Saturday, October 13, 2007

I Know What Your Parents Were Doing In February!...

Steroid insomnia has caused me to be stirring around the hut quite earlier this Saturday morning before I "re-pair" myself to head into work...so I thought I'd get a few things crossed off my list of "To Do's", which has included addressing and mailing several October birthday cards to friends and coworkers. I was rather shocked when I looked in my calendar and noted the inordinate number of people I know who were born in October! My, my , but YOUR parents sure were busy in the chill of February. LOL

I don't know if I am just excessively attracted to October babies or why so many have migrated into my life over the years...there's my bestest friend in North Dakota, who's 9 year old ALSO has a fall B-DAY (actually born on Hallows!), 4 coworkers, let's not forget BUBBIE, 2 extended family members, and 3 other dear friends. I'm rather shocked I even KNOW that many people and would WANT to send cards to them...


And, just as oddly as my pea-brain functions, I began to wonder if there is any correlation between birth month and Multiple Sclerosis (this IS an MS blog, after all...deal with it!). Apparently several scientists have ALSO wondered about this, too. A somewhat recent study published in 2005 in the BMJ looked at approximately 18,000 Canadians and 11,500 Brits to determine if there was any link between MS and birth month...go here for the abstract if you're interested in scientific reading.


Essentially, this study concluded there were fewer peeps born with MS in November and slightly higher poor suckers born with the disease in May (so what about those of us born in July?!? Just really, really unlucky Leo's I guess...LOL)


Another interesting site that discusses birth month and MS as well as a few other diseases is intraspec.ca . These folks seem to think March through May are great months to be born with a higher risk of developing MS (do you suppose this is why the National MS Society holds it's annual Gimpathon/MS Awareness week in March? No, I don't think they had that much foresight either...LOL).


And still, MS NEWS has done an informal poll among its readers, which has found LITTLE significant correlation between birth month and MS...you, too, can participate in this poll if you'd like...so far, about 650 MSers have.


And now, I'm off to begin the painstaking preparations of hygiene and mental push ups necessary to go back to work...I've been off for almost two weeks of work and really not much improved relapse-wise. This should prove to be an "interesting" day, to say the least! Let's hope the cat can successfully adjust to not having her human cushion lying about...LOL...

16 comments:

Bubbie said...

Whatever my parents did in February, I'm quite sure they never did it that way again. LOL. I am an only child.
And maybe the stats should include another variable: Birth month and laltitude, or birth month, latitude and proximity to superfund clean-up sites, the cobo's are endless. lol

Sharon said...

One question my brothers always ask, Why me and not one of them? I'm the youngest of five. My b-day is April, there b-days are Feb., June, Aug., Dec.

Sara said...

couldn't get to the scientific link, course i'm prob the only geek who would have wanted to read it so just ignore me - lol - Good Luck with work tmr, xx

Anonymous said...

A while ago I read somewhere that a childhood injury (head [any part of] neck, back) that leaves behind nerve damage could be an indicator of future multiple sclerosis. I have been looking for the article and can't find it.

Also there was a survey in a medical journal in the 1990's where I read the results of such injuries of people with MS and the numbers were very high.

Just food for thought.
Anne

Anonymous said...

I am an October baby...I love October, MS or not...

Diane J Standiford said...

Anne-my initial MRI showed a fist-size plaque right where my 10yr old skull hit the curb after a pick-up hit me. From 10 on, I had MS symptoms. There is NO DOUBT in my mind(no pun intended,but good for me!) that accident started my MS.

BRAINCHEESE said...

BUBBIE:

I think whatever we focus our attention on is most likely what we see! But that's me...no scientific basis for ANYTHING I think! LOL

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

SHARON:

I'm sure we will never know why YOU and not your siblings...what I'd like to know is WHY NOT them?!?

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

SARA:

Fixed that link just for YOU! The only real scientist I know...

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

ANNE:

Yes, I've heard of this link, too...and what's more, often people who have car accidents, etc., get diagnosed shortly after the injuries...

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

ADINA:

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!!!!! Yet another to add to my October attraction of those born in the month...whew...I'm running out of spaces in my October calendar for all y'all! LOL

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

DIANE:

WOW!...I had many a concussion as a kid and young adult playing sports. I always KNEW exercise could kill me...LOL

Unfortunately, I don't think any of my main lesions are in the areas concused...

LD

Anonymous said...

In Canada our MS Awareness month is May...thought you'd like to know about that coincidence.
Shauna

BRAINCHEESE said...

SHAUNA:

Hello! Nice to hear from you...if you've followed BRAINCHEESE for a bit, you'll probably know by now CANADA and my neighboring CANADIANS are always referenced as some of the most wonderful peeps I know! (Right, Andrea?!?)

Actually, I think I have read somewhere in the past that the NMSS really DID choose March as their awareness week because of the higher incidence of MS patients born in the spring...but I might be making that up, too. And since OCTOBER is already monopolized by those Breast Cancer Awareness folks, we had some slim pickin's to choose from...LOL

LD

Have Myelin? said...

Maybe it's not PC to think this way but I'm wanting to take the pinking shears to the "Think PINK" Breast Cancer Campaign. I mean breast cancer is on the decline. And where's all the money going? Susan Koman's Foundation? We should get the donations on OUR tax form for buying pink kitchen aid appliances. I digress....They have an incredible PR machine on hand.

NMSS could take a lesson here.

Oh- what I really wanted to say is I had nerve due to medication (does that count?) at 11 months old AND a car accident (heads on) that totalled my car. Stoopid teen didn't know she was suppose to drive slow in ice. Duh.

Interesting post.

BRAINCHEESE said...

HAVE MYELIN:

OMG! I can't believe I almost forgot to write my yearly RANT about the Breast CA Awareness people!!! Thanks for reminding me...LOL

LD