LOVE and MS

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« Brain food from the heartland


by Louie b. Free   | 349 entries

 
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I write  this on the last day of May. As the 'blood orange' colour fades from my hair and the 'orange flame' nail polish fades from my finger nails, I'm thinking about the impact that the interviews with couples dealing with Multiple Sclerosis has made on me.

Three couples graced the studio over the past month:
Koreen and David, Lynn and Joe and Adrienne and Nick. I learned so much about MS, well, maybe not so much about the disease, but about LOVE.

My friend, Glen (yes, N1) turned me on to Koreeen and David, last year. Koreen and David came on  to talk about:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Koreen-Bike-the-US-4-MS/220645411329692?fref=ts" rel="nofollow">David & Koreen Bike the US 4 MS.

Koreen's dealing with

Relapsing/Remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/relapsingremittingmultiplesclerosis.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">RRMS is characterised by relapses (also known as exacerbations) during which time new symptoms can appear and old ones resurface or worsen. The relapses are followed by periods of remission, during which time the person fully or partially recovers from the deficits acquired during the relapse.

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/relapsingremittingmultiplesclerosis.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Relapses can last for days, weeks or months and recoverycan be slow and gradual or almost instantaneous. The vast majority of people presenting with Multiple Sclerosis are first diagnosed with relapsing/remitting.This is typically when they are in their twenties or thirties, though diagnoses much earlier or later are known.

Koreen was diagnosed post-engagement/pre-marriage.

She went to David to give him a 'get-out-free-card'. In other words, maybe he didn't want to go froward with the marriage, because of Koreen's diagnosis. "I told him we could still be friends..." David, being the good MAN that he is, 'tore up the card' and  ringed Koreen's finger. I love having them in-studio as they're so very lovingly playful. They travel the US, biking for MS and David get's a new tattoo in every state they bike.  They came in again, this month, with https://www.facebook.com/glen.cimaglia?fref=ts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Glen andhttps://www.facebook.com/candace.mirandaheinbaugh?fref=ts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Candace, two biking "beasts" in to help promote a local event for MS at http://purecyclestudios.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Pure Cycle. When I couldn't find vegan, cruelty-free orange hair dye,Candace was "resourceful, kind and generous" enough to find some for me.... uh, thanks Candace! Those four create enough energy to power a star ship.

  I met Lynn at The Vindicator.  I had seen her down the hall, moving herself along, reliant on a walker. I asked her why the walker, she told me, MS, so I invited her and her husband on the show. I wondered what kind of husband this pretty lady had married. When I first saw husband Joe, I thought, 'oy, a tough guy'. I dont want to say that he had a mean look...maybe 'stern' is the word. I was blown away to see the love and care that he showed Lynn. He'd reach for her hand, or, put his hand on her shoulder, as if to say: "I'm here, I'm here for and with you...". Lynn said that she had "prayed for someone to take care of her". Well, her prayers were obviously answered. Joe is such an amazing, loving MAN. I'm certain they're concerned, as Lynn, of the 3 people with MS that I had in, seems to have the most progressive MS. She uses a walker, but, is dependent on Joe, Joe the Rock of a MAN!


 http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Chapters/OHA" rel="nofollow">Samantha,a volunteer MS Ambassador and District Activist Leader for the National MS Society - Ohio Buckeye Chapter,told me about a young couple Nick and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=23317571&fref=ts" rel="nofollow">Adrienne Giangiordano. Adrienne told me their 'story'. Nick dated her in school, but,as many young 'loves' do, they went their separate ways. Years later, Adrienne learned that Nick had been medically discharged from the military, due to an MS diagnosis. Her response was: "I knew then that I wanted to be the ONE to take care of him!" This lovely, vibrant young lady married Nick, they have 2 adorable kids. Throughout the interview, these two lovers continually looked at each other, reached out to each other and kissed each other -  the reassurance that 'I am here for YOU'. 

 

OK, so maybe I didn't learn a lot about Multiple Sclerosis during the month of May, but I DID learn a lot about the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xTpQem36uA&index=5&list=PLjts4JMIwgQyOGncBEXig6iOej899O-Bm" rel="nofollow">power of  LOVE and the human spirit.

        

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