Forgiveness

Forgiveness makes life better. Holding onto grudges can hold us down. Forgive others. Forgive yourself. We aren't HD. We are people. We have feelings. Forgive us. HD is not us. Never forget the person inside. It is the person that matters. Don't blame yourself. Don't blame others. Accept the fact that we have HD. It is there. It is real. It is how we deal with it that makes the difference. Our fight makes the difference. We need to accept HD in our lives. It will help us role with punches. I am excited to see the next Harry Potter. There is a Lake Park there, we like going for hikes there. They have a cool duck island.

More Updates

I updated my info. What I found told me, that if you gain weight, it helps with your Chorea.

Excited to Join my 2nd study/ Creatine Phase 3

My little boy is so smart. I dropped my meds this morning. Me my Nurse found one. Lucky's nose pointed to the other one. It was amazing to see him do that. He was smart enough to firgure we were looking for somethingI have been really healthy the past month. Hardly any HD. No symptoms. My meds are stable. It has been months since I had my last halluncation. I can't tell you how long.When we went and saw DR, Trew in Calgary, he told me I get a facial twitch from my high dose of Epival. I rather be stable, then care about that. I have a healthy liver, and can take more adjustment if be. We are going to see the new Harry Potter this weekend. We are also going to get more Creatine. Trevor does not want me to go with out. I love being part of COHORT. It is a study where Neros figure out HD from genetic testing, to HD progression. Gary and I are in that one. I have been in that for 7 years now. It is good for them. My family is rare. We all have low CAGS, and yet we get it so early. We also will be doing Creatine together too. They will pay for gas and the Creatine. If you want to do a study. They will pay everything. Calgary is 6 hours away.They pay gas. They want people to enter and will do anything to do it. Help me. Help us find a a cure. HD trials are the responsibilities of all us. If you have HD, you are responsible for your health care. Why not find a cure will testing it yourself. We need you.

Prenatal Testing

Pregnancy is an exciting time, but it can also be challenging and full of decisions. Each clinic visit seems to hold new options, including options to learn about your baby's genetic health before he or she is born.

Some individuals decline all genetic screening and prenatal testing; this is a perfectly acceptable choice. Others choose a form of genetic screening to determine the chance that their baby might have a chromosome abnormality, like Down syndrome.

This can be done by either a first trimester screen or quad marker screen. The main difference between the two is when they take place. A first trimester screen will give you this information between weeks 11 and 14 of pregnancy; a quad marker screen usually doesn't take place until week 16.

A second-trimester ultrasound is also considered a prenatal screening test. Although it won't tell you details about the baby's genetic makeup, it will provide an assessment of the baby's anatomy to see if any birth defects exist. Since certain birth defects can be associated with genetic conditions, it may indirectly give you information about the chance that your baby has a genetic condition.

One of the main benefits of prenatal screening is that you can learn the chance that your baby has genetic condition without putting the pregnancy at risk; this is different than diagnostic testing. Diagnostic testing will give you a definitive answer about the baby's number and overall structure of chromosomal material, but carries with it a small risk for miscarriage.

Two options for diagnostic prenatal testing include amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Amniocentesis is generally done after 14 weeks of pregnancy; CVS is done between weeks 10 and 12 of pregnancy. CVS is a slightly more invasive test, but provides the information at an earlier gestational age. However, it does carry a slightly higher risk for miscarriage than amniocentesis.

Meeting with a genetic counselor can be exceptionally helpful in making a decision about the best options to pursue, if any, during your pregnancy. One of the most important questions to ask yourself during this time is "What will you do with the information you learn?" Please, share your experiences and feedback for our readership

10 tips for better sleep

10 tips for better sleep

If you're having trouble sleeping, change your sleep habits for a better night's rest.
Feeling crabby lately? It could be you aren't getting enough sleep. Work, household responsibilities and child care can make sleep difficult to come by. Factor in other unexpected challenges, such as financial worries, layoffs, relationship issues or an illness, and quality sleep may be even more elusive.

You may not be able to control or eliminate all of the factors that interfere with your sleep, but you can create an environment and adopt habits that encourage a more restful night. Try these suggestions if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep:
Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, even on the weekends. Sticking to a schedule helps reinforce your body's sleep-wake cycle and can help you fall asleep more easily at night.

Don't eat or drink large amounts before bedtime

Eat a light dinner at least two hours before sleeping. If you're prone to heartburn, avoid spicy or fatty foods, which can make your heartburn flare and prevent a restful sleep. Also, limit how much you drink before bed. Too much liquid can cause you to wake up repeatedly during the night for trips to the toilet.

Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol in the evening. These are stimulants that can keep you awake. Smokers often experience withdrawal symptoms at night, and smoking in bed is dangerous. Avoid caffeine for eight hours before your planned bedtime. Your body doesn't store caffeine, but it takes many hours to eliminate the stimulant and its effects. And although often believed to be a sedative, alcohol actually disrupts sleep.

Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, can help you fall asleep faster and make your sleep more restful. However, for some people, exercising right before bed may make getting to sleep more difficult.

Make your bedroom cool, dark, quiet and comfortable. Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Adjust the lighting, temperature, humidity and noise level to your preferences. Use blackout curtains, eye covers, earplugs, extra blankets, a fan or white-noise generator, a humidifier or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.

Sleep primarily at night. Daytime naps may steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to about a half-hour and make it during midafternoon. If you work nights, keep your window coverings closed so that sunlight, which adjusts the body's internal clock, doesn't interrupt your sleep. If you have a day job and sleep at night, but still have trouble waking up, leave the window coverings open and let the sunlight help awaken you.

Choose a comfortable mattress and pillow. Features of a good bed are subjective and differ for each person. But make sure you have a bed that's comfortable. If you share your bed, make sure there's enough room for two. Children and pets are often disruptive, so you may need to set limits on how often they sleep in bed with you.

Start a relaxing bedtime routine. Do the same things each night to tell your body it's time to wind down. This may include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to soothing music. Relaxing activities done with lowered lights can help ease the transition between wakefulness and sleepiness.

Go to bed when you're tired and turn out the lights. If you don't fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes, get up and do something else. Go back to bed when you're tired. Don't agonize over falling asleep. The stress will only prevent sleep.

Use sleeping pills only as a last resort. Check with your doctor before taking any sleep medications. He or she can make sure the pills won't interact with your other medications or with an existing medical condition. Your doctor can also help you determine the best dosage. If you do take a sleep medication, reduce the dosage gradually when you want to quit, and never mix alcohol and sleeping pills. If you feel sleepy or dizzy during the day, talk to your doctor about changing the dosage or discontinuing the pills.

But if you have trouble sleeping on a regular or frequent basis, see your doctor. You could have a sleep disorder, such as obstructive sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome. Identifying and treating the cause of your sleep disturbance can help get you back on the road to a good night's sleep.

Stress management

Stress management

Yesterday was not a good day. As so often happens, my best laid plans went astray. I was tangled in thorny administrative issues while trying to deal with difficult clinical challenges. A research proposal was shredded by a committee. Finally, some scheduling goofs occurred and colleagues were inconvenienced. We all have days like this when — despite our best planning — the wheels come off.

Reflecting on the day, I was reminded of a couple of key points:

How we react is our choice. We are humans and sometimes things just do not go the way we hope. However, if we dwell on the negatives and focus on the mix-ups, we will lose energy and find it difficult to get back on task.

We need support from others. When I arrived home that evening, I shared my frustrations with my beloved wife and running partner Peggy.

Life is a long-distance event. You have to be fit to go the distance. The next morning I completed my workout: stretching, calisthenics and free weights. This routine takes no more than 35 minutes and is absolutely life-sustaining and rejuvenating, as is my usual eight-mile run.
In the end, did the problems and the frustrations of the day disappear? Of course they didn't, but I had a clearer mind, renewed focus and more energy to go back into the arena and give it my all.

What other lessons can we learn from our bad days?