Bueller, Bueller...Bueller?

Sometimes it feels like there is nobody out there and, at times in every one of our lives, we feel alone and rudderless.

It is very difficult for most of us to ask for help or even admit to ourselves that we may actually NEED it.  Are you with me?  Whenever I think about this kind of thing, a song from my childhood pops into my head and just gets stuck on repeat:  Help! by the Beatles:

Help, I need somebody,
Help, not just anybody,
Help, you know I need someone, help.

When I was younger, so much younger than today,
I never needed anybody's help in any way.
But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured,
Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me, get my feet back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me?

And now my life has changed in oh so many ways,
My independence seems to vanish in the haze.
But every now and then I feel so insecure,
I know that I just need you like I've never done before...

Is it stuck in your head now too?  Sorry.  My parents used to play The Beatles incessantly in the car on the way to our cottage every summer so, I know way more lyrics than someone from my generation should!

A friend of mine (who has MS) and another friend (who doesn't) recently got in touch.  One emailed and one called; even though the topic was the same...they both feel lost and don't know what to do about it.

You all know that we are encouraged from the time we're tots to be independent and to help ourselves because, no one else is going to do it.  Well, I've found over the last several months that this doesn't always have to be the case.  I'm not encouraging anyone to just give it up, lounge around on the sofa and let others take care of them if they're able but, at times you do need to give up some control and accept help.

I know; this is VERY hard to do.  Especially when you're in the prime of your life and all you want to do is go-go-go.  It is often the case that you're going to mentally hit a wall or, as is the way with MS, your body is going to shut things down for you without your consent. 

It is at these times that others around you likely feel just as helpless as you do and struggle to find ways to make your life easier.  I say, let them.  You need it, they need it; everyone wins.

I'll take this opportunity to throw a huge "thank you" out there to my sister.  When I had my recent relapse, she moved in with me and cleaned, shopped, organized and drove her little heart out to make my life liveable.  I suspect now that she was doing some of these things to make herself feel a bit better too - I know it's hard watching someone you care about going through hell.

So, to all of those out there suffering from something in silence; listen up.  Ask for help, call a therapist and talk it out, let people in!  If you're not up to that, get a journal or have someone pick one up for you.  Write down all of the nitty-gritty and get it out.  Start a blog (wink, wink), go to http://www.postsecret.com/ (what; you've never heard of it?! Check it out!), or meditate, hit something, scream in your car... 

For all of the MSers out there, your local MS Society has support groups happening all the time for people just like you and me.  I'm talking to you too Laura & Janet:  did you know about this?...:
http://chapters.mssociety.ca/default.aspx?ChapterID=344&PageID=1105&L=2

My friend mentioned that she is very upset about not being able to work due to her MS.  I also experienced this same thing when I was forced to take time off of work - it makes you feel useless, bored and...old.  My suggestion is to volunteer as much as your body & mind will allow.  There are so many people & animals out there worse off than us that can use your help in a big way.  

The "bottom line" for volunteers is helping as much as you can, not assisting your employer in making as much as they can.  ha ha  When you're losing faith in yourself and your future, try to make a difference in someone else's - this advice comes straight from my Grandma.  I can tell you; she was rarely off the mark.

I know that things get difficult and it's easy to get stuck in a rut, to mourn your past when it seems like everything used to be so simple.  My suggestion is, wallow in it for as long as you need, experience it, then move forward.  I deal with the bulls*it of life by learning as much about my problem as I can so that I can fight it head-on.  Figure out what works for you, then try your hardest to do that.

Everyone is going to have periods of time where they don't want to get out of bed; a lot of MSers will have times when all they want to do is get out of bed and they can't.  Life can be hard; no one ever said it differently.  But...it can also have some amazing, eye-opening moments that make you appreciate the good things.

I've found just recently that those eye-opening moments usually begin by opening up to someone you care about, letting them in and yes, letting them help you.

Sun-Tastic!

For the past three days I have been nearly symptom-free.  I haven't had this ease of movement or mobility since last year so, naturally, I'm wondering...what's up?

I have a hunch that it may be related to Vitamin D.  I spent this past Saturday by the pool and got a sunburn...not good for my extremely white skin and pathetically low pain-tolerance but, seemingly good for my MS.

I was told by the MS Clinic, my neurologist and countless MS patients to take about 4000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day as it has been shown to help our disease.  As many of us live in Canada, you know that for several months a year (A.K.A. "winter"), we don't have enough direct sun exposure to boost our Vitamin D levels.  Thank goodness for vitamin tablets (and sunny vacations)!  As a rough guide, 10 minutes of direct sun exposure equals about 400 IU of Vitamin D.

So, the type of Vitamin D that we're looking at here is D3 or cholecalciferol.  Vitamin D3 is naturally made in our bodies when our skin comes into contact with ultraviolet light at specific wavelengths (this is why Vitamin D3 is always produced by the sun but, not always from tanning beds). 

Interestingly enough, Vitamin D3 is also produced only when the UV index is greater than 3.  This means that, in the tropics, you're always producing Vitamin D.  Here in Canada and other temperate regions, you're only getting Vitamin D production in summer and parts of spring and autumn.  Generally, humans require 10-15 minutes of sun twice a week or more to have an adequate natural supply of the vitamin.  It's also most beneficial to get sun (without sunscreen) on your hands, arms, back or face.

For someone like me who is as white as the driven snow and doesn't tan...ever, this sun thing is tricky.  I am constantly slathered in layers of sunscreen with a sun hat and glasses planted firmly on my head.  And don't tell me (like everyone does) to work up to a tan, blah blah blah because I've tried it ALL people.  I'm a burner.  End of story.

If you don't have MS, your recommended dose is 600-1000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day.  For you fellow MSers, you can take 2000-4000.  You can also boost your vitamin levels through food; although there are very few foods that provide a significant amount of Vitamin D.  Fatty fish like mackerel and salmon are the best sources (3 ounces = 388 to 487 IU).  You can also get smaller amounts of Vitamin D in fortified foods like yogurt, milk and cheese, egg yolks and liver.

And what is the connection between Vitamin D3 and MS you ask?  Well, as has been discovered with many diseases of late, it may all come down to a gene mutation.

There is evidence to suggest that a common gene that many carry may become mutated if too little Vitamin D is available.  This gene is called DRB1 and when someone inherits one copy from a parent, they are seven times more likely to develop MS if Vitamin D deficient.  When a person inherits two copies, one from each parent, they are 10 times more likely to develop MS if deficient in Vitamin D.

If you remember back to my posts about caffeine and leeches, there was a common theme detected in the study of MS having to do with T-cells.  It is thought that the damage and destruction done to our brains is a result of harmful T-cells crossing the blood-brain barrier and attacking our myelin (the protective protein "insulation" in our brain).

With this Vitamin D theory, it is thought that the mutated gene environment, caused by Vitamin D deficiency, prevents our thymus gland from doing it's job; and that is to identify and destroy T-cells that attack the body's own cells and proteins.  See, even our glands need beach vacations!

Vitamin D3 supplements are inexpensive, widely available and completely safe when taken in the recommended dose range.  There is mounting evidence that maintaining an adequate Vitamin D level can help ward off cancers and other autoimmune diseases too.

I must admit that I haven't been that strict with myself and have been sporadic in taking my supplements.  Now that I know this information, I'm on board the Vitamin D train.  Hey, there is no chance that I can get my recommended daily dose of sunlight with my skin tone.  I might help my MS but, I'll have to trade that off with looking like a tomato constantly!  I think I'll stick with the supplements, my hat and sunglasses...

There's A Tear In My Beer

So, as previously mentioned, I'm going through a bit of a rough patch and I think the permanence of my diagnosis is sinking in...deeply.  ha ha

Anyway, I had heard that depression and MS go hand in hand and I wanted to research this a bit further to see if it there was any way to prevent "the sads".  It turns out that there are three types of depression commonly associated with MS:

Reactive/Situational - This is when you get depressed because of your diagnosis or because symptoms are cramping your style.  It can also be due to the reactions from friends and family or fear of the future.  I think that this type is totally what I'm going through myself; really textbook.

Organic - Depression can be caused by physical changes in the brain and the demyelination and formation of lesions in critical areas.

Medication Side-Effects - Common inject-able MS drugs like Avonex and Betaseron carry a possible side-effect of depression.  During a relapse, Prednisone or other steroids are often administered at a high dose to reduce inflammation in the brain & spinal cord.  These steroids often cause initial hyperactivity but are usually followed by a period of depression.  I may fit into this category as well; double-whammy.

So, this is pretty sucky.  Approximately 50% of MS patients will experience one of these types of depression at some point and about 14% are depressed at any given time.  I know that sadness is a normal reaction to a life-changing diagnosis.  I'm trying to be kind and give myself the opportunity to grieve and get used to this new reality without expecting too much out of myself in the way of "cheerful".  Know what I mean?

But, if you're feeling really low and starting to go over to the dark side, listen up.  People with MS are between 2 and 7.5 times more likely than the general population to commit suicide as a direct result of untreated depression. 

The most common signs of being in a significant depressed state can be found below; if you're feeling a lot of these a lot of the time for two weeks or more, it's probably time to talk to your doctor...

• feeling worthless, helpless or hopeless
• sleeping more or less than usual
• eating more or less than usual
• having difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• loss of interest in taking part in activities
• decreased sex drive
• avoiding other people
• overwhelming feelings of sadness or grief
• feeling unreasonably guilty
• loss of energy, feeling very tired
• thoughts of death or suicide
• increased aches and pains 

Did you notice that several of the hallmarks of a depressive episode are also extremely similar to MS symptoms too?  (I highlighted some of the obvious...)  This is why it's sometimes difficult to realise when you or a loved one are suffering from a depression. 

You don't have to feel like this forever; I'm talking to myself here too!  So, pay attention to your body and mind and take care of yourself.  Your family and friends can't afford to lose you too soon and neither can the MS community; we need to stick together.  :)

If you're worried about yourself, a family member or friend, take a spin through this test and it may help clarify things if you're new to the whole depression-thing:  http://www.cmha.calgary.ab.ca/mentalhealth/depressiontest.aspx

Whew, lots of information.  But, I feel a bit more hopeful just from researching all of that for us...  I will continue to fight the good fight and do everything I can to spread the word on MS.  As always, if you have any questions, send them in and I'll do my best to find you answers; or to lend a supportive ear.

Stay strong MS-ers!

Love Ali. xoxo

Free As A Bird

I publish on this blog every few days or so and when I post something, I feel relieved from MS-related stress for a while.  Then I eventually feel the need to "talk" to you again and discuss this thing in all of it's intricacies.  It really helps me and I hope that it helps a lot of you out there too.

Anyway, I have a zillion topics running around my brain at any given time and I was thinking about investigating and writing about why MS makes me so dizzy.  It's really annoying - can anyone relate?  I was mulling over where I could find information on this topic when I thought: "wow, it's been four months (and 9 days) since my diagnosis" and look at how much my life has changed.  Look at how much the lives of my close family and friends have changed.

It's incredible to me that we can just go on when something terrible happens. That we can find the strength from somewhere inside of us that we didn't even know existed.

I have been crying a lot lately.  Not necessarily due to sadness; I almost feel as if the old Alison is a memory and now I'm this new person.  It happened so fast and some would call it "growing up" I guess.  I'm sure we all have times in our lives when something happens to shock you out of your present reality and throw you kicking and screaming into a new one.

My point is (yes, there's a point in here somewhere), we seem to be equipped with some instinctual ability to just get over it; whatever it may be.  My answer to those who ask where you get the strength to deal with things is: what else are you going to do?  You get what you get, someone is always going to have it better or worse than you but, we all have to deal with something.  If we all gave up when something knocked us down, there would be no one left in this world.

Thinking about all of this brought to mind an email forward that my father recently sent to me about eagles (not the band; the birds).  I'll post it for you below...

THE EAGLE HAS THE LONGEST LIFE-SPAN AMONG BIRDS.  IT CAN LIVE UP TO 70 YEARS BUT, TO REACH THIS AGE, THE EAGLE MUST MAKE A DIFFICULT DECISION.

IN ITS' 40's, ITS' LONG AND FLEXIBLE TALONS CAN NO LONGER GRAB PREY.  ITS' SHARP BEAK BECOMES BENT.  ITS' OLD-AGED AND HEAVY WINGS, DUE TO THEIR THICK FEATHERS, BECOME STUCK TO ITS' CHEST AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO FLY.

THEN, THE EAGLE IS LEFT WITH ONLY TWO OPTIONS:  DIE OR GO THROUGH A PAINFUL PROCESS OF CHANGE WHICH LASTS 150 DAYS.

THIS PROCESS REQUIRES THAT THE EAGLE FLY TO A MOUNTAIN TOP AND SIT ON ITS' NEST.  THERE THE EAGLE KNOCKS ITS' BEAK AGAINST A ROCK UNTIL IT CAN BE PLUCKED OUT.  AFTER REMOVING ITS' BEAK, IT WILL WAIT FOR A NEW ONE TO GROW AND WILL THEN PLUCK OUT ITS' TALONS.

WHEN ITS' NEW TALONS GROW BACK, THE EAGLE STARTS PULLING OUT ITS' OLD-AGED FEATHERS AND WAITS FOR NEW ONES TO GROW IN THEIR PLACE.

AFTER FIVE MONTHS, THE EAGLE TAKES ITS' FAMOUS FLIGHT OF REBIRTH AND LIVES FOR 30 MORE YEARS.

WHEN IT RAINS, MOST BIRDS HEAD FOR SHELTER.  THE EAGLE IS THE ONLY BIRD THAT, IN ORDER TO AVOID THE RAIN, STARTS FLYING ABOVE THE CLOUDS...

Upon further investigation, I can tell you that regrettably, this tale is just that, a tale. Eagles live to be about 30 years old in the wild and do not choose whether to live or die.  But...this is a beautiful fairy tale about rebirth and renewal and you know what?  Humans actually can decide whether to go on or not, to live or to die, to fight or give in.

I'm not recommending that you pull out your hair or yank out your nails but, other than that, let's choose to be like the eagle in this story shall we?

A Drop in the Bucket

During my life, whenever I got a cold or the flu (or was hungry, or tired, or sad, or...anything) my grandmother would always say "drink lots of water".  If I had a sore throat it became "drink lots of water" + "gargle with salt". Like drinking water was the magic elixir and was the answer to any illness.

Well, I guess it's true because apparently drinking a lot of water is beneficial to MS patients for a very interesting reason.

You know how Dr. Paolo Zamboni has shown that our disease may be due to faulty or twisted veins and impaired blood drainage?  If you have no idea what I'm talking about right now, see this link:

http://soiguessihavemsnow.blogspot.com/2011/05/youre-so-vein.html

Caught up?  Good.  So anyway, there is this thing out there called the Water Cure.  Heard of it?  I hadn't either so I looked it up and wow, would my grandmother ever love this!

Basically it says that you can improve or cure your MS by drinking a lot of water. There is a very specific recipe that says to take your weight, divide it by two and that number equals the number of ounces of water you're to drink per day.  So, if you weigh 140 pounds (divided by two is 70) you should be drinking 70 ounces of water a day.

This is done to keep the water volume in your body up, which keeps a lot of blood flowing through your veins.  This doesn't allow them to become twisted or malformed and voila, no back up of blood flow into the brain and ... no MS.  See, I told you it was interesting.

There is a whole Water Cure following out there that swear by this method. They've got it down to water + sea salt and methods to help your body retain the beneficial liquid for 2-3 hours (bagel anyone?).  I know that you're probably thinking (like I was) that it would be difficult to ingest that large amount of water and not be constantly doing the pee-pee dance.  

They have fixes for this too and give you specific amounts to slowly begin you on the path to your maximum water intake.

Don't worry about floating away; you're not to drink more than one liter of water at a time.  There are also several tips on cutting out foods that rob your body of water and how to combat swelling if you're going the water + salt route.

I've included the information links on the bottom of this post in case you'd like to try the Water Cure; I'm going to.  Why not right?  I know that several people will scoff at this and say that water alone can't help my disease but, whatever, it's my life and if I don't try everything I can, I'm just giving in.

And pardon me but, screw giving in.  ha ha

Here's the Water Cure information for the fellow non-giving-in-ers.  

http://www.watercure2.org/   (See: Critical Water Cure Info)

http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm   (Water calculator)

Side Order of LDN Please

Lately I've been receiving a lot of questions about the medication that I take for MS.  When I got my diagnosis, my friend Stephanie told me about an oral medication called Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) that has gained huge popularity in the MS community.

Naltrexone in its regular dose (50mg) is used in the treatment of alcohol and opiate addiction.  As is the way with most groundbreaking medical discoveries, Naltrexone in a much lower dose (1.75-4.5mg) was accidentally discovered to greatly improve MS symptoms.  It has also been shown to rapidly reduce the duration and severity of MS relapses for relapsing-remitting patients.

While on disability leave from work a few months ago and prior to beginning any MS treatment, I did a ton of research on the inject-able medications in comparison to LDN. My neurologist recommended that I use Rebif but, after hearing from her the dismal success rate and side effects of this and the other needle treatments, I was very uncomfortable in going this route.

I decided to begin LDN at a 3mg/day dose and I'll tell you, this medication works for me in a big way.  I was smack in the middle of a major relapse when I took my first LDN pill and within 3 days, I noticed that my bladder control was getting better.  Within a week I had near-normal bladder control and those Poise pads were relegated to the back of my closet.

Within two weeks I noticed that my foot numbness and walking was much better and voila, that was the beginning of the remission I'm in now.  Thank you LDN!

If you're thinking of beginning LDN for your MS, I'll share with you some things I've learned about it:

If you have any kind of spasticity in your limbs, you should take no more than 3mg/day; any higher is shown to possibly worsen these symptoms.  LDN works to boost your immune system and is best taken between the hours of 9pm - 2am because of the body's natural cycles.  You must take the normal form (quick-release) of the drug for it to work; not the slow-release formula.  You can not take any kind of opiate while using LDN as it is an opiate antagonist and will nullify the effects of the drug. 

LDN is usually always made by grinding up the larger dose and making it into capsules at your specified dose (this is called "compounding").  You can find compounding pharmacies all over the place; I used Google and then just called them to see who was most familiar with LDN for MS.  They all were!  You can also have it made into a water-soluble powder that you mix for drinking.

When being compounded, the pharmacist will fill the capsule with a filler material as well as the LDN.  The most common filler used is lactose and this doesn't affect the LDN.  If you're lactose-intolerant, ask your pharmacist to fill with rice powder instead; just make sure if they're using something other than this that you check it doesn't affect the absorbancy rate of the LDN.

I go directly to my G.P. to get my prescription for LDN as he has other MS patients on it with good results.  This is called an off-label prescription as Naltrexone has been approved by the FDA in it's higher dose of 50mg for opiate/alcohol addiction and we're using it for something else.  My neurologist won't prescribe it for me because she will only give out the ABC inject-able medications and referred me back to my G.P. anyway... Hey, I'll go where the drugs are!

If you're having a difficult time with your doctor regarding this drug, I've attached some information that you can take to them or read over yourself to get up to speed (see links below).  If you have any other questions or comments about LDN, let me know in the comments below or send me an email and I'll do my best to help you out.

Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) is also showing great success in treating other diseases such as lung cancer, lupus, fibromyalgia and arthritis among other auto-immune disorders.  If you know of anyone suffering from these ailments, feel free to pass on this information and maybe you can help someone else outside of the MS community too.

http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/gazorpa/LDNFAQ.html


http://lowdosenaltrexone.org/



http://www.ldnscience.org/

Special Mention Goes To...

I knew when I posted about our furry friends that people would know what I was talking about!  I rarely meet people who aren't comfortable being around animals and I'm glad for that because they are such a comfort - not to mention so adorable!

This is George, also known as Georgeeeeeee by his loving dad Luc.  I think he knew that he was going to be featured on a website today because he dressed up in his Mexican scarf for us.

George

George

Thanks George for helping out your papa; did anyone ever tell you that you look like a perfect, little stuffed animal?!

And to Luc and George's friend who is newly diagnosed, keep on keeping on.  It gets better, I swear!  The bad days get few and far between as you learn to live with this new thing in your life.  You're a part of the MS community now and let me tell you, it's quite an awesome "family" to be in.  Everyone here knows what you're going through and if you ever need help or have a question, let me know.  I'll put it out there and I know you'll get an answer from the readers here - they're pretty sharp!

Special Mention Goes To...

Back in my "Pro-Fur" post (http://soiguessihavemsnow.blogspot.com/2011/05/pro-fur.html), I mentioned how much I LOVE animals and how my pets make me feel better when I'm having a bad day.  I encouraged readers to send in pics of the furry friends that make you feel better too.

This is Stephanie's new kitty Charlie:

Charlie

Charlie napping

So, a great big welcome to Charlie and thanks from your new mum for making life a little better (and cuter). xoxo

Ahhh, That's Better

So, hello all.  I'm back refreshed and relaxed from my visit home to Niagara and my vacation to Quebec.  I was on a girl's-trip to Montreal, the Eastern Townships and Quebec City and each place was so different from the last.

Montreal was our first stop and we were there for a couple of nights.  We started the "journey of eating, drinking and shopping" right then...ha ha.  We attended the Jazz Festival and sat outside watching and listening to concerts and enjoying the atmosphere.  We went to the old part of the city and shopped in all of the little boutiques, had poutine, smoked meat sandwiches and wine.

Montreal at night

Montreal jazz festival

Montreal outdoor refreshments

Next stop was Sherbrooke and the Eastern Townships; a collection of little villages filled with farmland, antiques and specialty food.  We spent time at a wonderful lavender farm called Bleu Lavande and had lunch on their outdoor patio.  My meal was perfect; toasted baguette smothered in their lavender honey, a thick layer of local goat cheese and toasted pine nuts sprinkled on top.  Top that off with their homemade lavender lemonade and you have the perfect afternoon treat.

Bleu Lavande lavender fields

Bleu Lavande

After the Eastern Townships, we headed off to Quebec City; the best stop on our little journey.  The city is absolutely beautiful; the new and very old parts.  We were a five minute walk from the walled entrance to the old city and spent most of our time there and around the parliament buildings.

We shopped, dined outside and had drinks at little cafes surrounded by happy tourists and locals.  We spent eight hours one day just walking all around the promenade and old, cobblestone streets; in and out of every little specialty store and boutique.

Quebec parliament buildings

Entrance to the walled old city of Quebec

Chateau Frontenac and old city promenade

Old city shopping

Quebec - old city

We sat and appreciated the wonderful architecture, took pictures and drank in the atmosphere and lovely weather.  I am so impressed with everything about Quebec City and can't wait to go back as soon as possible.  We also spent a day on nearby Ile D'orleans (a gorgeous little island right off of Quebec City in the St. Lawrence River).

Specialty cheese farms (fromageries), artisanal chocolate factories, cider houses and fruit & vegetable farms abound on this island and they are all within a short drive or bike ride from each other.  I picked up some organic chocolate & vanilla body cream, went for an alcoholic cider tasting paired with duck and had local cheese and fruit on a deck overlooking the river.  The other girls bought copious amounts of cheese and we just packed it all into a couple of coolers to ensure its safe journey back home.

Ile D'orleans

Local island friend :)

A logical second vehicle on the island

A lovely place to have lunch

There you have it.  I hope that you've enjoyed my pictures and that, if you haven't been yet, you're convinced that a trip to Quebec is in your future.

I spoke to some MSers while at home and have a lot of new issues to discuss and investigate for you so, back to regular blogging next week.  If you have any of your own Quebec pictures that you'd like posted, send them in (my email address is under my profile info on the right)...

Ali

Happy Belated 144th Birthday!

Dear Canada, happy birthday!  I'm sorry that this is 3 days late but, I was vacationing in Quebec.

I hope that all of you Canadians out there had a fantastic holiday and toasted our country with picnics, fireworks and grand celebration. 

I am in Ontario now and am back in B.C. on Wednesday so, normal posting will resume soon.  I'll also post some pictures and information from my awesome trip to Quebec - la belle province. 

I shopped, ate and drank my way through my trip and loved it all.  If you haven't gone to Quebec City and area yet, you must visit; it's fantastic and has something for everyone. 

I'm already looking forward to going back - hopefully soon.  Word to the wise though...if you have any MS symptoms, bring your cane.  I didn't and I could have used it on all of the cobblestones, narrow streets and hills.  They definitely weren't thinking about handicapped-accessibility back when the walled city was built!  ha ha

Thanks for reading as always. 
Ali xoxo

P.S.  For all of the U.S. readers out there: Happy 4th of July!  I hope that you're having a great holiday too.

Thanks Sucker

When I was a little kid, my family used to visit our cousins at their cottage in Muskoka (a summer retreat area for many Ontario residents).  Anyway, their cottage was on a lake and my sister and I and our two cousins would spend practically all day swimming and jumping off of the dock. 

This was paradise for us except for one little drawback...the leeches.  Unfortunately, several freshwater lakes in this area are home to these little blood-suckers.  Usually they weren't a problem and it was rare to ever get "bitten" by one of them but, I will never forget how scared I was by the threat of it.  They're kind of like swimming mosquitos right!?  Yuck. 


Well, perhaps I was too tough on these little creatures, because it turns out that leeches and their saliva may actually be beneficial in the treatment of MS.

Leeches belong to the same family as the common earthworm and there are three main types: marine, freshwater and terrestrial.  There are many species of leeches that do not feed on human blood and prefer to consume invertebrates like gnats, insect larvae, water bugs and snails.

The type of sucker used in medicine is a Haemophagic leech; they attach to their host and feed on it's blood until full.  The little guys (or girls - leeches are all hermaphrodites) are courteous though and release an anesthetic so their host doesn't feel them at all.  When they're satisfied, they let go and take off to go digest their meal.  I wonder if it's like Thanksgiving and all the little leeches hang out on a log after dinner and watch the equivalent of football?...

Researchers believe that leeches are beneficial to MS patients because of an anticoagulant, or blood thinner, that they secrete in their saliva called hirudin.  This stops the clotting of blood and allows the leeches to have a steady drink.  When studying the over 2 500 proteins from the brains of MS patients, researchers found something interesting.

In MSers, two proteins known as tissue factor and protein C inhibitor showed signs of damage that was not present in healthy brains. These two proteins are responsible for controlling the clotting of blood.

So, it is thought that these damaged proteins form a kind of scaffold for T-cells/immune cells to build on, allowing them to gain access to the blood-brain barrier.  When T-cells cross through the barrier and get into the brain, it's party time.  They wreak havoc on our myelin (the brain's insulating material) causing damage and the furthering of MS - remember the post on caffeine ("Cuppa Joe")? These theories are all related...

With this information in hand, researchers decided to try out a medicine derived from the leech's hirudin to treat mice with the animal-equivalent of MS.  And guess what?  It worked!  Hirudin was able to break down the "scaffolding" effect caused by the damaged brain proteins and prevent T-cells from ever crossing the blood-brain barrier.  Like the caffeine solution, both of these treatments focus on preventing T-cells/immune cells from ever getting into the brain in the first place.

Again, these lucky little mice are getting their MS cured and we humans are all waiting around for more studies.  Basically, scientists need to find something along these lines that wouldn't cause an anti-coagulating effect in the entire body and wouldn't cause bleeding.

Even if we aren't getting these treatment options as fast as we'd like, we are getting new information into the nature of our disease.  What makes it tick, why this is happening to us and how this is happening to us.  Until we get more answers, I'd just like to say a huge thank you to the little bees, mice and leeches that are helping us out for now, just by being them.

Next time I go swimming in a leech-ey lake, I won't be scared at all.  Maybe I'll go skinny-dipping instead and let the leeches go to town instead!  Free alternative medicine, compliments of Mother Nature!