Sugar is sugar?

Sugar is sugar. That is what they are saying on television, so it must be true. "Corn sugar or cane sugar? It's the same thing because sugar is sugar." Corn sugar is the new name for high fructose corn syrup. Well uh, not really. High fructose corn syrup is actually a highly refined clear liquid derived from corn starch, which is definitely NOT sugar. Today, food companies use HFCS (a mixture of fructose and glucose) because it’s inexpensive, easy to transport and keeps foods moist. And because HFCS is so sweet, it’s cost effective for companies to use small quantities of it in place of other more expensive sweeteners or flavorings.  So now that the word is out about HFCS they (the corn farmers) (Heinz) are "re-branding" it. Since the general public is, in a word, stoopid, no doubt their campaign will work. And we will continue in our quest to be the fattest nation with the highest and youngest number of people with diabetes. That's a sweet thought.




I saw my neurologist Monday and told him that I stopped taking copaxone. He wanted me to have an MRI, and I told him about my history with MRIs, or to be precise, my paucity of history with MRIs. You see, I have had just one MRI. Ever. They had not yet been invented when I was diagnosed in 1981 and, my he failed to order one before I started on avonex even.  He apologized for that mistake on his part, even! So my one and only MRI was in between avonex and copaxone. Still, it was before copaxone so I guess it counts as a baseline, and a new one would tell me, nay, SHOW me if there has been progression.

The thing is, I KNOW there has been progression. I live in this body. I look through these eyes. I speak with this mouth. I think with this mind. I track conversations with this brain. Well, then. what I don't think I need is to SEE a picture of all that. That is a visual I can do without. So I don't think I'll be getting a new MRI done.

He refilled several of my other prescriptions. We talked of my spasticity getting worse; but the baclofen is still working;  I don't have to take the full amount every day. If it stops being effective he can add tizanadine (zanaflex), or I can opt to get a baclofen pump which is more effective at delivering the drug to where it needs to go than are the pills. So there is that.

I told him that ampyra didn't do anything. I was on it consistently for a week and I saw no result. Another week of (a few) missed  pills and again, no increase in walking speed. Then he told me that most of the patients who had tried it had reported the same, but several reported that they thought they were walking better, but hadn't walked any faster on their exam. STILL they wanted to take it because they FELT better on the drug. I felt the same, however, which is why half of the pills are still in the bottle and those pills are worth $500!

I asked him again about LDN, and he said he would check into it for me. He thought he read a published study about it, but wasn't sure of the correct dosing instructions. Also, I would probably have to pay for it out of pocket since it is off label, and he didn't know how much it would cost. Also with my tight budget I don't know if I could afford it!

So my new drug list is this: baclofen <120 mg. daily as needed; diazepam <20 mg. before bed as needed for spasticity; temazepam 15 mg. as needed for sleep; 10 mg. restoril ritalin twice daily for when I am sleepy tired during the day; 2000 iu Vit D. Additionally I take 1 acidophilis daily and 1 macrodantin.

So that's it for now. I must go to bed.

Good Night, TTYL, and Be Well,