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Becky was a teacher of special education in her pre-ms days. Now she spends her time with her second service dog, Elrond. Elrond and Becky enjoy walking a public nature trail which is just behind her house. Her town paved the entire trail so it is accessible to them! Life is slower but still meaningful and busy.

Reach Becky by email to comment: rcampbell9520@suddenlink.net

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Maria Abdelhamid

Hello Car, hope you had a great Valentines,, I want to thank you for publishing my story in your Magazine. I am so sorry I havn't been able to get up with you till now, but I was in the hospital again another bad attack, well I have a lil news I got married in the time I last wrote you, so My name now is Maria Abdelhamid,,,, not Dervin Laskan anymore,,,, if you can make the changes for me that would be great, also I write poetry a lot I have hundreds of poems if you would like to read and publish a few that's fine with me, Again I want to thank you and I look forwards to staying in touch, I am sending you a pic of me and my grandbaby la-mya, and me also a few poems hope u enjoy them,,, please let me know what you think I have many more, wishing you the best,

Sencerly a friend

Maria Abdelhamid,

Maria

Reach Maria by email to comment: arabic_queen1031@yahoo.com

My name is Lisa Lakowski. I am 19. I was born and raised in Phoenix. I tried relocating to a small town and found out I am a big city gal. I am a proud mom to 2 disabled boys. Derrick was born 12-21-05. I was 17. He is 65 percent blind and autistic. Korylee was born 4-14-08 and has already had thrush and double pneumonia and has Gastroesphogal reflux and shows signs of hearing and site issues.

I love to write, and I am attending school to be a Pharmacist. Many of you know my mom Tddybr.

My story with MS begins years before I was diagnosed in 2002 at the age of twenty-eight. The exact time in my life MS took root in me is unknown. It could have been when I was an adolescent and had abnormal back problems or at age eighteen when I thought I had carpel tunnel or maybe since I was a child. By the time I was diagnosed I had underwent two relapses with paralysis and taught myself to walk again. I learned later they were relapses because of having MS. At the time, I only had what the doctors diagnosed me with and my gut to help process what was happening to me. I was twenty-one when I had my first relapse and I was diagnosed with a rare disease called French Polio. The second relapse they determined the problem was in my head especially because I was pregnant. I knew the doctors were wrong, there was some reason my body was freaking out.

By the time my daughter was two I hurt so bad I could barely keep up with her. I knew there was something definitely wrong with me and I was tired of being tossed from one specialist to the next. My instinct pointed a finger at my back. They had never looked there in all the seven years of prodding and poking me.

My next doctor visit, mind you a family practice doctor, I decided to perform an "I care about my Health" sit down in the middle of the examining room. I must have been quite a sight cross legged on the floor with my arms folded and pure determination pouring from me. The look on her face was unforgettable. She made sure to say she didn’t think it would show anything but I got a MRI. Low and behold red flags popped up on my spine and I was diagnosed with Relapse Remission MS after some more tests. Finally, the answer to what had been happening to me for all these years.

Two and a half years ago, I had my third and strongest relapse that did damage to my limbs and nerves. Since then I have been on a mission never to have another relapse if I can do anything about it. Almost two years ago, the time came for me to have to quit work and apply for disability. It was hard for me not to be working outside of the home. I needed to be doing something with my mind but all I could think about was bringing money into the household. It took awhile for me to crawl out of the money pit and come to the conclusion the time was right for me to write the books I always had wanted to write but never had the energy or time. I am taking my sweet time but one is near publication. I began writing poems, essays, and short stories again as an outlet for the emotions that are trapped in me.

Today my daughter Willow and I live in Stillwater, MN with our cat Brownie and our dog Odie. I continue working on my books and column while working part time with the school district here as a Consultant on Native American cultures and an Educational Facilitator for 4^th grade history. I have high hopes to enter Graduate school in the coming years to finish my schooling to become a Professor primarily for Native American Studies. I have some limitations that affect daily living but whole in whole I am a very lucky woman.

Rebecca Crooker is married to Ron. They have been married almost a year now, and reside in Northern Louisiana. Ron is the brother of Johnna Crooker, who also writes poetry for MS Musings on occasion. He is also the grandson of the Ron Crooker, who occasionally writes for this magazine. Rebecca enjoys writing and provides us three poems for the up-coming edition of MS Musings. She and Johnna are close and enjoy one another’s company. She hopes you all enjoy her poetry. It is original. You can comment on Rebecca’s poems by e-mail at warann@comcast.net

Frank Scholer

Good morning Car,

I'm just a simple 86 year old man born October 3rd, 1923. When I was 9 years old my mother almost died from a stillborn child and I had to take over all household duties. Cleaning house, cooking, washing clothes on a rub board, chopping wood for the kitchen stove and carrying water from a well a half mile from home. I was failing in school in the 10th grade because I had no time to study my lessons so I quit school and went to work at age 18 for 55 cents per hour in a large machine shop. I worked my way up to top rate machinist in 3 years and 10 months. I retired from this job in 1983 after 42 years and have enjoyed retirement since.

I served in the navy during WW2 and a month after I was discharged I married my sweetheart. We raised and educated our seven children in parochial schools. I had the best wife God ever created. She died on 12/18/2000 just 8 days before our 55th wedding anniversary. I played harmonica at age 7 and begin playing a button box accordion at age 9. At age 11 my dad bought me a 120 bass piano accordion. I took a few lessons but the teacher told my dad he was wasting his money and their time because the kid has too much ear to learn to play by music so I play totally by ear from 86 years of memories. In recent years I bought electronic keyboards and taught myself to play them.

When I retired a wealthy friend urged me to invest in the stock market which has served me well. With dividends from stock, my pension and Social Security I live comfortably. My favorite hobbies were fishing and wood work. I believe we get from life in the amount that we give and God will never be outdone in generosity. In 2006 I donated BellSouth stock to my church valued at $96,300.00 but no man has ever been more blessed than I am. The more we give, the more we receive. I just love life and my family and friends. Now I wish you a good day with

God's blessings. Your friend, Frank.

Reach Frank by email to comment: luvpolka@mindspring.com

David is 38, was born in Ireland, moved to Chicago in 1996. Met his wife Ingrid in 2005, they are married and have two daughters. David puts in his 40hr week at a local pharmaceutical company.

I forgot to add to my bios that I was first diagnosed in 1998, with relapsing, remitting ms. The sit down comic made his debut in 2008 (it was difficult not using "reared his ugly head" here), when I needed the chair to get around.

Emily can be reached through her grandmother Shirley at: Warann1@verizon.net