A wormy issue.

I recently checked my email to discover an email from some random MS research group detailing results of an unofficial study involving the most disgusting, nasty, horrific, raunchy, itchy, handwashing-OCD-as-a-side-effect unbelievable procedure. It was (is) literally the most repelled I have ever been, and I've seen and heard some appalling things in my young life. (That is at least 1/3 over, by the way; but another story for another day!) Be prepared for what I am about to reveal to you! Maybe locate your nearest bottle of sanitizer, a nail brush, and probably a new pair of panties. Trust me. Go now, I'll wait!



*takes a swig of her mouthwash*




What, you ask, could have caused me to dive into my bathroom to scrub under my nails like a psychiatric patient with bleeding hands? Worms. Parasitic worms. Used as a treatment of sorts for Multiple Sclerosis. I'm squirming in my seat just thinking about it! People are swallowing "harmless" pills containing the eggs of what will be a parasitic intestinal infection of worms. The worst that could happen? I don't know, repelling your partner while having sex in the middle of night comes to mind. (Take a moment, let that visual settle. A lot of jokes to be made here, inappropriate, but you have to see the WHOLE picture and THEN gag.) Let's not forget the need to constantly have your hands down the BACK of your pants, and, of course; your hand will be unshakeable as the smell is unwashable. {{Lord, thank you for the pill that kills those, by the way.}}

The idea behind this treatment is that people in 3rd world countries are consistently fighting other infections off, which depresses the signals to the immune system to attack the myelin in the brain and spine. While the idea behind the treatment is genuinely a probable solution, there has to be another, more hygenic way to approach the concept!  I offer the opinion that perhaps these people are too busy trying to survive to focus on their numb hands or temporary blindness for the day. Just a thought. I know when I was busy trying to feed my family I wasn't so focused on the fact that my left side was immobile and unusable, and I live such a blessed life that I couldn't imagine the day-by-day stress. In fact, I would be willing to hedge a bet that alot of the people with MS die very young in life due to infections that their bodies COULDN'T fight off.

I should also mention that while this "study" appeared to provide results for a length of time (fewer lesions, less exacerbations, etc.); in the end some couldn't tolerate the "side effects" of having worms. I suddenly imagine dozens of people, hugging their knees and using the carpet to scratch their tookus! (a la Dog!) You, too!? No, THANK YOU!

So, to summarize: worm eggs swallowed, grow into anal havoc inducing adult worms that supposedly distract an already wound up immune system. And we're using a third world populations' lack of medical care as appropriate basis for a hypothisis to bring on a more sophisticated, privileged group of test subjects. They had better be paid a butt load of cash as reimbursement. Yes, pun definitely intended!