A few days later...

I am still catching up on my lost sleep from the past week.
I am still tired and my eyes burn but otherwise I am doing well.

I still have to Thank everyone!
I think this is the biggest past of anything and quite possibly the most important!
As I mentioned on my last post, I still have some money coming in.
We are currently at $6,605.00. Good work you guys!

Mark and I love organising fun activities for anyone.. anytime! We always have and we are already gathering ideas for the next event...If it comes to that!

I have been doing lots of research on the patients who have been abroad for the operation. Amazing results. Amazing Stories.

You may have heard of of the 2 brothers who have been to Poland for the operation.
I was reading their blog yesterday and I must quote him...
I can't seem to connect to the link at this moment...I'll take this up tomorrow!

I am now very excited for my trip to Vancouver on the 8th. I have been somewhat ignoring that this was coming but it's coming very quick!
I have also avoided looking into all of what the operation involves because I wanted to take it one step at a time...but one can't help herself!

I will give you lots of interesting info and food for thought on my next post...when I can log into the proper links and share with you!

Drum roll please!

Well yesterday was certainly a success!

Thanks to everyone who came to help set up, help during and help clean up. Without you this would not have happened and I owe you BIG!

The Business Booths... you were fantastic! Thanks for being there and giving everyone something to do at the event!

Thanks to everyone who came out and participated in the event. The food was great, the Nerdcicles were a hit and the kids activities were definitely needed in a bad way! I didn't realise how many kids we know! I love it!

Thank you to the kind gentleman who heard of me at City Hall and came to support the cause. I missed your name but I with you and your wife the best. You are Fantastic and keep bringing her to the Rain Forest! She is lucky to have you!

Now down to business!
Our total from yesterday was just over $6,000.00! We still have some funds trickling in too!

We have some expenses to cover from the event but all said and done this is a great help!
I appreciate everything from every one.

This has definitely paid for the imaging in Vancouver on April 8th and is a good start to the surgery that may come.

YOU ARE AMAZING!

Today is "The Day"!!

Mark and I were up until midnight working on the finishing touches for today.
We are very tired!

We were up at 5.30 yesterday and didn't stop for 5 minutes! I even managed to sneak in a 1 hour MRI... too bad I didn't get ZZZzzz's this time!
Today it's 6 AM, we are up and getting ready to pack the car, drop off Grace, pick up food and helpers, run to the hall, set up, cook and hopefully see millions of people! Well...Not really..I'd run out of food :)

We have 17 Silent Auction items, a Penny Drive, 50/50, Stake a Claim, Picture taking, Food, Face Painting, Easter basket making, Easter egg hunt as well as business booths like Art, baking, Board games, Natural supplements and much much more!

I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

As for my MS side...Being this busy and tired is starting to get to me. I will rest up nice tonight but some of my symptoms are being dizzy, my body is sore and I feel a little disoriented.

It will all be worth it!!!

SWAMPED!

I am so busy!

We are full steam ahead!
This week we have finalized silent auction items, purchased all the items for the kid activities, planned out the layout of the hall, purchased food and drinks...
I still have to work on the posters and 50/50 tags but I'm getting there!

I still have to get in touch with all my helpers and let them know to be at the hall at 9.30 - 10 AM to help set up and get everything ready!

I am amazed and overwhelmed with all the support we are getting.

YOU ARE ALL AWESOME!!!

Don - I did get your suggestion for a thermometer to shoe what I am doing in the fundraiser. I have tried to figure something gout and still am working on it!

To date I have received a whopping $735.00 in cheques and $245 on magazine sales.

I will be back on Sunday to give you news on how the fundraiser went!

I'm normal ?!

Last week I went to get blood work done.
I requested to have my vitamin D, B12 and iron as well as creatinine levels checked.

This is something I highly recommend we all ask for from our doctors.

Today I went to the doctors office for the results and was surprised to discover that everything is normal.

First, I have always had high levels of iron in my blood and to know that it's normal was a shocker! The good thing that Dr. Yip explained to me waas for me it would be dangerous to have the levels low as it would entice fatigue which is already a soft topic with us MS'ers!

I was also very surprised for the vitamin D levels because the common theme in MS is the low levels of vitamin D. Being normal may have to do with the 4,000 IU's daily that I take or it could be my body resetting itself from having the proper remedy!

The B12...I had a good reason to get it checked as well but I forgot what it was!

The creatinine levels were requested from False Creek. Dr. Yip told me that this is checked to monitor proper liver function due to the dye I will be injected with when the imaging is performed. The dye can temporarily put you in renal failure if the levels aren't normal. Yikes!

So I guess I am all round healthy for now!

Homeopathy update

A few months ago I mentioned seeing Dr. Sunil who is a homeopath.
http://drsunilanand.com/
Since then I have been sending him weekly updates on my symptoms and different conditions that I have had forever like psoriasis and diarrhea. Everything that I have sent him has been a good sign and that the remedy was working.

This past week I have had a few new things pop up and it's time to take an other dose of my remedy. I'll be doing this today! I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

As for my big plans today...We are going to Aggie days.
http://www.stampedeagriculture.com/events/aggie-days/
I am a bit nervous about walking much because my legs have been going numb on and off lately mostly when walking.

We'll see!

It's booked!

My flight is booked... there is no way back now!

I have big Thank You's to say!!!

First - my husband for working so hard for the fundraiser!
Second - everyone who has been helping in any way they can!

Further to this I want to keep you in the loop.
To date, my flight is BOOKED and paid for as of today!
My hotel night is booked and paid for!
I have some money coming in daily and the fundraiser is coming very soon!
See the facebook page for more details: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=367841146711
The magazine site is doing well and everyone seems to think it's the best idea since sliced bread!
Take a peek: http://www.magfundraising.ca/GroupPage.aspx

As far as how I am doing, I went to bed early last night and it felt so nice!
By early I mean 8pm!
It was a good thing because I was so busy at work today that I didn't know which way was up or down or to my chair due to the paper in my way! Fiscal year end is always interesting in my office!

I will be looking forward to sitting down this weekend! Maybe watch a movie...

That'll be the day!

Busy bee

I have been so busy preparing for the fundraiser, being a mom, a wife and a 5 star employee ;) that I have neglected you guys. I am truly sorry.

Every night that I climb into bed and didn't blog I feel like I forgot to pee before a road trip!
You know you should but there is just too much to do!

The planning is going well. We have so much support and it warms my heart to see all the kinds words, thoughts and actions that people are capable of. Hugs to all of you!

I have been bad in staying up too late at night planning and working on my resume. I am very tired and today I think my body is telling me to settle down. My legs were temporarily numb today but it passed rather quickly. I have "small eyes". You know when you are just over tired...

Other then that I feel quite well and always do better when I have too much to do!
I love it!

Campaign Summary Report

Campaign Summary Report

Please visit this site.
I have signed up to sell magazine renewal or subscriptions.
I will receive 37% of all sales and the funds will go towards my imaging and operation!

Thank you for your ongoing support!

a little bit of everything

What a week. I'm grateful today if Friday!

Today I am still recuperating from our casino night. I am tired, I've had a minor headache, a little bit of dizziness and a strange pain...My arm has been seizing in a strange way. I am not sure if it's an MS thing but I have not felt this before. It's almost like a needle is in the socket where my shoulder meets my arm. When the pain comes I can barely move my arm and it hurts.

I am quite busy planning for a great event and watching Gracie very closely as she took a bad spill outside yesterday and came in with a black eye and quite the scratch. To top it off, today she fought sleep very well and was staggering tired which led her flat on her face once more to have a fat lip.

I'm hoping to get some much needed sleep this weekend!

BBQ fundraiser!

Mark your calendars people the BBQ is on!

On March 27th we will host a BBQ fundraiser at Renfrew Community.
You are of course all invited!

Here are some of the things we will have going on:
- BBQ...of course!
- Silent Auction
- Take a picture
- Pop a balloon
- 50/50

Much more is in the works but it's comin'!
I'll keep you posted but I will also post all of the events on the Fundraising tab!

If you are planning on attending I would love to know.
Please leave a comment or send me a message!

If you would like to help plan or would like to help the day of the event please send me an email.
mark_nat@shaw.ca

It's going to be SO MUCH FUN!

Headed to India ... Part 2

Further to my previous blog, please find attached the Herald link to my fellow Calgarian headed to India!

http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Calgarian+opts+surgery+India/2669394/story.html

She is a very lucky woman!
My turn is coming!

Canadian headed to India

For those of you who may have missed the news this evening read on!

A Canadian woman is headed for India where the Liberation Treatment is available privately for $19,000.00.
She has been with MS for 20 years and has difficulty walking, her hands and feet are numbs among other of her symptoms.
Her story is not yet posted on Global news.

This 19K is far less then the 80K treatment in California.

This gives me hope.

As you may have read in past entries I am currently fundraising to get to False Creek in Vancouver http://www.falsecreekhealthcare.com/. This clinic is where I can get the imaging to see if I am a candidate for the Liberation treatment.

Today we have booked a community hall for March 27th and will be hosting a BBQ with lots of fun and games!

Please keep your eye on the new tab near the top of my blog named Fundraising for more information!

I've said it before...I too am in love with hope!

Casino = tired!

Yesterday was a very busy day!

Last night we volunteered for a Casino Fundraiser proceeds to go to the Drop In Center where Mark works. www.thedi.com
Our shift started at 11 pm and was to end at 3 am.
Being busy during the day and having Grace makes for a bad mix to get a cat nap! We headed to the casino very tired. We counted the money and it was lots of fun!

We got home at 3 am and got in bed. Grace woke up at 6.20am and we were up!

I was surprisingly not too tired, made it in to work and had a very full day! At about 2 pm the heat hit me once again. Every time I am very tired I get so over heated and simply feel like I am cooking. I get light headed, can't focus and just not well.

I am sure to get a better night's sleep tonight!

Oh my head...

After my "wonderful" day on Friday with Grace I was looking forward to her going to bed.
It was 9.45pm when she finally called it quits!

While Mark was getting her to bed I could barely stand up I was so spent. And then...
I heard screaming, and yelling, and fighting, and music...
Yeah, our neighbours 3 doors down decided to have a party. I went down to the basement, took my injections and was convinced they could be quiet by 11 pm. HA!..HA!..

After being in bed for 1/2 an hour I couldn't take it anymore so I asked Mark to call the cops.
By the time he finished on the phone with them there was 5 cop cars, about 60 people running out the back door, guys peeing on cars, puking on ours and well then it was quiet.

Today I had the worst headache ever. This is typical for me when I am tired so I woke up expecting it but man...Mark let me have an hour nap and I felt much better.

We spent the entire day outside cleaning the car, cleaning the shed, gardening, shovelling snow and playing with Grace! Did I mention I was in flip flops and a t-shirt! Yeah for spring!!!

Tomorrow we have a 1 y/o birthday party. They are dressing up and it should be lots of fun.

Liberation treatment

This is just a quick one to share what I just came across.

The link below will lead you to the blog of Mark Kalina.
He received the Liberation treatment 8 days ago and he is already seeing improvements.
This gives me hope that sarting with the imaging will help me reach the ultimate goal of getting this operation!

Take a peek!

http://markkalina.blogspot.com/

Sleep...

Here is a little story about how to not get any sleep.

Last night I crawled in bed at 9.30 pm. One would think this is reasonable and in turn get you a great nights sleep...NOT!

At 10.30 I woke up to hear noise. When I was finally awake I realised that Gracie's ride on truck was going off by itself. Sirens, music, horn and all....I was convinced Grace would wake up so I ran into the living room...the thing doesn't have an off button...grabbed it ran downstairs to lock it in a room. I think the batteries are dying!

When I got back in bed I started fading and Mark wakes me up mumbling something about the monitor going off...It wasn't but by then I was wide awake and sat there waiting to see if the monitor was going to go off. No Go.

At 11.30 Grace decided she was awake and not going back to sleep. (She always sleeps all night) So I ignored her for almost an hour and then I got up.

I finally got back in bed at 1.30AM only to wake at 5.30AM when Mark got up to get ready for work. Grace woke up around there too.

Today I am tired, a little dizzy and irritable ;)

Events in the works...

Well, I promised to keep you posted and here goes what I am working on...

We are planning a BBQ, silent auction and games...We are still working on the details but it's in the works!
If you or someone who know would like to donate items for the Silent Auction, please let me know via email. mark_nat@shaw.ca

Some of you may receive an invite to a different kind of event...
This one I am keeping secret and promise to share once the invites have been sent out!

As for me...I am doing good.
My legs are on the fritz but I am not and do not complain about it...it could be worse!
They have been going numb when I walk too far or too much. Once I sit for a bit I feel better. It's sooo strange because it almost feels like my shoes are on to tight or even that my socks are vibrating!

I've also been loving the digestive problems that come along with MS. It's been almost 2 weeks and I look forward to feeling better!

Wear a gardenia

Did you ever wonder what flower represents MS?

I did and today I found out!

A Gardenia seems to be it!

Wear a gardenia on March 6th - 8th in support of MS.

I found a translated article (from italian) in a facebook group. Please visit and read. It's a little long to put here!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Victoria-Vancouver/CCSVI-at-UBC-MS-Clinic-Information-and-Support/182832983940?ref=nf