MS News stem cell newsPosted by GREG on March 21, 2009 | No Comments
“Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment.”
Grenville Kleiser quotes (American author 1868-1953)
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Posted by GREG on March 18, 2009 | No Comments
I have been reading some interesting articles.I as a sufferer am constantly being asked if I feel depressed.My answer is pretty much the same from one day to the next,…NO
When I was first diagnosed I was asked to visit a psychiatrist,this I did more out of interest than a need.One week later I was in an office with my psychiatrist.To be honest I did what to say,however we moved on.me being asked small questions around how i feel and handle situations in my daily life.
Whilst I discovered that i tend to,have a shorter fuse,than i previously had,my general outlook is optimistic,and carefree.
I believe that I only live once and I am damn well going to enjoy every second or moment of it.I believe someone once said,enjoy life while you`ve got it,this is not a rehearsal
I have always been an optimistic person preferring to believe the glass is half full rather than half empty.I guess some people automatically see life this way,whereas others always look on the brighter side of a situation.
Believe me I am no expert,however I feel that keeping yourself occupied,setting oneself goals,and believing in yourself go along way to diminishing the effects of this disease.Sure I forget words sometimes ,leave the meat in the oven too long and constantly walk into doors and things.The difference now is that I have asked my friends to laugh about it with me.After many blunders this they now do.!
Anyway the articles I was reading, seems to indicate that there are over 2 million people worldwide suffering from multiple sclerosis,and 70% of them suffer from cognitive problems,such as memory loss,forgetfulness,mood swings,etc………..Sure I can admit I feel and befall the same symptoms,the only difference is,I pick myself up,dust myself down and move on forwards,…Hell once today has gone, its gone forever
Tags: Depression
Filed Under: Depression
Posted by GREG on March 18, 2009 | No Comments
Concern should drive us into action and not into depression.
Anonymous
Tags: Add new tag, Depression
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Posted by GREG on March 17, 2009 | No Comments
This is a site I have started with the intentions of looking at life through the eyes of a multiple sclorosis sufferer.
I myself was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple sclorosis(PPMS)in 2004,lOOKING BACK,I was fortunate in that my wife was and is a nurse.She noticed that in my sleep my leg muscles would cramp and cause me to wake from any deep sleep I was in.
This went on for some months before she mentioned it too me.It was suggested that I visit my local doctor tom have it checked out.This I did and was referred to a neurological clinic at Helsinki hospital.
I then went under observation,meaning that I spent the night in hospital wired up to sensors,This allowed doctors to gain some insight into the movement in my legs whilst I was asleep.I must admit, that at that time, I was only aware of being tired on a daily basis
As a result of these tests,the neurologist wanted me to undertake further tests.Almost weekly I would have blood tests taken and tests done including SEP/WEP tests.The doctor informed me that she believed I had either Limes disease or MS.The various tests and examinations continued for a further 5 months.
Approximately 4 months later I was asked to take a lumber puncture examination.This at the time seemed a bit excessive but I agreed and went ahead,as I believed the doctors knew more than me.
I guess by this time I was prepared for the news,as I had informed my family that I may have Multiple Sclorosis.
On my next visit to Helsinki Neurological Department,and my neurological doctor I was informed that I was suffering from multiple sclorosis,Over the next few months they asked me back for further check-ups and in July 2004 they went onto say that it was in fact PPMS that I was sufferering from
I was given medication for the cramps in my leg.As it turns out the cramps have nothing to do with the MS.The drug that was given to me is actually used for people who suffer from Parkinsons Disease,however this medication(Syphrol)worked wonders and still works today.
So after nearly 8 months of tests and examinations I can sleep well!…I shall continue with upd
Filed Under: Me and multiple sclorosis
Posted by GREG on March 17, 2009 | No Comments
The body is an instrument, the mind its function, the witness and reward of its operation.
US (Spanish-born) philosopher (1863 - 1952)
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Posted by GREG on February 18, 2009 | No Comments
Stem Cell Research
History
Scientists have been interested in cell biology since the advent of microscopes in the 1800’s. Cell propagation and differentiation were witnessed for the first time and cells were recognized as the building blocks of life, capable of giving rise to other cells and key to understanding human development.
In the early 1900’s European researchers realised that the various type of blood cells e.g white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets all came from a particular ‘stem cell’. However, it was not until 1963 that the first quantitative descriptions of the self-renewing activities of transplanted mouse bone marrow cells were documented by Canadian researchers Ernest A McCulloch and James E Till.
Research into adult stem cells in animals and in humans has been ongoing since this time, and bone marrow transplantsResearch into adult stem cells in animals and in humans has been ongoing since this time, and bone marrow transplants – actually a transplant of adult stem cells – have in fact been used in patients receiving radiation and chemotherapy since the 1950’s.
Developments in biotechnology in the 1980s and 1990s saw the introduction of techniques for targeting and altering genetic material and methods for growing human cells in the laboratory. These advances really opened the doors for human stem cell research.
Then in 1998 James Thomson, a scientist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, successfully removed cells from spare embryos at fertility clinics and grew them in the laboratory. He launched stem cell research into the limelight, establishing the world’s first human embryonic stem cell line which still exists today.
Since this discovery, a plethora of evidence has emerged to suggest that these embryonic stem cells are capable of becoming almost any of the specialised cells in the body and therefore have the potential to generate replacement cells for a broad array of tissues and organs such as the heart, liver, pancreas and nervous system.
Progress in stem cell research is now astounding, with over 2,000 research papers on embryonic and adult stem cells being published in reputable scientific journals every year. Embryonic stem cell research has yet to yield any clinical trials however; adult stem cells are already being used in treatments for over one hundred conditions including leukaemia, Hunter’s syndrome and heart disease.
The possibilities for stem research are truly endless, and yet unpredictable. If scientists can master the biochemistry behind stem cell development, stem cell technology could be used to produce replaceable tissues or organs and to repair defective tissues/organs damaged or destroyed by many of our most devastating diseases and disabilities.
We are on the cusp of a major stem cell breakthrough and must support promising basic and clinical research to realise this goal.