Hello friends --Hi there. It's Friday again. That week went incredibly quickly. I went to a fantastic conference last weekend - DC Podfest- all about podcasting. I really loved it. I can't believe that before I write the next Friday Night 6-Pack - Thanksgiving will have come and gone. WHAT?!?!  I'm dealing with some awful cog fog, numbness and pain today so I'm asking for your indulgences if I screw this thing up. I'm trying so hard to get it right. Here goes ~~ 

1. This blog post is by MarlaJan Wexler, founder of the LuckFupus.com blog. You read that right. She has lupus - and had breast cancer. She and I apparently share a similar sense of humor. I came across this post of hers and was so moved by it. It speaks to a reality that exists in chronic conditions - sometimes our spouses, our support systems, cannot deal. Here's her post: Send My Love to Your New Lover

2. Ever heard of Dysarthria? I hadn't either. Bet you understand what it does though - probably intimately. Dysarthria can mean you slur or stutter and can have difficulty with enunciation, articulation, and flow. It's another gift from our friend MS. Read more about it here: Dysarthria

3. The cells that produce myelin in the brain and spinal cord, called oligodendrocytes, may play an active role in the onset or progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study combining data from MS mouse models and the human brain. This is some interesting stuff. If they find how it starts, they can find how to stop it! Here's the article: New Clues to MS Development

4. So this next article is medically dense. Don't attempt it if you're experiencing cog fog. I had to make a couple passes at it and I'm confident I didn't pick it all up! But - it's worth the read. It talks about remyelination strategies. Yes - I said remyelination. That's the goal, right? Take a deep breath and read more here: Remyelination Strategies for MS

5. This is kind of cool: Lyfebulb announced that it has joined with Celgene in launching an innovation challenge for entrepreneurs with or impacted by multiple sclerosis (MS) to develop user-driven solutions that might make daily life a little easier for patients. You could come up with a great idea to help MS'ers - and win a prize for it!!  Learn more here: Innovation Challenge

6. Just for fun: did you know FUMS has a YouTube Channel?? Yep, it's true. I need to get in there and make it "pretty" but there are some darned FUNNY videos in there that we created while we were writing the ebook "Bowel and Bladder Issues in Multiple Sclerosis by Two Pee Brain With Potty Mouths Talking Shit About MS". All of the podcast episodes are in there and there's even a video of my youngest child doing a report on Multiple Sclerosis when she was little. Pretty cute!  Check it out here: FUMSvideos

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Eat too much, laugh too hard and don't think about this damned disease!!  I've got big news that I'll announce next week. Stay tuned! Please let me know how I can help you. Is this newsletter of value? How about the podcast? Do you want me to write more blog posts? Would you be interested in some one-on-one or group coaching??  Drop me an email and let me know by hitting reply to this email or meet me over in the FUMS Facebook community and let's chat!  Thanks.Warmly -- Kathy#FUMS 

Sometimes it helps the stress, just to say "F-U-M-S"