Information and opinions on health from AGSerra1 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/3842/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/3842/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/3842/index http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/3842/148669/caring Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:21:41 -0500 AGSerra1 Hello - I have questions and cannot seem to set up a page related to being a caretaker for a stroke victim .. so i need a bit of direction as posting on the MS site isn't going to get me some relief .. Thanks http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/3842/148669/caring http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/3842/146711/stress Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:50:34 -0500 AGSerra1 Okay .. After 10 years of adjusting to MS I have learned how to keep my stress levels down .. each time a new wrinkle occurs I take a few steps back and just breath allowing the new info to  sink in and find it's place ..   So far so good in coping with current health issues .. I find that this works for me .. ther is nothing so dramatic anymore in my life but now my spouse has had an ACute Ischemic Stroke ..   He was never... http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/3842/146711/stress http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/143223/gout Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:41:50 -0400 AGSerra1 I have been experiencing pain and swelling in my pinky toe for two weeks now .. it didn't start there though it started back in July under my big toe and went across .. i cannot say i had severe pain in my big toe as it is somewhat numb ..   I also have been having severe pain in my left hip that by morning I am in such pain and numblike yet burning at the same time .. this goes on down to my foot .. on the left side and no arthitis or... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/143223/gout http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/137826/after Thu, 05 May 2011 06:39:08 -0400 AGSerra1 After all this time of handling MS on my own I am realizing that I didn't and do not have to any longer .   I am on a new journey that has me injecting on a daily basis , Copaxone. The shared-solutions nurse was a great comfort. Believe me , a great comfort.   I am at my mother's condo for a while and this is where my docror's are so this is where it all began 10 years ago . Back then I was working full-time at Naples Daily News .... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/137826/after http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/125730/new-for Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:28:23 -0500 AGSerra1   Hello out there .. been a long time since posting .. saw many reposes to a questions referencing Marinol & Sativex .. thanks to all who did reply !   Having my MS now 9 years and experiencing new issues it was finally nice to hook up with a Neurologist that was able to expand on my MS .. back in July of 2006 , I had written about having had a full body MRI after the neuro there in NM half-heartedly gave me a thumbs up on the... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/125730/new-for http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/119776/person Tue, 14 Sep 2010 08:07:00 -0400 AGSerra1 Have you ever heard the song , "Roll with the Changes" , bu REO Speedwagon ? Ever since I heard that song , many years ago , I tried incorporating it into my life .. after all isn't life a education ? Many songs, writings and people who have come and gone in and out of my life all taught me something .. It may not have been so clear at the time , but usually it would stick in my brain somewhere and the logical side of me had to... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/119776/person http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/42641/true-ms Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:07:58 -0400 AGSerra1 Hello - just read a post by Julie .. Not Always MS ... and it got me thinking how true this is ...   For many of us , whenever we feel out of kilter , we tend to first think , MS ... and along the path I found this to be a key to getting help .. when things turn out to be a non-MS related issue , there is some relief ...   I wrote a comment on Julies' sharepost .. as to the educating my PCP about MS and people with MS... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/42641/true-ms http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/40483/asked Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:28:15 -0400 AGSerra1 Sharing is important to me .. especially as I am withdrawing from Xanax ... and I have read all the comments and am grateful to you all who did ...   I was informed that this drug can be highly addictive ... and yet was also told that I would probably NEED it for LIFE ... don't think so ... at the time it was orginally prescribed I did need it ... and the increases came gradually over the last 7 years ...   So in response to some... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/40483/asked http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/40365/update Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:35:44 -0400 AGSerra1 Love my pharmacist .. they actually called my doctor and spoke with her assistant about this situation as I received a call from the doctor within a half hour ...   Gary, the asst. said I need you to take a full dosage of the xanax now .. so I did .. he then said that the pharmacy and the doctor will have a better weening proggram set up by days end ...   I am determined to get off this menacing drug and so I will wait for the call... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/40365/update http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/40338/withdra Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:00:05 -0400 AGSerra1 hi all - my goal of quitting the high dosage of xanax is started .. was taking 120 pills a month @1 mg. ... way too much ... as i weened myself down the best i could , we started the buspar yesterday w/a touch of xanax in between (half a tab, twice) ...   this a.m. i am shaky .. waiting for the meds to kick in .. it is scary , but necessary .. i came here to just ask if anyone knows how long these withdrawals last ?   i will call... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/3842/40338/withdra