I have been swimming all over the state of Florida. I frequent the state of Florida in the summertime because this is the most exciting state to swim in. Where else can you enjoy a good relaxing swim with this many sea creatures? My swims in Florida have brought me face-to-face with dolphins, manatees, and barracudas. This is the reason I love to swim in Florida.

I also enjoy the white sandy beaches, and the perfectly clear waters that Florida has to offer.

This is the reason I want to share with you the 5 best locations to swim in Florida:

Destination number one

Our first stop for a good swim comes from the Miami Seaquarium. The Seaquarium offers a unique experience, which is the reason I put it first on my list. The Seaquarium allows people of all ages to interact with the dolphins. The Seaquarium educates you about the dolphins first. Then allows you to interact and swim with the dolphins.

This was not a free swim, though. It cost me about $200 for this swim. The most exciting part to me was the opportunity to go into the deeper end of the water and get a ride back. I was able to grab a hold of the fin on the dolphins back, and go for a quick ride. These animals sure can move. I have never been able to interact like I did this day with the dolphins. It made me forget that I even had multiple sclerosis, as it was the most memorable day I have ever had.

Destination number two

Crystal River, Fla., is my second stop to swim with the manatees. There are a lot of different trips you can take in Crystal River to go and swim with the manatees. I have to say that it is a special treat every time I get to swim with these beautiful creatures. The manatees are rather friendly animals for all the experiences I've had with them.

The reason I love to swim with the manatees is that while you are enjoying the water you do not have to try very hard to encounter one of these animals. I have noticed that as long as you are swimming in their vicinity they will come up to you. I have noticed when I swim with the manatees they seem to be as interested in me as I am in them. Being that at anytime my multiple sclerosis could get worse and put me in a wheelchair, I take every chance I can to enjoy these creatures.

Destination number three

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Swimming With Multiple Sclerosis: Top 5 Florida Swim Destinations

Public release date: 19-Apr-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Arney Rosenblat arney.rosenblat@nmss.org 212-476-0436 National Multiple Sclerosis Society

New York Doctors at several centers across the U.S. are recruiting people who have multiple sclerosis (MS) to determine the effectiveness of high-dose vitamin D supplements for reducing MS disease activity. The vitamins would be added to standard therapy with glatiramer acetate (Copaxone, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries). The study, funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, is being led by Ellen Mowry, MD, MCR, at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Other cities with centers recruiting participants include Portland, St. Louis, and San Francisco, and additional centers are being established.

A number of genetic and environmental factors influence whether a person will get MS. These factors may also impact the severity of the disease. Mounting evidence has been pointing to a reduced level of vitamin D in the blood as a risk factor for developing MS. In lab mice, vitamin D can reduce the effects of EAE, an MS-like disease, and growing evidence suggests it is time to test whether vitamin D can provide benefits to people who have MS.

Investigators are seeking 172 clinical trial participants between the ages of 18 and 50, who have been diagnosed with the relapsing-remitting form of MS. More details on the enrollment criteria are available at: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01490502.

Participants will begin standard Copaxone treatment daily and will be randomly assigned to take the current recommended daily allowance of vitamin D or a high dose. The primary goal of the study is to determine whether vitamin D can reduce the proportion of people who experience a relapse. Other outcomes being studied include relapse rates, quality of life, brain tissue volume, disability progression, and safety.

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About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with the disease. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and over 2.1 million worldwide.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

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Clinical trial launches to see whether vitamin D helps treat multiple sclerosis

ROCKLAND, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

EMD Serono, Inc., a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that new data from the companys multiple sclerosis (MS) portfolio will be presented at the American Academy of Neurologys 64th Annual Meeting, taking place from April 21 to 28, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The data presented will focus on Rebif (interferon beta-1a), an established therapy for relapsing forms of MS, and ONO-4641 (S1P receptor agonist), an investigational oral drug in Phase II for the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS, for which Merck KGaA signed a collaboration agreement with Ono Pharmaceuticals in October 2011.

Presentations to be made at the upcoming AAN meeting further improve our understanding of the clinical effects of Rebif and show Phase II results on our new investigational drug ONO-4641, said Dr. Annalisa Jenkins, Head of Global Drug Development and Medical at Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. We are committed to advancing multiple sclerosis care, research and outcomes in order to provide treatments for people living with this devastating disease.

The following abstracts have been accepted for presentation at the 64th AAN Annual Meeting:

Rebif(interferon beta-1a) Data blitz1presentation followed by a poster presentation - Efficacy of two dosing frequencies of subcutaneous interferon beta-1a on the risk of conversion from a first demyelinating event to multiple sclerosis and on MRI measures of disease: 3-year results of Phase III, double-blind, multicentre trials (REFLEX and REFLEXION) (presentation #014, Wednesday, April 25, 2012, 6:24 PM)* * The formulation used in these studies is currently not approved in the United States

Poster presentations - Subcutaneous interferon -1a in children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis: an international retrospective study of 307 patients (poster session P04.119, Wednesday, April 25, 2012)** - Disease characteristics, dosing, and outcomes of subcutaneous interferon -1a treatment differ between children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis (poster P04.120, Wednesday, April 25, 2012)** ** This retrospective cohort study examines both Rebif and the serum-free formulation of Rebif. The serum-free formulation of Rebif is currently not approved in the United States. - Association of Targeted Blood Biomarkers with Interferon Beta-1a Treatment Administration, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Activity, and Treatment Response (poster P02.089, Tuesday, April 24, 2012)

ONO-4641 (S1P receptor agonist) Data blitz1presentation followed by a poster presentation - A double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase II, 26-week DreaMS trial of a selective S1P receptor agonist ONO-4641 in patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (presentation #013, Wednesday, April 25, 2012, 6:21 PM)

1 A data blitz presentation is a 3 minute oral presentation included in a 45 minutes oral session.

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory condition of the central nervous system and is the most common, non-traumatic, disabling neurological disease in young adults. It is estimated that there are approximately 400,000 people in the United States living with MS.

Originally posted here:
EMD Serono to Present New Data on Multiple Sclerosis at the American Academy of Neurology’s 64th Annual Meeting

They say the boys of summer are baseball players. So I guess this would make me one of the girls of summer. All my life I grew up with boys around. I had one sister, and she also hung out with the boys. I was the competitive one; I did not care if it was against guys or girls. This may be the reason that in the summertime I played baseball with the boys.

I have been playing baseball for the last 20 years. I play competitively against the boys. I have always said if a boy can do it, so can I. I have a mean arm on me, and can play with the best of them. Since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, though, I can no longer bat. I cannot run as fast as I need to in order to be able to bat. This is the reason that we use a pinch hitter in my place.

I have compiled a list of ways that keep me in the game even with my multiple sclerosis:

Tip number one

I have to maintain a cool body temperature. In order to do this I drink plenty of water. I maintain enough water to keep me hydrated and cool. I wear bright colors in order to keep the sun rays off of me as well.

The reason that playing baseball is still important to me even with multiple sclerosis is that I want to show the boys I can still strike them out. This is something that I have always taken great pride in being able to do. I told myself that I would never give up playing baseball, unless I ended up in a wheelchair. Well, I have not ended up in a wheelchair, so I still look forward to striking the boys out.

Tip number two

I always stretch before every game. I always spend about 15 minutes warming up before a game because it loosens up the muscles. This allows me to stay in the game longer. It also means that I get to make the boys suffer. I can still throw a mean fastball as long as I'm warmed up. This is the reason I stick to warming up for 15 minutes.

Tip number three

Even though I'm still competitive on the mound, it does not mean I can overdo it. The saying "no pain, no gain" is a saying I do not listen to when it comes to my multiple sclerosis. I know I'm still in pretty good shape for somebody that has a disability like multiple sclerosis, but I know not to overdo it. The mentality of sitting out the game when my multiple sclerosis has the best of me is what has allowed me to endure 20 years of this sport.

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Multiple Sclerosis and Baseball: Top 5 Tips to Staying in the Game

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Genzyme, a Sanofi company (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today that 12 data presentations, including six platform presentations, from the companys multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical trial programs for alemtuzumab and teriflunomide will be featured at the American Academy of Neurology's (AAN) 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La., April 21-28. Presentations will include full data results from CARE-MS II (The Comparison of alemtuzumab and Rebif Efficacy in Multiple Sclerosis), a Phase III trial investigating alemtuzumab in MS patients who had relapsed while receiving prior MS therapy, as well as new findings from the teriflunomide clinical program, one of the largest and broadest of any MS therapy in development.

Genzymes robust development programs for alemtuzumab and teriflunomide were designed to understand how these therapies can best address significant unmet medical needs of people living with MS, said David Meeker, M.D., President and CEO, Genzyme. We are committed to becoming a long-term partner to the MS community with the goal of raising the expectation of what life with MS can be.

Marketing applications for teriflunomide for the treatment of relapsing forms of MS are under review by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA). Genzyme is on track to submit applications to the FDA and EMA for approval of alemtuzumab to treat relapsing forms of MS in the second quarter of this year.

Following are selected scientific abstracts highlighting new results from the Phase III CARE-MS II and CARE-MS I trials for alemtuzumab, as well as the Phase III TEMSO (Study of Teriflunomide in Reducing the Frequency of Relapses and Accumulation of Disability in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis) trial for teriflunomide.

ALEMTUZUMAB CARE-MS II Platform Presentation:

ALEMTUZUMAB CARE-MS I Platform Presentations:

TERIFLUNOMIDE TEMSO Platform Presentation:

Additional Genzyme MS portfolio data to be presented include:

ALEMTUZUMAB:

See the article here:
Genzyme Demonstrates Depth of MS Pipeline at AAN with Results from Multiple Sclerosis Phase lll Trials

Swimming in the summertime is one of my favorite activities. There are a lot of reasons that I enjoy going for swims in the summertime, and there are plenty of benefits to swimming for me since I have multiple sclerosis. I try and swim at least three times a week in the summertime since it allows me to choose between a swimming pool and a lake.

The benefits, for me, are both health and social benefits.

Benefit number one

Social interaction is the first reason I love to swim. I'm able to interact with people that are perfectly healthy, and people that have medical conditions like me. Since I'm not able to work any longer I choose to swim to get my source of social interaction.

I have met many new friends swimming at the local swimming pool. Without these friends my life would be more difficult since I would be closed up inside my house. I spend time going out to eat, and just talking with these friends. My new-found friends have given a sense that not all is lost in my life, even though I have multiple sclerosis.

Benefit number two

Strength training is easiest for me to accomplish through swimming. While I enjoy other strength training exercises like cycling, scuba diving, and walking, swimming is the easiest on my body. I'm able to build strength in my arms and legs through this one healthy exercise. The strength training of swimming comes from the motions in swinging my arms and kicking my legs.

Before I got back into swimming I had to use a walker to get around. Since I started strength training through swimming I have regained my strength and am now able to walk freely. I no longer require the use of a walker or a cane on a daily basis. There are times that my multiple sclerosis is so bad, though, I do use my cane to get around.

Benefit number three

It is easy to become relaxed while swimming. With my multiple sclerosis, high levels of stress are not good for me. High levels of stress can lead me to a relapse in my multiple sclerosis. This is another reason I love to swim. Swimming allows me to relax, therefore bringing down my stress level.

Read more from the original source:
Top Five Ways Swimming is Beneficial to People With Multiple Sclerosis

I have spent my entire life playing sports both competitively and for fun. I idolized another athlete, though, that had multiple sclerosis and was supposed to represent America in the 1988 Olympics as a cyclist. This athlete's name is Maureen Manley. She lost her Olympic dream, which is the reason I always wanted to be like her and one day make it.

Since this is the year of the Olympics, I will look at another type of Olympic Games. The Olympic Games I will look at will focus on the Olympics that people with disabilities are able to compete in. These Olympic Games are the Paralympics. The Paralympics are played alongside the Olympic Games, which come every four years.

I have always competed at the highest level I could with the dreams of making the Olympics. This dream was stripped away in 2006 with my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, though. I knew that I was not able to compete with healthy bodied people the way that I once was able to. This dream being taken away did not take away the drive to still be the best at the sports I participate in, though.

There are a number of sports that I will follow at the Paralympics, since I have participated in these sports at some point in my life.

Wheelchair Basketball

I played basketball in junior high and high school. I still like to play games such as horse and around the world. With my multiple sclerosis, running has been removed from my life even though I still go for walks. Since I'm not bound to a wheelchair, the game of wheelchair basketball is not something I can compete in. I will be watching the wheelchair basketball players, as I still love the game of basketball.

Paralympic Shooting

I was in the United States Navy in 2000, which where I first fell in love with shooting. The shooting range was my favorite part of boot camp. I learned that I was actually a pretty good shooter while in the Navy, but now enjoy going target practicing in the summertime when it is nice outside. I had dreams of one day participating in the Olympic Games as a marksman for the United States. This dream was stripped away after my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, though. This is the reason that I will be following the Paralympic shooters.

Paralympic Cycling-Road

I grew up riding bikes and fell in love with the sport of cycling. I do not enjoy track cycling, though. I have multiple sclerosis and like the feeling of the open road versus track cycling as I have a fear that I will be in a crash with countless other cyclist. For this reason I stick to road cycling. I look forward to seeing the road cycling events being held at the Paralympics this year in London.

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Dreams of Olympic and Paralympic Games Stripped Away by Multiple Sclerosis

I grew up cycling in the summertime. This is the reason I still love cycling. It provides me with a great form of exercise for my multiple sclerosis as well. I have cycled in some beautiful places all across the United States as both a child and an adult.

This is the reason I will take you on a 5-stop tour for cyclist. These are 5 of the top places that I have either been cycling as a child or an adult. These 5 stops are also the most memorable stops that I have made in my lifetime.

Stop number one

I grew up in the Hudson Valley area in New York. This is one of the reasons that I love to revisit this area as one of my cycling destinations. The one park that I have returned time and time again to ride through is Minnewaska State Park. This is one of the most beautiful places to go cycling in New York's Hudson Valley area.

The reason I love this park so much is that it offers some of the most beautiful landscaping in New York. As I ride through this park I enjoy stopping and looking over the cliffs at the scenery below. It offers views of the surrounding lakes. As I continue to ride through the park I eventually arrive at my favorite spot. This is the wonderful waterfall that runs through the park.

This allows me time to stop and reflect as an adult who is fighting multiple sclerosis. This is the reason I always find the time to stop by this waterfall.

Stop number two

I was born and raised in Palm Springs, Calif.; this is the reason it is stop number two on my tour. My favorite stop in the Palm Springs region is Joshua Tree National Park. This ride is one that allows me to reflect, while riding through this park. I always tend to forget about my multiple sclerosis while riding in this park. There are miles of ground to cover and for me the longer I'm able to ride on these trails the better I feel about my accomplishments in life.

Stop number three

Murrells Inlet, S.C., is my third stop on this cycling tour. In particularly I will be heading straight for Huntington Beach State Park. This is a ride that blows my mind every time I take it. Huntington Beach State Park is known for its alligators, and, boy, have I ever seen them. These are creatures that put fear into me. The only time I do not seem to fear these creatures is when I ride in this park.

Continued here:
Cycling With Multiple Sclerosis: 5 Stop Tour