Corporate <3

If you know me, you know I am not a big fan of corporations of their money grubbing tactics. Especially Global Corporations! Yet I realize they are sometimes a necessity. So I present to you the most important corporation in America! Biogen Idec (From my view, at least, as a MS sufferer) If it weren't for you, I don't know that we would have treatments for MS. And because of your development of drugs for MS, the growth of MS drugs is growing exponentially! First there was Avonex, along with came a whole slew of alternate options once it lost its orphan drug status. Avonex didn't work too well for me, so my neurologist put me on a different Biogen product, Tysabri, which I am still using to this day with great effect! It has effectively stopped the MS progression, which I gather from what I was told by aforementioned neurologist. Ah, Biogen. I know what you are after is the almighty dollar (and a slew of world currencies), and creating such a unique and new drug to combat MS is a good way to go, with your nearly $5B in operating revenue!

This is what scares me

The uncertainty of MS

Click picture to link to page

Look at that page and tell me you wouldn't consider MS scary. Now, am I safe because of the Tysabri, which has PML risks?* Hopefully the Tysabri will prevent any further damage from MS, and I'm lucky to have been diagnosed and treating it so early. Thanks to my loving wife the MR tech!

And yes, in the Stratify study I was found to have the JC virus antibody, which means I have been previously exposed to the pathogen.** *I'm past the mean average of treatment time where PML risk is highest, according to my neurologist, but that is no guarantee. **Yes, they offer(ed) testing for the drug which I am on to see what percentage of people using it have been exposed to the JC virus. Ahhhh, the life of insecurity in a very secure life.

I can see clearly now

Today my family and I went to the optometrists. Shelby got a new pair of glasses and I got a new pair of glasses and I'm going to try contacts.

Infusion so good

I forgot to post about it. I was back to my usual AIC nurse, Michele. And although she is a Packer's fan, she is the nicest one I know, and she is champ at getting me in one needle stick! Sweating hands and all...you want to see a physiological reaction to trypanophobia, come visit me on infusion day prior to injection! Not that everyone else there is bad, it's just that my veins run & hide due to the anxiety that sets in due to needles. I frickin' hate them! And I picked the wrong chronic disease for hating needles. Oh wait...I didn't have one iota of choice in the matter : /

TL: Xmas tree!

x-post from MjNet.

From yesterdays infusion

A needle in my right AC vein

But I have to give a big thank you to Jayne at the AIC, the brilliant woman waited until I was done with my treatment to take my BP, and it was...wait for it...137/71!!! My BP is within normal range! Frickin' brilliant Jayne! You will never know how much you've done for me!

Damn vampires!

I thought the coast was clear for this appointment, but then my neurologist asked me about the Stratify study. Bahhh! Blood draw!!! At least it was for the furthering of Multiple Sclerosis research. Everything was nominal otherwise. He was, as expected, pleased with the effectiveness of the Tysabri (Natilzumab) treatment. Then he mentioned a pill called BG-12. A pill!!! It's only in phase III trials ATM, but its A PILL that shows progress! I can't wait for that to be available, as long as it is at least as effective as Tysabri.