderful for words.

May is National Masturbation Month!

I bet you didn't know that.



Sorry to be so late to inform you of this fact. You only have a few days left to catch up! :>)



I do apologize for not being around so much. Just so much to do and only one of me. I miss my blog here and I miss you guys. I know things do get slow when we head into the summer months. I feel the need for a hammock. Actually I always fall out of those things. But the thought is appealing.



I hope everyone is doing okay.



So what shall we talk about? Okay how about the topic of masturbation?



I wrote a question of the week for Health Central's Sexual Health site about that Oprah show where Oprah and her best friend Gayle got into it about whether or not parents should discuss the topic of masturbation with their kids. You can find my question about all this right here. I would rather you answer there than here if you don't mind terribly. I am trying to get some more community discussion on the site and it is like pulling teeth! So come on...don't be shy...voice your opinion.



And now for something completely different...



Have you ever wondered about the gluten free diet craze? My son is on such a diet and I feel that it has helped his allergic symptoms immensely. It seems to also have helped his behaviors. This diet has been used too...in order to lose weight by some. If you have any experience with this diet or just want to know what it is about come on over to read and to comment.



And on the Friend's of Quinn site I talk my personal experience trying to undo comments made by teachers due to some of my son's learning disabilities. It is a great site...I do hope you come to visit. Just follow this link.



On the Multiple Sclerosis site I have a two part series about the doctor/patient relationship. Doctor Sethi, a neurologist and fellow blogger has written the first part about his views on this topic. He did such an excellent job...I am hoping you can come by to read here.



I could definitely use your help on the depression site. I wrote up a lengthy piece about how to find mental health services including medication if you have no insurance or money. I would be most grateful if anybody could add more links to resources right here.



Also if you have ever taken antidepressants or are currently taking them...I have a discussion going on about side effects to meds. If you could share your experience here that would be wonderful.



I am going to really try to get with the program and write more freely here. I don't want to lose my spontaneity and free spirited writing.

So what is going on with you? Tell me all that I have missed!

Will write for donuts!

Or brownies.

I bought the most lushious brownies yesterday...they were huge with gooey chocolate icing on top. Just to die for. There were four of those big suckers in the package and I only have one left.

I will be extremely sad when my last brownie is gone. My precious! PMS and brownies go so well together. TMI?

Okay enough of my hormonal indulgences. It is time for links!

********************************
1. Friend's of Quinn site:

Look Beyond the Label and Discover the Gifts

2. ADHD site:

My Interview with Thomas McKean This was such a great interview with my friend Thomas who is on the autism spectrum himself. He talks about what life is like for him as an adult who has autism.

3. Sexual Health Site

My Question of the Week is...do you think sex stops at 40? What can respark sexual desire and interest? Stop by and give us your suggestions and comments.

4. The Multiple Sclerosis Site

"I'm not drunk, I just have MS!" Slurred Speech as a symptom of MS

5. My Depression Connection

Are you sabotaging your happiness?

Midweek Muse: Inspiration to get you over the hump


Stop on by to any of Health Central's sites. Show off your writing. Get noticed. Come answer some questions and help others. Make friends. All that cool stuff.

See you next week...

Change and a New Focus

Well...

Change is sometimes wonderful and especially when you call the shots and decide for yourself what is best for you.

Been writing about Multiple Sclerosis now since before my diagnosis. And I will continue to write about this topic for Health Central but I have decided that the extra responsibility of being the site's Community Leader was too much for me. I have multiple reasons for not wishing to continue on with my leadership role there but my primary reason is to preserve my mental health.

It never sat well for me to think about my disease 24/7.

I am so deeply affected by the stories I hear that sometimes I break down. I think the story that tore me up the most was a daughter who was asking if it was the end for her mother who had been struggling with her MS for decades. This daughter's question about her mother's end of life struck me to the core. I could not read her story and not feel that pain so acutely. I sat here and sobbed.

And then I thought, maybe I am not emotionally ready to dive into the deep end of this topic. I have always immersed myself in mental health. I am not afraid of mental illness. I am not afraid of autism. But I have to tell you that I am afraid of MS.

I cannot remain clinical and objective as....I have it.

When I found out that my son had autism I researched into the wee hours of the night. I went to conferences and still do. I read all the books. I always want to find ways to help my son. But for Multiple Sclerosis...I have no desire to be in some desperate place where I am seeking cures or obsessed with the details of this disease.

I want to live. I want to be happy. It is not mentally healthy to live and breathe MS. I am not my disease. I want to focus on wellness and sanity.

I want to help people the only way I know how...to share my humble experiences in coping with my MS. So I will have my own little island there to write. That is about all I can emotionally handle.

Besides...I would much rather talk about sex than MS any day of the week! It's like...gee...you wanna talk about my brain lesions? "Uhh....I think I will pass on that." But if you ask people if they want to talk about sex then you usually get a more gleeful reaction. :>)

I am very happy with my choice to change to being the community leader for the sexual health site.

Sometimes change....can be very good.