LindaBP

Day 27: Failing at Tysabri

Tysabri (Natalizumab) is for sure, the most spectacular drug failure that I’ve experienced. But first a little background information. Drugs, like all medical procedures, fall on a continuum. Because doctors in general want to first do no harm, whenever possible you are offered options with the least amount of side effects. It’s when those options fail…

Day 26: Failing at Ampyra

The second drug I failed to find success with was Ampyra, otherwise known as The Walking Drug. Per Drug.com, Ampyra (dalfampridine) is a potassium channel blocker used to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Dalfampridine produced an increase in walking speed in clinical trials. Exactly how it works is not known. It is thought…

Day 25: Failing at Copaxone

I used to have a $100 a day drug habit and I wasn’t a drug addict. The first disease modifying drug I was prescribed after my MS diagnosis was Copaxone, which was wonderful for the first three years I was on it. Although it seemed to have magical powers, sadly, it stopped working just as mysteriously. My first…

Day 24: Failing to Blog (Again)

I was away this weekend which made blogging tough. Although I failed to write a post, I thought I’d officially use my blogging failures as opportunities to showcase blogs, sites and other artists, writers and scientists that I follow. One of my favorite blogs of all time is The Blog That Ate Manhattan (TBTAM), written…

Day 23: Success #2

I mentioned my failure to meditate in a recent post. What I neglected to tell you is how often I orient instead of meditating and the easiest way to explain the art of orienting is to show you. Read through the next set of instructions, then try them out for a few minutes. Without rushing,…

Day 22: Failing to Meditate

I’ve spend many years working on my meditation practice. I’ve meditated at the yoga studio, at home, on the High Line in Hell’s Kitchen, before bed, upon waking, and smack dab in the middle of a stressful day. I’ve done walking meditations, guided meditations, and the popular don’t-scratch-cough-or-move-at-all meditations. I’ve tried chanting Om, mantras and…

Day 20: Failing at Daily Blogging

I’m not sure if I’m woman enough to blog daily. I’m on day 20 and I’m already sweating a bit. Then I realized that I could just blog about failing to blog and move on. So there you go. See you tomorrow.

Day 19: Success #1

This week I participated in a rolling Feldenkrais session. I rolled on my back, while holding onto my knees with my hands to become better aware of my movement. Specifically I explored how my arms, hands, neck, head, spine, rib cage, pelvis, and knees work together to allow my body to roll. I was encouraged to pretend as…

Day 18: Failing at Enthusiam

I’ve never been an overly enthusiastic person. I can be positive, optimistic, thrilled, happy, inspired, cooperative, fun-loving and even excited on a regular basis. But enthusiastic? Not me. I tend to keep the more animated and exuberant parts of my personality at bay. My lack of effervescence has never been an issue until now. The…

Day 17: Failing To Respect My Fit Elders

The politically correct version of me should be against all forms of ageism and publicly champion every, elderly fit person on the planet. If you’re 20 – 40 years my senior yet out run, out asana or even out walk me, I should put my pride down and tell you how fabulous you are. I…

Day 16: Failing By Constantly Correcting

To Correct is Incorrect ~ Moshe Feldenkrais I’ve been exploring the work of Feldenkrais off and on since the summer of 2014. It started when I discovered the Anat Baniel Method (a Feldenkraisian off shoot) which led me to Irene Lyon’s work which eventually inspired me to take a Feldenkrais class in town. I could probably…