Back from Boston

Took this pic on the way to airport

On Wednesday 10/31 (yes, Halloween and on the heels of hurricane Sandy) my Mother and I headed to the airport in anticipation of our trip to Boston.  This was my second year going to Boston and my mom's very first time.

We arrived at the airport at 5:30 and it was dang near empty.  No one was in the check in line and the security line was also non-existent.  There was only a handful of people in the airport waiting for flights for the first hour that we were there.   We would be connecting in San Francisco and our flight to Boston was the last one out of San Francisco for the night.  We almost had to stay the night in San Francisco.  It's only about 50 minutes from Reno to San Francisco but it seemed like forever because there was a lot of turbulence and we were on a small plane.  I have never prayed on a flight the way I did that night. 

The San Francisco airport is huge and our connecting flight came in from Hawaii so it ended up in the international section.  What a nightmare.  I truly felt like we were in that reality TV show, Amazing Race.  They made it seem like we only had 1 minute to get to our gate all the way on the west wing.  I really did not want to stay the night in SFO so we were booking to make it to our gate.  When we finally got there, our plane wasn't even boarding yet.  They were boarding 2 different flights, one to China and one to Australia.  It looked like we weren't the only ones rushing to the gate.  Once we boarded our flight, an older couple actually convinced them to reopen the gate for them.  Two words, Amazing Race.

We arrived in Boston at around 8:00 a.m.  We were greeted at the baggage claim by a friendly young woman holding a sign for BiogenIdec.  We got our bags and she led us to a sleek black luxury car.  Almost like a limo but a bit too short.  The driver kindly loaded our bags in the car for us and we were on our way.  The weather in Boston was beautiful.  The sky was clear and blue and the temperature was a comfortable 69 degrees.  Hurricane Sandy only yielded heavy rain and winds in Boston just a day before.  How did Boston escape the extreme damage left in New York and the Jersey Shore?  I thought for sure the conference would be cancelled because Boston was expected to be in the eye of the storm.  To all those affected by that terrible storm, my condolences and prayers go out to you.  I asked God to renew your hope and your strength and to restore all that was lost and more.  May God also have mercy on the souls of those who lost their lives.

Our hotel was only a few minutes away from the airport in downtown Boston which is very similar to downtown San Francisco.  When we arrived at the hotel, a doorman named Humberto was there to unload our luggage while we checked in and then led us to our room.  He gave us some very helpful tips about the city and what was nearby. 



He was also sure to warn us that everything in the refrigerator was extremely expensive and told us not to even remove something to look at it. If we did, a signal would automatically go to the front desk and charge it to our room. Most of the items didn't even have a price. The box of chocolates to the left of the Snickers was $8. There was a tiny section which had just enough space to store a drink or two of your own. 

We were super tired and hungry.  The conference wasn't expected to start until 5:00 p.m. so we had some time to do a little sightseeing near the hotel.  We tried to find a restaurant nearby but there were only deli's. 

We were near the Boston Tea Party Museum but it was closed.

 We took a few pics outside the hotel.


 





There was a water taxi directly outside the back of the hotel.

The hotel had a 3 restaurants but one was closed and the other two were only serving light, continental style breakfast.  So we did the next best thing and ordered room service.  We wanted some meat and some eggs, ya know.  My Mom had steak and eggs and I had blueberry pancakes and sausage links.  Now that really hit the spot.  After that it was time for a nap.

Later that evening we headed down for dinner and mingling.  I spotted some people that I met last year and connected with some new folks too.  At the conferences, they always serve wonderful food buffet style and there is even an open bar with different varieties of beer and wine.  It always surprises me to see the alcohol because at least 90% of the people there are on assorted medications.  But we are all adults and everyone was sure to manage their alcohol intake very well.  The first night was mainly introductions and a review of the conference schedule. 

The following day was mostly meetings and training.  

The meetings are always very informative and the training is actually a lot of fun.  We act out different scenarios and laugh a lot!!!  We also receive updates on the latest health care information, healthy tips, government affairs (this was a few weeks before the election so it was super interesting) and more.  There is also a presentation from the CEO George Scangos.  Can I just say that George is very passionate about MS treatment.  His story is quite remarkable and he seems like a very humble man. 

Later that day, we were loaded with tons of information and ready to relax and unwind.  Now was a good time to rest, take a bath, explore the hotel and city or whatever else our active brains could think of.  My mom and I decided to hang out in our room and visit with a woman named Cleo.  She is a singer and she serenaded us with a song chosen by my mother, His Eye Is On The Sparrow.  Her soprano voice range was music to my ears.  I loved her.  Her smile was infectious.





That evening, we had a wonderful cocktail attire dinner and dessert. We danced, played games and really had a wonderful time. There was a photo booth too. We took pics with a few other women that I met last year. Talk about funny, we couldn't stop laughing.


After dinner and dancing to a few of my favorite songs, my Mom and I headed to our room to get packed and prepared to leave the next afternoon, right after the conference ended.  I really missed my husband and my daughters and I was anxious to get back home.  We had a long day ahead of us and we were still drained from the 3 hours that we lost when we arrived on the east coast.  I just hoped the airport gates in Denver weren't too far away from our connecting flight.  (It ended up being the same gate that we arrived at, yahoo!)


It's a good thing our final day was short and sweet.  At breakfast the next morning you could tell that everyone was drained and quite frankly ready to head home.  The famous or infamous bell had little to no effect on anyone.  If you read my post about the conference from last year, Boston Advocate Conference you might recall the bell that I described as a xylophone made of steel.  Ok, so I'm not very good at identifying small musical instruments because it was certainly not a xylophone.


Fifteen minutes before each session, a woman would walk around with hand held chimes. The melody was very pleasant and low key. It reminded me of something you would expect to hear on the front porch of your beach front bungalow, when the wind would blow ever so slightly. Now, since I don't have anything like that, this is just my imagination running wild incorporated with things I must have seen on TV.

Yeah well that bell was pretty much viewed as more of a suggestion.  Most of us arrived at breakfast with only 10 minutes to spare, this is what eventually happens when you get spoiled from day one.  That is until a staff member literally went to each table and gently urged us to get moving.  Our brains were loaded to the max and I'd say we were anxious to share all that we had learned with family and friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc....  We were sure to exchange numbers and social media information with those that we hung out with during the conference. 

By 12:30 we were having our final lunch and wrapping things up with closing remarks, sentiments and deep felt appreciation.  Many shout outs were given to the BiogenIdec staff for such an amazing, pampered weekend.  Their employees are so caring and dedicated to the MS community.  To Pamela Raglin, Thanks for all you do and have done for me and people with MS.  Me and my Mom had a wonderful time and everyone loved my Mom. 

I am looking forward to my next opportunity to address a crowd about living with MS.  For more resources on Multiple Sclerosis, go to http://www.msactivesource.com/index.xml.

Going Back to Boston!!

Hello Everyone,

I'm heading back to Boston, MA for the annual MS Advocate Conference.  This is my second year and it will be November 1st through the 3rd.  My Mom will be traveling with me this year instead of my husband.  I'm so excited that she will be able to experience all the amazing blessings at this conference.  We are staying at the InterContinental Hotel:

  A CONTEMPORARY LANDMARK ON BOSTON HARBOR   Standing on the very spot where a late-night tea party ignited the American Revolution, InterContinental Boston puts you at the heart of history in ultra-modern style. Adjacent to the Financial District, our gleaming glass towers are a short walk from Faneuil Hall, Back Bay, Chinatown, Beacon Hill and the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

The Museum of African American History is 4 minutes away.  This was formerly the African Meeting House constructed almost entirely by black labor in 1806.  It not only hosted celebrations but political and anti-slavery meetings as well.  I will not have time to do much site seeing so my mail goal is to visit this U.S. National  Historic Landmark while in Boston if at all possible.

African Meeting House

Hopefully we can make time to visit the Faneuil Hall Marketplace, another amazing attraction in Boston.  This attraction is closer to the hotel and appears to be between the hotel and African Meeting House.  This will be the perfect place for shopping and dining.  It boasts:  Eat, drink, and be captivated at 14 restaurants and pubs including Cheers, McCormick & Schmick's, Ned Devine's Irish Pub and Todd English’s Kingfish Hall. Dine beneath beautiful glass canopies or at one of our many outdoor cafes. In addition, you'll find over 36 international food vendors inside of the Quincy Market Colonnade, the largest food hall in New England.

In addition to:  Faneuil Hall Marketplace is Boston shopping at its best with more than 100 of the finest shops and specialty pushcarts. Locally-owned treasures, nationally recognized retailers, and the Bullmarket...the world's first "fleet" of wholly unique pushcarts featuring New England artisans and their fabulous wares.

There is so much to do at Faneuil Hall, including visiting Cheers:

Visit the authentic replica of the Cheers set in historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace! This accurate duplication of the famous Hollywood set features a central island bar, Tiffany lamps, overhead TV lights, and a catwalk. In addition to traditional pub fare and an abundant beverage selection, this location showcases some of the original costumes worn by the Cheers cast. The Cheers store offers officially licensed Cheers merchandise.

We will have to be careful and avoid trying to do too much in such a short period of time.  It's probably very easy to become overwhelmed.  That's a lot of walking and I can see it totally depleting my energy levels.  But it would be so worth it.

Last year I never left the hotel but my husband walked to a nearby convenience store while I was in meetings.  These conferences keep you pretty busy.  I'm looking forward to this trip and I hope to take some good pics to share when I return.

The Tahoe MS Walk was on Saturday 9/22/12 and the weather was beautiful. 



9:00 a.m. about 75 degrees

I met Yvonne at this walk.  She has a brother with MS.  She is so positive and upbeat.

Yvonne-MS Society Las Vegas Branch.

This is the first time I have ever seen this wall at a walk.  And yes, I signed it.

This wall speaks for itself!
 

Here is the speech I gave at the walk.



Forget Me Not

I have always been absent minded.  It runs in my family.  For as long as I can remember, my Grandmother would always put post it notes on her refrigerator and mirrors throughout her house and near her phone.  Thanks to those post it notes, she hardly forgets anything as long as she puts it on a post it.  Now remembering to do that part is another story.

Instead of post its, I put everything on my cell phone.  Audio reminders are a must.  It makes life for me and everyone else in my circle so much easier.  MS impacts my short term memory because of the lesions in certain parts of my brain.  It's not only difficult for me, but it affects my friends and family when I can't remember a recent conversation or I forget something within such a short amount of time.  I really wish I could control my memory.  I work very hard to train my brain by keeping it active.  Puzzles, playing piano and even my job help tremendously.  Blogging is another great way to keep my brain active because I do a lot of research when I post a blog.   Bible study or anything that increases my ability to learn and requires a lot of thought also makes a difference.

My friends and family sometimes get frustrated with me.  They "forget" that my memory is heavily impacted by MS.  I had a conversation with a friend who expressed her frustration with my forgetfulness. She couldn't understand how I could remember specific details about the past so well but I forget details of recent conversations.  I tried to educate her about short term memory and what takes place in my brain.  Every time you receive information, you have a small frame of time to retain new information w/o losing it.  Most of the time you will only retain bits and pieces.   That goes for everyone.  Some people are gifted with the ability to retain information as it comes.  There are exercises we can all do to train our brain when it comes to memory.

MS affects your brain and spinal cord aka Central Nervous System.  Your immune system attacks the myelin (protective covering) that insulates the nerves in your CNS.  This causes scar tissue that can block nerve signals to your brain.  When the lesions are actually in your brain, this causes a whole different set of issues.  Combine the lesions in your brain and spinal cord and you have a very tough situation on your hands.  Think about it, every aspect of your body is regulated by your central nervous system.  Anything that impacts your central nervous system can wreak havoc on you from head to toe.  Cognitive functions, mental emotions, physical disability, and yes (you guessed it), MEMORY.

Having MS has brought me closer to God in so many ways.  I have been convinced that I was so right about something only to find out that I was so wrong.  That was very painful at times.  Not only for me but for my friends and family.  God taught me how to realize that I am not always right and it's OK.  Learning to put on mercy, humility and grace was a must.  Not only that but keeping an open mind.  I put all my trust in Him and seek His guidance and counsel now more than ever. I wouldn't have it any other way.   I couldn't imagine traveling this unpredictable road called life without God.

Now I Understand by Daesia Espinoza

This was written by my daughter Daesia when she was 14 years old.  She wrote this as an assignment for the IB program at school.  This is about my MS diagnosis from her perspective at the time. 

                                                Now  I  Understand

              I’ve  always  known  my  mother  to  be  smart,  loving,  caring,  and  strong.  But  when  she  was  diagnosed  with  MS  things  started  to  change.  Some  for  the  better  and  others  for  the  worse.   

             When  I  was  told  the  news  I  was  naturally  scared.  I  didn’t  have  a  clue  as  to  what  MS  was,  I  just  knew  it  was  hurting  her  from  inside.  My  first  reaction  was  to  cry,  but  she  was  able  to  calm  me  down  by  telling  me  everything  would  be  okay.  As  her  child  I  believed  her,  and  all  of  a  sudden  I  knew  she  would  survive.

            Now  since  a  few  years  have  passed  I  realize  I  should  be  grateful  for  what  I  have  and  not  take  anything  for  granted.  My  mother  is  alive  and  well and  there  is  nothing  I  would  want  more  in  the  world. I  am  proud  of  her  for  being  strong,  but  most  of  all for  being  so  courageous  and  keeping  her  trust  in  God.   She  will  always  be  my  role  model  and  hero.  

            This  experience  helped  me  better  understand  myself  and  the  world.  About  myself  I  now  understand  that  as  long  as  I  believe  and  trust  in  God  everything  will  be  okay.  About  the world  I  now  know  that  my  family  is  not  immune  to  the  craziness  around  us,  but  it helps  to  smile  and  have  a  positive  attitude.  In  the  end  everything  will  be  okay.

 Daesia C Espinoza

 2/25/10

           

Update: Doing Well

The past few weeks have been good.  I recently had some blood work done and found out that my vitamin D levels were way below normal ranges.  Not only that but my iron leves and potassium were also very low.  I am currently taking 100,000 iu's of vitamin D3 per week for the next 6 weeks.  Typically it should only be 50,000 iu's per week but my primary care physician saw fit to double that for a bit which is ok as long as it's monitored.  She plans to check my blood again in 6 months.  Isn't that odd considering that I previously wrote a post about vitamin D Vitamin Savvy ?  I was taking 2000 iu's per day and sometimes a supplement of vitamin D & A but not consistent.  I was spending a little more time in the sun than usual thinking that would sustain me but come to find out that I need to take a vitamin D supplement for the rest of my life.  I am also taking an iron supplement for the next 6 months and I took potassium for 10 days because it was borderline low and below normal.



HCTZ

In the case of my potassium levels, I know this has to do with the HCTZ pill that I take every day.  HCTZ  is a dieuretic used to treat high blood pressure.  In my case, because of MS I am unable to completely empty my bladder and I retain water which increases my blood pressure.  The water pill prevents me from retaining fluids and in turn decreases blood pressure.  At the same time, I loose a lot of potassium so I've been told to eat and drink foods high in potassium like bananas and citric fruit juices or take a potassium supplement.  It's a vicious circle because the HCTZ can affect the way your body responds to direct sunlight so you should avoid long periods in the sun.  Well there goes my natural vitamin D exchange (hence vitamin D supplements for life).  I wasn't doing so well in that arena anyways because MS does not mix well with the sun or heat in general.
My 35th birthday was on 6/13th and I received my 39th Tysabri infusion.  There was a small mix up with communication between my doctor's office and the TOUCH program so my infusion was delayed for a week.  My prescription expired and had to be renewed for another 6 months.  I'd say Tysabri is doing a great job for me as of now.  I enjoy the monthly visits.  My nurse and I have become great friends.  She is younger than me but she is very wise for her age.  She is expecting her first child in September and I'm so thrilled for her.  This week I found out that she is having a girl as we both predicted the month before.

I still work full time but the desire that God has placed in my heart is to branch out as a public motivation speaker.  I did some research on the internet last night and I found out that I should reach out to the local Toastmasters Club or Speaker's Bureau.  These clubs are typically not for profit and they meet once a week to help people become better speakers.  Low and behold, there is a club in the basement at my very own job.  Yep, that's right, there is a club that meets at NV Energy (my place of employment) every Tuesday from 12:05 to 1:05 so I plan to attend their next meeting this coming Tuesday (today is Saturday).  This could be the beginning of my break through as a speaker, stay tuned and find out............

Last weekend we walked for MS.  As usual, we had a wonderful time.  This year we raised over $4500.  Here is a little video that I put together of all the pics that I took at the walk.   I would like to say thank you to all my family and friends who participated in fundraising for Multiple Sclerosis and supporting me.

                                         http://youtu.be/uuoEFgN-80Y

Give Back Night @Chili's

Last night Chili's hosted a give back night for the MS Warrior's, my walk MS team for the National MS Society.  We had a great time.

For every table with this flyer, Chili's donated 15% of the bill to our team between the hours of 4 and 10.  We earned $160 for the MS Society Nevada Chapter.




Linda Lott, MS Society regional manager for the Nevada/Southern California chapter.  This woman has more energy than the pink Energizer bunny and if Duracel had a mascot, they wouldn't have nothing on her either.  She makes it easy for me to be a walk team captain.  She is a huge part of every effort that I make to raise money for the MS Society.

My husband and one of his brothers from another mother, Steve.  What I want to know is, who is the father?

This is part of the group that accompanied Steve, there were 12 of them all together.  They really know how to have a good time.

The rest of Steve's entourage.  Super cool people.

G Money (green shirt) and his wife Jennifer with their children and grand kids.

Left to right: My husband, me, daughter Aliya in the shadows, Brooke and Steve.

Aliya and her best friend Sarah and Dayna behind them.

There were a lot more people that supported us through out the night and I want to say thank you  to every single one of them   I also met some people that plan to walk with us next weekend.  I felt like a star last night!

My Health Update

I wanted to let everyone know what I've been up to and how I am doing.  My treatment and other medications make having MS as comfortable as possible.  My walking and balance are good these days.  My toes on my right foot are always slightly numb.  If I do too much or get too stressed, the numbness in my toes increases and it feels like I have a giant rubber band wrapped around my toes.  As soon as I get rest or calm down, it lets up.  I also get random stabbing pain all over my body.  Not all at once, sometimes it's in my back, or my face or my head but it never lasts for more than a few seconds.  It doesn't happen every day and when it does, it may only be one isolated incident and other times it's intermittent over 30 to 45 minutes.  Fatigue continues to be my number one complaint.  After a good night of sleep, I am drained within 4 hours to 6 hours of waking up but by late afternoon or early evening I begin to feel revived again.  Some days are better than others.

Mentally I am very forgetful but I think I am better in that area these days.  I mostly struggle with words or short term memory.  For example, my oldest daughter has a role in an upcoming play and I keep asking her when it is.  I know that it's in March but I can't tell you exactly what day without asking her for the hundredth time.  When it comes to word fishing, I have gotten much better at recalling the word I am looking for a lot sooner.  Otherwise I am sharper than a tack.  After a while, once I get it locked in, I got it.

I am preparing and fundraising for the MS Walk coming up in May.  So far I have raised $200.  If you are interested in making a donation, please click on this link:  donation
 then click on "Donate to Starla".

Thank you to those who have donated to me and the MS Society.  Your donation means so much to me and other MS patients.  Treatments for MS has come a very long way because of your generous support.

Flu Bug?

There is a nasty flu like cold virus going around.  One person (my cousin) ended up with pneumonia.  This virus has been really difficult to shake.  Since I am on Tysabri, I have to avoid sick people.  We all know how difficult that can be so I try to be proactive.  I like to use natural ingredients for different ailments as much as possible for me and my family.  I recently made a home made cough syrup.  It's super easy. 

There are only 5 ingredients: 
garlic
red onion
ginger
lemon
dehydrated cane juice (raw sugar)

You will also need a jar with a lid.

Just slice the garlic, onions and ginger.  Layer ingredients in the jar with the raw sugar, squeeze 1/2 the lemon into jar and place the lid on.  Within 1 to 4 hours, a concetrated syrup will begin to form.  I drained the syrup and bottled it.  It keeps in the fridge for 6 months to a year.  It tastes ok, very sweet and you may want to rinse with mouth wash to eliminate that garlic and onion after taste. 

My husband has come down with a cold but it's not flu like at this time.  I gave him  2 teaspoons of my home made syrup a few nights ago.  This is some very concentrated syrup.  I will continue to give him 1 teaspoon daily for the next 3 days.  I also gave a bottle to my Mom who is also sick.  I believe it's safe for kids too.  I gave 1 teaspoon to 2 of my daughters because they were complaining of sore throats a few months ago.  I also gave them some zinc.  It knocked whatever it was right out.  They did not end up with any long term infections.

Live Well, Stay Active

Acupuncture, Rolfing (deep tissue massage aimed at realigning the body with gravity), hypnosis, and chiropractic care are examples of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine also known as CAM.   CAM Therapy is not an area that is typically covered by insurance.  Here are some ideas to cover costs from the Spring 2012 edition of Momentum, the magazine of the National MS Society.

If you are employed, ask your employer or health plan administrator about a "rider" in which people buy additional insurance coverage specifically for CAM services.  You may be able to get a pre-negotiated discount.

Take advantage of a flexible spending account or FSA.  This allows you to set aside pretax dollars for qualified medical expenses.

Ask CAM providers if they offer payment plans or discounts for paying upfront or in cash or save money by  researching community-based providers in your area that offer services such as yoga, massage and acupuncture.

The National MS society often provides access to free or low priced services such as yoga, massage and acupuncture.  Call 1-800-344-4867 to ask an MS Navigator about community providers and organizations in the area including your Society chapter.

Biogen Idec has a great website that offers a full range of assistance for MS patients.  They will send you free exercise DVD's, all you have to do is register.   I received my free copy and it's a great video that provides different ability levels.  They also have fitness and diet education, healthy recipes, an online journal for tracking your progress, games to stimulate your brain, free personalized support, a peer mentor program and many other resources. Simply go to MSActiveSource.com and get started.  It's a great website.

Live well and stay active.

Battling MS Fatigue

Lassitude a.k.a. physical or mental weariness a.k.a. MS Fatigue.  This is fatigue like no other.  It's not caused by lack of sleep or running around like a headless chicken even though it feels that way.  Fatigue typically hits me between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.  I start to feel very sluggish despite the fact that I slept for 6 to 7 hours the night before.  I don't drink more than one cup of coffee per day because I am naturally hyper.  Some doctors might be tempted to diagnose me with ADD if they were to ask my family what I'm like between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.  For me that's my down time which is usually spent blogging, talking, doing puzzles, cooking, reading, or watching TV and doing at least 3 of these activities at the same time.

Here are some things I found about fatigue that I thought would be helpful for the MS community or anyone  else trying to combat fatigue.

Get a B12 boost, especially if you take meds used to treat heartburn, cholesterol and diabetes which hinder B12's absorption.  Also if you are a vegetarian since the vitamin is found in red meat.  By taking 1,000 mcg. of sublingual (under the tongue) B12 daily, your energy levels can improve within 3 weeks.  They are absorbed 5 times better than regular B12 pills.  Always check with your doctor before starting a new supplement.

Potassium beats fatigue!  Fatigue is the number one symptom for those who are low in potassium.  Eat one cup of potassium rich foods daily, which is essential for energy production inside muscle and brain cells.  A few great picks are: spinach, sweet potatoes (love these), beans, lentils, tomato sauce and potatoes with skins.  Of course you could always go BANANAS!


Brighten your mood with clary sage.  Yes, this essential oil locks onto the same brain receptors that antidepressant medications do which increases serotonin output and can cut fatigue and tension as much as 50%.  Keep a vial of clary sage oil handy and inhale slowly and deeply four times daily or whenever you need an energy boost.  You can find this oil at just about any health food store.

Skip coffee.  Hmm, did I just say that?  Well, maybe in the afternoon, once you've already had at least one cup of coffee for the day.  Really, try cocoa made with dark chocolate instead.  Antioxidant rich flavanols in dark chocolate pump more blood to the brain, providing it with energy-revving nutrients.

Prayer for Receiving Healing

My Mom loaned me this book almost a year ago.  I finally started reading it today and I came across a page that was actually folded as a way to book mark it.  On page 85 of this book, I found the most amazing prayer.  Actually, below is the last paragraph of that page.  I plan to meditate on this prayer as much as I can.  I know that if it be God's will, I will be healed from MS.  If not, I believe He will continue to make it possible for me to live my life to the fullest regardless.

Dear Lord,
If this sickness has been caused by an infectious organism, show me the weakness in my immune system that has allowed it to find entrance into my body.  Show me if I am eating wrong.  Show me if I am relying on medications and man-made answers that are not in your will for me.  I loose, strip, and destroy the power and hold of this infection or disease from my body.  I loose, strip, and destroy the reproductive cycle of this organism.  I loose any wrong beliefs, any wrong attitudes, any bitterness from my soul that are sustaining vulnerability and weakness in my body.  I ask you to reveal any other sources of access that are in me.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Breaking The Power--Liberty Savard
(Bridge-Logos Publishing 1997)

Whether you have MS, or some other illness in your body, consider meditating on this prayer.