Health Expert Gina Gunkel shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/1866/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/1866/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/1866/index http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/39968/ms-voice Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:39:00 -0400 Gina Gunkel I woke up on the first “Back to School” day with pep in my step. Yes! Finally, some time alone.  After the kids were off, I hopped on my sofa, snuggled up to my dog and grabbed the TV remote control.  HMMM, Choices… I scanned the menu and decided on some reality TV.  What my son and husband refer to as a “girl show”.  With this new genre of reality television, you never know what will... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/39968/ms-voice http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/39088/calgon Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:50:00 -0400 Gina Gunkel Well, it’s 4:11AM and I can’t sleep.  And I’m freezing. Arctic cold, actually. It is my own fault.  Last week I went away on an eight day vacation to a lake house in Maine.  It was lovely.  I guess that I wanted to “get away” from everything and purposely didn’t pack my medicine.  I just wanted to leave reality back home. I had such a wonderful time.  I canoed (a... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/39088/calgon http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/38549/admit Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0400 Gina Gunkel This week I had the pleasure of meeting Richard Cohen, author of Blindsided: Lifting a Life Above Illness: A Reluctant Memoir.  He is also the husband of  Today Show co-host, Meredith Viera.  I was at a sporting event with my family.  As I entered the arena, I exclaimed, “Oh my, there’s Richard!”  My children wanted to know which athlete I was talking about.  I told them that it... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/38549/admit http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/35293/learned Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:40:00 -0400 Gina Gunkel This past week was tough for me.  I had to reveal my MS to a friend.  I’ve known this person for about a year, have been over her house, shared meals, and laughed many times together.  I just never mentioned that I had a chronic illness.  I don’t exactly know why.  Maybe I feel like, when people know, they know. I can’t take it back.  They could then tell others.  I don’t want... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/35293/learned http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/34586/friday Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:52:38 -0400 Gina Gunkel Wow! I spent this past Friday night at a concert and I feel terrific!  It was the final concert at Shea Stadium, before it gets torn down.  Fatigue has been a real problem for me this summer.  As I was resting that afternoon, I actually thought about canceling. It was just easier to stay home than get on a train and travel to the show.  I’m so glad that I chose to use up my dwindling energy and go.  It was... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/34586/friday http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/33769/shoulda Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:46:00 -0400 Gina Gunkel   Oh, Boy!  I’m so tired.  These are the dog days of summer.  I know that because I seem to be on the same nap schedule as my puppy. All I want to do is rest and occasionally lift my hand with my TV remote control. I woke up this morning to see if any cable TV marathons were running.  Bad sign.    The fatigue that I feel reminds me of a specific amusement park ride.  The one that pins you... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/33769/shoulda http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/22858/hood Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:50:00 -0400 Gina Gunkel Once again, I was reminded of the importance of MS maintenance. The value of not postponing doctor visits because "I feel fine". Recently, I noticed a lingering burning smell in my basement by my water heater. My husband suggested that we get our home's chimney swept. What I thought would be a twenty-minute, under a hundred-buck visit, turned into something much more... When the chimney guys removed the water heater... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/22858/hood http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/21245/great Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:55:00 -0400 Gina Gunkel I sat with my accountant to file my taxes this week. UGH! I dread it every year. Partly for the number crunching and partly because of my MS. Yes, I said MS.  I feel like there is this "Great Divide" between what I want to do and what I can actually do. Every year I leave my accountants office saying that next year will be better. I will work more and earn more. Yet, I always come in his office and say the same thing. Gee, I... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/21245/great http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/20725/2nd-3rd Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:32:00 -0500 Gina Gunkel After such success with my first pregnancy and birth, my husband and I decided to expand our family. Again, I was nervous and scared. How long could my luck last? Well I didn’t have any problems with my second pregnancy or birth. I had planned on breastfeeding for six months, like with my firstborn. Well, 4 weeks after my daughter was born, I awoke and was having trouble seeing out of my right eye. It was a weird double vision... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/20725/2nd-3rd http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/20324/pregnanc Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:05:00 -0500 Gina Gunkel Thirteen years ago this month, I became a Mom. It was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, turning points of my life. We just celebrated my son's birthday with a fun day at a skateboard park followed by a surprise gathering of family and close friends. Thirteen...Wow!  About fourteen years ago, after visiting some friends that had just had a baby, my husband and I made the decision to "try." Of course, I was scared... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/1866/20324/pregnanc