MS hit me suddenly later in life (age 52), so I've been blessed with a long able-bodied life. I've been a US Coast Guard radioman, a journeyman plumber, and a mechanical (HVAC/PLBG) Professional Engineer. I have good friends, a very supportive extended family, a fabulous wife, three great kids, and six thriving grand kids. I had my time with satisfying careers, a sports car, a motorcycle, a boat, and traveling. Now those times are over, and I'm 'retired' (aka disabled), but still able to do my own Activities of Daily Living, partially ambulate, and drive (automatic trans). I feel very blessed

By God's grace, I survived a fever of 110°F (sepsis hyperpyrexia - complications of a burst appendix) in AUG2007. With the fever came a five-day coma & my first (unconfirmed) Multiple Sclerosis attack. I was blessed to remain cognitively intact (Rancho Los Amigos revised VIII-IX) and physically independent (thanks to six months of extensive physical, occupational, & speech therapy at Alegent). The attack left me very prone to fatigue, and it affected my abilities to walk (ataxia), talk (dysarthria), swallow (dysphagia), write (dysgraphia), and handle objects with my arms, hands, & fingers (dysmetria & intentional tremors). (MS was officially diagnosed after a tranverse myelitis attack (C7 & T7) in MAR2009.)

I am extremely grateful for His love, His patience, and His grace, and for my abilities to cough and to take care of myself.