Unexpectedly, in my 55th pulse, I got - as Jim K colorfully calls it - slammed.

Last Monday I returned home from an exciting week of over 6000 miles air travel and a wonderful visit in Palm Springs to see my daughter open her beautiful new veterinary clinic. I met some of her clients and patients and told many of them of our own ground-breaking site with its adventures. There is NO litter in Palm Springs. My home-coming was very different from those in the past in that I did not need "recovery days" after landing and then driving 170 miles home after a 15 hour all-day two flight day from coast to coast. Amazing.  Not only is there "one is never so blind as one who will not see", but there is never one as grateful as one who has been to hell and back.

Since the early seventies, I have been able to make my body go numb. The first times I fell because I didn't know what was coming. I have been able to do this at will for many years, but took care not to fall down. Fortunately, the feeling always returned.

As stubbornness is the nature of us on this site, I have only listened to Richard in the last six or so months when he admonished me not to do that! I can also dislocate my hip but he says not to do that either! (Takes all the fun out of life - no?) (No)

So - what IS the point - simply put: the ability is gone. I cannot do it anymore AT ALL. Not even a tingle and certainly no numbness. Yes, the quiet improvements continue - and the energy is very, very nearly back to my norm or 55 years. Keep at it - it pays.

This is a short blog of hope for those of us who are having a hard time seeing far ahead.

Last Sunday night I finished my 53rd pulse of flagyli. After more than three and a half years, I was back on Rifampin. Vertigo had hit me fairly hard as soon as I took my first capsule so I was curious how this pulse would affect me. Last fall and this spring I did extended pulses and was not mightily affected, which was encouraging in itself.

Last month I added Rifampin to my arsenal again, after taking it twice a day for sixteen months and stopping it in Jan., 06. A few things have happened since I started Rifampin a few weeks ago. I decided I should set them to paper while I am lucid (so to speak).

This is an update on/for Brenda. She was being seen by a nueurologist in Charlotte, NC, 2 1/2 years ago when I met her again after a number of years. We discovered that we both had MSi. She had been on ONLY Rifampin and flagyli, and at my urgent request, my doctor, who was taking no new patients, took her. She has been on Doxyi for about a year now in addition to Rifampin and flagyl. She called today to catch up on news and while we were talking about John (farandwide)and his rocky journey, she realized that she had just walked out into the yard to the workers doing repairs on her roof and then walked back. It hit her that she had forgotten her cane!

The title was suggested by a conversation between two of our most battle-hardened warriors, and I couldn't resist it. This has been one of the most eventful years of my life - busy, too. Beginning in January with surgery and moving through kidding season, then a very, very good show season, this last taking a temporary break after the best Nationals in years, then linear classification of our goats, now a break for the really bad August heat (this is AFTER the really bad July heat), then a resumption of show season next month, which wil begin my fifth year of MSi treatment.

Six days after surgery for double mastectomy in Jan, 08, I "did a pulse", thinking since I would be out of action for a while, I wouldn't waste time doing nothing. Boy, did I get the pot stirred! I think all the flagyli went straight to the surgical site - and I understand that cpni bugs are found in cancer cells. I don't know if this is common, but maybe the experts can comment. In my last blog I mentioned that I am the third known case on our site of this kind of cancer (DCIS or a close cousin), and have since learned of at least three other stage four cancer cases of close friends or relatives of members.

This is for Brenda who finally, after two years of Rifampin and flagyli, got her Doxycycline. She has been on it only for two weeks and today called to say: My grandchildren told me that I am walking better. I can lie on my back and draw my legs up and push them out again without cramps. I can turn over. Today I carried laundry out and hung it on the line. The feeling that I am dirty and have to get in the shower every ten minutes because my legs have movement under the skin, is going away (this was undoubtedly muscle spasms). I have lots more energy. AND .... her grandchildren came home with honor roll report cards.

Today I had my post-op checkup - "spectacular", got the drains and the Iron Maiden (my name for the ace bandage) removed, permission to drive (hot dog!), restrictions - don't lift 50# bags of grain for 4 weeks - not even 25# buckets. Will do. The very best part, though all that was pretty good - absolutely clean path report.

Today I am eighty days post twenty-six day flagyli pulse and though I have not been around the world, I feel as though I have climbed my share of mountains. I was going to do another long pulse in January but have postponed it for two reasons: the first reason is that I have noticed, as have many of us, that the longer and more intense the pulse, the longer the recovery. It has been no exception with this extended (for me) one. I find this as a signpost for us - don't feel that "this is not working" if you choose to go outside the boundaries of the written protocol. This applies with the regular protocol, also, especially early on when this foe is lining up its defenses. We are writing in blood the new rules.

My being compelled to do a blog is based on the fact that a lot is happening on our site and, as usual, I have to jump right in. I was going to wait until after my extended pulse, (this is my 16th consecutive day) but I don't know when that will be - a thrill in itself!

So we bid farewell to a successful and exciting show season.

No blowouts this time and our faithful diesel cruised to the show. But the fair people had forgotten to stop the entries at the usual limit of 300 goats, so we were crowded at 480. We have French Alpines and the basic Alpine philosophy is that the last one left standing is the winner so we were very busy with keeping everyone occupied with something to do. Treats, new hay often, back scratches, peanuts, and for the really determined basher, a little water in the face - the penultimate insult.

This is another of those combined blogs, one by author, one by proxy, two by confusion, too confusing? Not for us. We know how to deal with the confusing, the confused, and the unexpected: give flagyli.

But a Daisy will do very, very well. This is at Daisy's request and has been on my mind since she asked. I realized it will be long and will need almost daily editing as I think of more improvements, so please forgive me if I bring it up too many times. Just tell me to stop and I will. Daisy asked me to enumerate in one post the improvements since I began this incredible journey. First was return of energy, not all at once but when you are starting from near zero, ANY feels really good. Now my bladder works on demand, though it took a long time.