Tag Archive for: multiple sclerosis

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In “Arte Povera,” Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham hits the skatepark in his WCMX wheelchair, we learn how to pronounce ‘arte povera’ and MS plays third wheel.

Shout out

  • Shout out to Jersey Girl who wrote in to let me know she was a diggin’ on the new theme song

@aaronwheelz WCMX GETTIN’ RAD

  • Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham WCMX disabled extreme wheelchair at the skate park. Watching his videos blew my mind and made me proud

Arte Povera Selfie

  • Put the selfie in and remind listeners to subscribe
  • When was the height of the sound effects- do you remember the sound effects? Contact me and I will give you an incredible shoutout that warps time and space due to its epicness

Famous Quotations: Edison & Rakim

When you have explored all possibilities, remember this – you haven’t.

Thomas Edison
Don’t sweat the technique

Cats are big

  • We can always make a social media profile for our pet cat. people love cats!

Video art, eh?

  • The video that comes up when you search “Arte povera pronunciation” is like a work in itself

Door Update

  • The ancient giant door of opportunity is wide open, with light shining through

Stitches/Staple Update

  • I don’t have any stitches or staples in my head or anywhere else in my body at the time of this recording
  • The stitches fell out in the shower. Just the end of them. They were brown

Three’s Company

  • Everyone who is in a relationship with me is also in a relationship with multiple sclerosis, including my friends and family

#1: Ask before you help

  • United Spinal Association disability etiquette guide was a concise read that offers interesting perspective on how to treat disabled people respectfully

Acceptance

  • acceptance of gravity like acceptance last time – gravity is a constant force

Time’s up

See you next week! Don’t forget to contact me for a Shout Out in the next episode

While you’re there, subscribe to get new episode emails

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Chapter List

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In “Ancient Cattle Herders,” scientists solve a genetic mystery about multiple sclerosis, Christina Applegate goes on the Emmys, and we read about how acceptance is key.

Caused by people with horses

Surely a big deal with far-reaching implications

Scientists crack mystery of how MS gene spread

10th January 2024, 08:09 PSTShare

By Philippa RoxbyHealth reporter

An international team of scientists say they have unearthed the answer in the DNA of ancient teeth and bones.

The genes which protected our ancestors from animal diseases now raise the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).

The researchers call their discovery “a quantum leap” in understanding the evolution of the disease.

And they say it could change opinions on what causes MS, and have an impact on the way it is treated.

https://bbc.com/news/health-67917294

Surely a big deal with far-reaching implications, but I’m not 100% sure what they are. Something to do with ancient cattle herders, beasts and DNA helixes like you see above.

Remember

  • Reminder to put the selfie in and don’t forget it like last time, remind listeners to subscribe
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ancient cattle herders selfie

90s are back: E-Mail

Emmy TV Moment

  • Christina Applegate on the Emmys was a huge moment that increased MS consciousness

Having That Falling Feeling Inside

  • Fell in the house Wednesday at 10:45am. my wife was here.
  • I bled a little from one of the stitches, but didn’t open up and stopped pretty quick when I iced it so I didn’t go to the ER but I think this still counts as a fall
  • If Christina Applegate did it, we would say, “she fell.”

If it’s the last thing I ever do

  • Fellow KFJC DJs reach out to me to take part in stuff, but I can barely make it around my house
  • Moving to San Leandro added 9 minutes and a bridge to what had been a straight shot from east san jose
  • I’m not walking very well
  • I would be there if I could be
  • I need to figure out my wheelchair transport situation

Like a helicopter

  • The wall blew off on that 737 Max 9

Come up off that

  • We got permits for solar last year but we’ve kind of been dragging our feet with the sales people and this year they want to take our money and now I’m getting calls from the operations department

Not a word

Acceptance is key

  • Blog post about disability and acceptance that I thought added valuable perspective to my situation

@johnhoppin

Chapters

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Potty Mouth DJ

Delving deeper into what AI says I already do, I present to you, “Stream Of Consciousness Narrative.”


The “What’s The Matter With Me?” podcast is a stream-of-consciousness narrative where the host, John, shares updates and thoughts on various topics that are currently on his mind. In this episode, John talks about a range of subjects, including his recent visit to urgent care, his experience with physical limitations due to multiple sclerosis, and his creative work on fundraising ads for a local radio station. He also mentions listening to the “Iowa’s Newsworthy Past” podcast, gives a shoutout to his friend George Chen, who runs a music distribution platform, and reflects on the nature of his podcast as a support mechanism. Throughout the episode, John’s narrative style is reflective and personal, touching on both humorous and serious topics.

Artificial intelligence

I like that, “reflective and personal.” I’m starting to think that AI really gets me. Enough claptrap, let’s dive right in.

Is it a population thing

Oklahoma and North Dakota have the fewest listeners to this podcast. California and New York have the most.

Quit/Nah

I am thinking about ending the podcast, what do you think? Use the contact form on whatsthematterwithme.org. Scratch that, if things seem bad, I’m going to think they’re worse. I’ll take no action.

Funky Worm

From Beyond The Grave

essential vonnegut caedmon

Listening to the Kurt Vonnegut interview cd from the back of my wife’s old crashed car, he discusses how making a play is like getting yourself a new family. Listening to it, I felt that it related to how volunteering at KFJC provided support at a time when I had changed my lifestyle. I had moved from Brooklyn, to East San Jose, and I was looking for a new scene.

Thee Song Candidate

Shout out to Rocky who wrote in saying she dug the new theme song candidate from last episode, “Goru.” I admit that it was heavily influenced by if not completely derivative of The Body & OAA, but maybe that isn’t a bad thing.

In Between The Lines Of Age

Having my doctors tell me that my leg is useless or that my hand is paralyzed reminds me of when my kids used to say, “You can’t use your hand”, and then I would put a piece of paper in it. And say, “what about this?”

Listening without intention

Iowa’s Newsworthy Past is a podcast with about 200 episodes consisting of readings from pretty old Iowa newspapers. You can listen to it really hard or you can zone out and let time and space melt away.

Acquiring Legitimacy

George Chen’s Zum Audio Vol 5 compilation was on bandcamp radio last week and that’s a pretty big deal even for an accomplished polymath gadfly like George.

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Artist Gary Cannone was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2013

Welcome to the Gary Cannone Interview Special

Gary Cannone Interview Special live and direct, in the fleshh, 100% active and happening. Thank you for tuning in to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast, the Godcast, the Dad bodcast. 💪🏼🎅🏼🎅🏼

Gary Cannone is a Los Angeles-based artist who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2013. His work examines being an artist with multiple sclerosis through his absurdist sense of humor. Gary grew up as an Italian-American in Chicago, and he was the drummer in a punk band, so its about that, too.

Interview 9/21/22

I had the chance to interview him and we spoke about his work, advocacy, and the experience of an artist with MS. Check it out.

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Doors are being installed at our house- I went to see the surgeon- I had a nightmare about Thanksgiving.

Welcome to What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast Season Six, Episode 29, “Doors Of Perception.”

In this episode, the door men are at my house installing the Doors Of Perception. They are noisy, but because I’m feeling better, I don’t have to whisper anymore. I was still feeling pretty tough yesterday when I went to see the surgeon to discuss RF Rhizotomy surgery.

“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern.”

William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

Shout Outs

  • Geographical shout outs
  • Shout outs to rocky
  • Shout out to Mom who reminded me that it’s been 2 and a 1/2 years since I have MVD micro vascular decompression surgery not 1-1/2
  • Shout outs to Doctor Shuer, who’s already operated on me twice. Isn’t that enough? We’ll see, just stay tuned..

The Church

  • Mom was trying to get me to be thankful for that time, and I am, but I also would appreciate my surgeon putting an end to this disorder and putting me out of pain. Trigeminal neuralgia is very painful and causes many who have it to commit suicide by how painful it is and I just don’t ever want to be in the place I was before or even being close to it.
  • Trigeminal neuralgia took me to the house of pain, where I went into the white hot room of pain and took a seat on the sofa of pain.
  • While I am thankful. I need to get this done with for my family. Shout out to Mom, she’s a Catholic and was taught to be thankful for everything in life and I kind of agree with her. I must admit I can be sympathetic to that. Because everything is here for me and I didn’t do it and I should be thankful for it- OK fine fine

  • Dear God, please let’s segue

Pronouns

  • I think it’s fine to call someone whatever they want to be called.
  • Sanleandrido, Sanlandrida, Sanleandridx.

  • Getting thoroughly cursed out is triggering and toxic that’s what it’s all about.

Thanksgiving nightmare

  • I had a nightmare that it was Thanksgiving and the butcher shops were all out of turkey.

The Cure Is: Lemons

  • One of my friends sent me 1 of these “they’ve cured MS in Canada” Messages and it’s totally unprovable and not linked to any study And it’s kind o,f like the MS cure Where you eat a lot of lemons. Generally I ask my family not to send me MS cure ideas that are like that. I believe in peer reviewed studies And without that you’re kind of just shooting in the dark.. So generally I ask people not to send me things that are unsupported by scientific study.
  • But frankly it was nice to be thought of and I told the guy I appreciate it. So how’s that for mixed messages?

Hot Mops

Dr. Shuer

  •  I went to see the doctor earlier today but before that at 8:30am i had a CT scan so I didn’t eat breakfast.
  • A CT scan is way chiller than an MRI- you’re still mostly in the roam because the hole that you’re in is way bigger
  • In MRI, you are inside the machine- for CT, it’s not even like you’re inside something. MRI has a 50-60CM aperture. CT scan has an aperture of 75-85cm. CT is shorter and quieter.
  • Then we had 45 minutes between appointments so i got the peanut butter Jamba Juice quick before I met the doctor. to get calories because I didn’t have breakfast.
  • My doctor and I discussed RF rhizotomy: they would put me to sleep, insert a needle into my face, then wake me up, send electrical signals through the needle to verify the right nerve, and then blast it with the high frequency RF to deaden the nerve.
  • It’s a short procedure but its freaky. were going to schedule it and if I don’t need it I wont have it
  • The Story of signing the consent form and how I wrote my signature.
  • We talked about how it could reduce my use of pain medication.

Baby Wants To Drive

  • My wife and I talked about how I cant drive on my current medicine dosage. That is upsetting, it’s like I’m a baby. I want to drive, but I can barely get around my house. It’s a loss of independence. I don’t know how I wont go stir crazy.

Los Pericos Vibe

  • We ate at Los Pericos on East 14th St. Nami had the vegetarian burrito & I had pozole. It was pretty good. It came with radishes cabbage and onion to dump in and a lime to squeeze over everything and it came together nicely.
  • I used my wheelchair to order the food and to eat. it was the first time I did that. it was on a pedestrian mall on a Tuesday at lunchtime. It was mostly empty, except for a guy who muttered to himself. He would come up in volume as we dropped down. He was talking about real motherfuckers and fake motherfuckers. He sounded upset about it. in a sense he was really killing the vibe. in another sense its a free country isn’t it? one mans vibe is another mans jibe! then his friend showed up and he was a lot happier. but then they were catcalling women.

BK To The Fullest

  • If you woke up today and you were an adult male named Brooklyn.

Part about cursing

  • Sometimes I deserve to be cursed out and sometimes I don’t and when I don’t, maybe I should just walk away and hope for better next time. Perhaps I could avoid ridiculing the person trying to come at me. which is what I often do because I think I’m not afraid of confrontation.
  • Maybe I should just take a wait and see and find out whether it is a pattern, whether I have a toxic person on my hands. Maybe there are extenuating circumstances.

This Week’s Selfie:

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“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern.” ― William Blake
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A reporter for KCBS News reached out and interviewed me about supply chain, multiple sclerosis, and Hoppin Hot Sauce.

Welcome to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast Season Six, Episode 21 “I was on KCBS”

The media onslaught continues!! You might remember that on last week’s episode, I made the paper here in San Leandro. A reporter for KCBS News reached out and interviewed me about supply chain, MS, and Hoppin Hot Sauce. Check it out:

Also in this week’s episode:

  • NBA Finals One-handed basketball player Hansel Emmanuel Gatorade commercial
  • My knee is feeling better and stronger, and I haven’t been taking any drugs for it because it’s basically fine. Still, I’m not walking that well over all
  • I went to Walmart to get propane tanks for the grill and it was an ordeal getting around the huge store.
  • Last week, I put my shirt in the wash and I took a sad gray t-shirt selfie instead. I apologize for appearing so dour and for the bait and switch.
  • We went to west coast craft at Fort Mason in SF. It was a pretty crowded event with lots of cool beach towels and other things. As I rolled around in my chair, I was at butt level.
  • Lamps there were $5, 6, 12, 13 & 19 hundred dollars.
  • On eBay there are a lot of cool old lamps for less than $100 – used or not, an old lamp makes new light
  • Koko’s birthday party was well attended, she felt celebrated and she got a lot of presents
  • It made John John mad with envy and reduced him to a blubbering sniveling wreck
  • As a consolation prize, he made the all star team in baseball. The game is this weekend. He’ll get a t-shirt

dall e mini made strange radios that look like like a bottle of hot sauce and a bizarre faceless all-star baseball team

  • I was interviewed on kcbs news radio
  • KCBS is so big that the weather report is basically useless. I got to give my message about being a disabled person and going for it anyways.
  • We tried a new truck, the Tacos el grullo truck in East Oakland. I had 3 al pastor tacos. The street had cars swerving to avoid potholes and Scrap metal
  • Last episode I played “Ian” from last year to end the episode.

Here’s this week’s selfie:

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This week’s selfie isn’t so dour

Thank you for listening to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast

Catch you next time!

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Two years after my MVD surgery, checking in with how I’m feeling. Also: tattoo ideas, gettin’ paleolithic, different chorizos.

Get The Whole Story: Please check the Microvascular Decompression tag page to hear all the updates about my MVD surgery.

  • last borscht thing: Matt came over and had lunch and he said “it was the best borscht I’ve ever had.” Nami was there
  • not like he’s Lithuanian or anything.
  • I think Lithuanians eat it cold
  • Steve was talking about white borscht
  • Shout outs to Nathan Mary Butters and Tibby- thanks for the catnip hot sauce
  • Very Stable Genius is a good neck tattoo
  • I went to reddit to see if there were any posts about Epstein-Barr causation and there was only one in the Multiple Sclerosis forum and the study was met with an ambivalent reaction
  • We had white beans, kale, and dry chorizo stew. i talked to the butcher about the dry chorizo — joe: “is it chorizo, or is it choriz?”
  • “I’m in recovery again” update to my 2nd surgery in January 2020 – meds- relapses- where I’m at now
  • in Omicron isn’t milder for everyone I canceled my dental appointment but i just had it. I wore two masks for the first time
  • At the periodontist’s office all the doors are open because Covid so you hear everything- gross!
  • Thank you
  • Printer Poem
CLICK FOR TRANSCRIPT
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Epstein-Barr virus may be the leading cause of multiple sclerosis. I have a lot of leftover borscht.
  • The Epstein-Barr virus may be the leading cause of multiple sclerosis
  • Thank you for tuning in to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast
  • I do not think that having soup causes MS
  • I have a lot of leftover borscht and it’s not a bad thing
  • I feel bad for my wife who I threw in the gulag and forced to labor dicing up meat and vegetables
  • I had borscht for lunch today and I’m going to have borscht for lunch tomorrow
  • Shout outs to Ethan who’s a direct recruit from within the system, he was already connected we just had to screw him in
  • Hoppin hot sauce is the best sauce in the world

A crash course in distance learning

I recorded this message on lockdown. I can’t go anywhere due to the coronavirus pandemic and my multiple sclerosis condition. I’m in my house with my family, trying to educate my kids and keep their development on track. We’re taking a crash course in distance learning, e-learning, online education, or whatever it’s called, sooner than any of us thought.

LOCKED DOWN in California. Using my wheelchair to get around the neighborhood. Spoke to the teacher in a Zoom conference. Distance learning, ready or not. In the virtual classroom. Online learning resources from the library. Immersed in the distance learning environment overnight. I may be related to teachers. Spanish lessons.

click for transcript

Welcome to the What’s The Matter With Me? Podcast, Season 3, Episode 7: It’s My 40th Birthday

Coming up in this episode: pain and anxiety, brain damage, the beauty of nature. Hanging out in the backyard, it’s my 40th birthday. I’m thankful to be here processing my emotions and symptoms. Come hang out with me.

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