Resolutions

Like many folks, I made resolutions focused on improving my health during 2003. Had an interesting start to attempting to complete them, though.

I had gotten a talking pedometer at the MS Walk, but I had never taken the thing out of the box. Well, like a good resolution maker, I took it out yesterday and programmed it. I programmed in my step length and set the clock.

But…at 6am, I realized I should have turned off the alarm. It was weird waking to a mechanical voice saying, “The time is 6am. Your alarm was set for 6am.” Luckily, I had planned to get up at 6am anyway.

So I’m getting ready, and I drive to work. As I turn the corner to my office, I notice the pedometer is no longer hooked to my waist. Dang it, I lost the thing already. Nope, it had just slipped off and was beside me on the seat. But as I’m walking into the office building…plop. It falls in the parking lot. Let’s just say, it won’t be doing any more talking.

I do have another talking pedometer that I got in a goodie bag. Let’s see if this one can survive for more than 2 hours. If not, then I’ll have to return to the mute version.

New Year’s Eve Celebration

Well, it was the same…but different. Yes, I went out and partied. I danced like a crazy fool. I drank champagne and martinis and ate lump crabmeat. I stayed up until the wee small hours of 2003. And I had loads of fun.

It was a little different than last year, though. I started having back spasms early in the evening, but I danced through the pain. I refused to let this stupid disease mess up the party. And yeah, I got tired, but my friends were understanding when I said I had to take a break from dancing.

At 11pm, there was a Caribbean party, to celebrate New Year’s in Barbados. This included fireworks on the veranda. It was too foggy to see much, but the temperature was absolutely delightful. I took a number of dance breaks out on that veranda during the evening – perfect way to avoid overheating.

I knew I would pay for it the next day, but I didn’t have the traditional reveler’s hangover. No, I was just very tired and had to take it easy all day.

MS News

Opened up my newspaper this morning to find out about some promising results published in the New England Journal of Medicine for a drug called Antegren. I had heard of it before from my neurologist. Since I am still of child-bearing age and have not committed to not getting pregnant, we decided I shouldn’t start taking it – put as little medicine in my body as possible for the time being. Of course, the big news for my local paper was that it could be manufactured right here in the good ol’ Research Triangle Park.

For more information, check out:

Test drug may mean new treatment for MS, Crohn’s

Blog News

I’m probably going to play with a new template over the next few days, since it’s been months since the Pooch Parade. Stay tuned for a new look for a new year.