Hello friends --Damn I love this weather!!!  FALL 🍁 ROCKS.  I'm heading to James Madison University this coming weekend for the Homecoming Game - and crunchy leaves, and sweaters and bonfires and tailgating!!  Can't wait.  Go Dukes!! 💜 💛   What are YOU up to?? Hit "reply" and let me know.  I miss hearing from YOU.Ok - jumping on into it. Ready??1.  Just pressed publish this morning on an awesome podcast interview with Dr. Cindybet Perez - a music therapist that works with people with MS.  Music is medicine people!! I've been saying that for years.  She brings the science!  Listen right here: Music as Medicine1 1/2.  Check out my personal uplifting playlist on Spotify - called Kathy's Happy Jams!!  My daughter Reagan made it for me (there are some songs on there that are HER taste, not mine) but most are soooo good.  It's 9 hours of awesome.1 3/4.  Here's a link to a song I wrote and recorded about MS.  No seriously - I did.  Listen here: "Wash Your Mouth Out With Hope"2.  Have you had a doctor retire?  It can be so difficult to find a new one that you like, feel comfortable with, trust.  Here's some help:  How to Choose a New Doc3.  Multiple sclerosis triggers may occur years before symptom onset and diagnosis. Serious infections in people's teenage years may increase their risk of an MS diagnosis later in life. Infection plays a significant role regardless of genetic risk.  Teenage Viral Infections and MS4.  Mindful breathing, which involves focusing one's attention on breathing patterns, can alleviate pain in some cases, but people often struggle to maintain long-term attention.Recent studies suggest that virtual reality (VR)-guided breathing can also reduce pain, with the interactive nature of VR making it easier to maintain attention. Guided Breathing to Alleviate Pain5.  Colder ambient temperatures may ease the inflammation that drives multiple sclerosis (MS), early research in a mouse model suggests.  Cold Eases Inflammation and Disease Severity6.  Free Holiday Cooking Class  Thanksgiving Made Easy Thursday, November 4 at 6 pm EST   Join Alene Brennan, fellow MS warrior and functional nutrition coach, as she opens up her kitchen in a live cooking demo of our favorite Thanksgiving dishes. It's a great opportunity to learn the tips and cooking skills to make your holiday dinner both healthy AND delicious. Let's kick off the holiday season together at this fun event. To join this free event, click the link and register:  Healthy Thanksgiving Cooking 101.  I'm all signed up and cannot wait!  Alene's awesome.  Hope to see you in there!!  That's all folks.  Oh - don't forget to check out my new podcast Patients Getting Paid.  It's very inspiring (if I do say so myself)!!  Warmly -- Kathy#FUMS

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