Welcome to 2009. It’s still cold and dry here, but the house is warm and cozy. Bill and I have fixed some things on the homepage, including the comments feature which is now back on. The last 8 or so articles have “comments off” posted at the bottom, but starting with this post the comments are again accessible and we’ll hope for the best in terms of not attracting so much spam–PORN sites, auto insurance ads, casino ads, weight-loss site ads, and so on-LOL! And the previous comments from before the html blunder are still on the pages, so not too much of a casualty. I’m staying away from the html for a while……

******UPDATE: I’ve fixed the comments feature for the 8 or so articles that were affected by the blunder..

Jen (a smile)

Hey!

I think the alterations for the name change are complete— no more copyright infringements. Being a webmaster/geek and a fan of the mechanics of things, I’m most annoyed with the rebuilding of a ranking with Google. Yes, I’m into search engine targeting, Google stats, and key word optimization. It took about two years for my Suite101.com site to gain decent traffic and become widely searched, and I am part of their large, high-ranking site. So to start here from the beginning again with Google is a bit irritating. But I always think that the turtle wins in the end. And I love a CHALLENGE. I have a whole mess of topic ideas up my sleeve: may they SLOWLY exit my mind and come out through my finger tips onto this site. If you are a blogger, I apologize in advance for mundane and elementary articles, but they are the foundation for more advanced things. Feel free to just say “hello” in the comments sections!

Speaking of challenges, I was recently interviewed by New Mobility magazine about my long social security disability case. They have a website, although they only provide a snippet of the interview (under “MS Life.”) I did find the magazine at my local library. It’s for active wheelchair users as well as MS patients of all abilities, and it’s quite interesting. If you can get your hands on a copy, check it out.

Facebook is quieting down, although I still have my binges. I’ve found Joan (A Short in the Cord), Lisa (Brass and Ivory), and Linda (Brain Cheese) there, to my amusement. I believe they also have MS Society groups to join, but so far I’ve only hitched to HS reunion stuff. Funny to see long lost buddies.

That’s about it for now. Got a writing assignment that I need to get to. I hope to be back here in a few days with a new article, as I patiently wait for the search engine crawlers to once again find my pages and bring me back to life! Lawd, gimme strength (MS Strength)….

Peace out, you crazy cats—

Jen

This site will start branching out into different areas, mainly: articles about the types of MS, medications/treatments, helpful living tips, bios on famous (and not so famous) people with MS, latest MS news, healthy/ easy recipes for better nutrition, and so on. There will still be blog entries about my life with the MonSter, but the bulk of the website will now begin. Lots of key word optimization, high repetition of the words “multiple sclerosis” and “MS”, selected advertising that is appropriate for the content, and tons of information that is probably too elementary for the veteran MS blogger. And dare I say MUNDANE? So as not to preach to the choir, this post explains the turn of focus and the forthcoming articles and info for those searching the internet for MS information and news. For newbies and people who basically just want the facts. Kinda boring, yes, but I actually love writing about health topics, and the need for researched information that isn’t presented in a cold, clinical manner is so important.

Feel free to continue to visit, because I’ll still be doing some blog posts, but this is a forewarning so as never to patronize readers or bloggers. And yes, it’s always free to read if you just don’t click on the ads! I will still enjoy reading others’ blogs, and have compiled my own group of ones which are heartfelt, informative, hilarious, and multi-faceted. I admire veteran bloggers because I honestly cannot even keep a steady personal journal— I’m lucky if I check in with myself once or twice a month! So I’m happy that I can provide links to good blogs.

And so starts the long, arduous process of building a free-standing website. Really a labor of love.

My name is Jen, I’m 37 years old, and I’m currently in the middle of a relapse. I’m a freelance writer who worked in the health and human service fields for over a decade, particularly as a registered ultrasound technologist. I have an English degree and I enjoy children’s fiction and adult nonfiction, biographies, and mysteries. I volunteer at my local library, and I plan to continue taking library science classes online, if only to make me a better library patron and to provide me with optimal sources for my writings. I am a member of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and have volunteered at their walking and bicycling fundraising events.

Welcome to my MS story. I also welcome you to tell your story.