My husband's health (and mine now too)

This blog was created to update family and friends regarding my husband Jim's multiple myeloma (a form of cancer) diagnosis and treatment. - But it will now also be an update on my own health since I was told on 4/10/08 that I have Multiple Sclerosis...

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Name: Gina
Location: WA, Seattle, United States

I am an artist, traditional mediums as well as computer generated 2D and 3D animations (if you are interested see: nanogirl.com). I'm interested/involved in nanotechnology and other emerging sciences that could help solve some of our worlds problems (disease, hunger, pollution).

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Something new

Jim's health is still maintaining well. I've been on my weekly injections of Avonex for a year now, as long as I've been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Unfortunately I have always felt very sick the day after my injections. I have been using the prefilled syringes, but had read at the online MS message boards that some do better with the kind you need to pre mix yourself. I was talking to the nurse on the phone line of the manufacture of Avonex and she told me more, that initially Avonex only had the kind you had to mix yourself, and because people found that inconvenient they took that off the market and replaced it with the prefilled syringes however they started getting calls about bad side effects, including reports from doctors. So they put the original powder version back up along side with the prefilled, so the two are available. It is not always the case that switching can help a person with the side effects, but it has been the case for some. So I decided to switch and indeed I did receive a shipment even before my most recent injection on Friday night but I had to still use the prefilled because I can not use the new kind before the nurse has come for a home visit to provide instruction. I am hoping I can get it scheduled for this week! While I am being very honest with myself about the possibility of it not helping, I am happy to have the hope and the potential that I may get a day back in my week. If it doesn't work out I will have at least tried and will know the result, if it does work out then I will be a very happy girl!

P.S. I have a new animation.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tomorrow is World MS day

World MS day: http://www.worldmsday.org/

Friday, April 03, 2009

Refrigeration and Edgar Allan Poe animation

Jim and I both remain the same with our health status. I'll be checking in with my neurologist in a few months. We have a new black refrigerator from my Fujifilm winnings. It's nice to have the crushed ice when I feel fevered the day after my weekly injections for MS. Soon Jim will take a major pay cut, so we are both scrambling looking for work, anything art for me and anything writing for Jim, if you know of anything please do not hesitate to contact us (email) in the meantime I have been working on some animations, I just finished an animation of Edgar Allan Poe's "A Dream with in a Dream", thanks to the hubby for reading the poem for me. Click here to see it. I hope you enjoy it. Peace and love to you all.



Funny faces:

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

February 09 update

First things first, in case you didn't know, I won! Click here to see. Initially public voting was going to determine the winner of this contest but it was compromised, so they decided to select the winner themselves, and they selected me! Thank you to all my friends and family who are endlessly supportive of all my artistic ventures.
Jim and I had a great hearts day, (proof is in the pictures) and we hope you did too,


and I had a terrific birthday yesterday (more pictures).
On the medical front I had asked the neurologist for medicine to help alleviate the muscle spasticity I am experiencing, we tried one medication, but it zombified me, so we tried another, which unfortunately on day four made me sick and for the next two nights kept me awake all night. So I scratched that one too. I have a hard enough time trying to fall asleep on my own! So for now I am just dealing with it, I will of course discuss this with the doctor during my next appointment, perhaps we will figure something out, but for now,... oh well, I don't much care, because I cashed that winning check today! Yeehaw! Living the Z life! (even more pics):


Thursday, January 08, 2009

Lots of topics in this post!

I have my own new online shop (I'm so excited) with unique products featuring my digital artwork. Cgi art on t-shirts, ties, bags, mouse pads, postcards and more! Please check it out, I hope you like it! http://www.zazzle.com/nanogirl/gifts?ps=60


make custom gifts at Zazzle

I had another MRI on Monday and today the neurologist called me with the results. They were exactly the same as last time, so that means I'm stable. Last time, if you recall one of the lesions had actually gotten quite a bit larger. So this time is better. Last time we were also considering switching to another medication (a daily Copaxone injection), but since nothing has gotten any worse, I think I'll just keep things the way they are (weekly Avonex injections) and if something happens on further MRI's or I have an exacerbation I still have the option. So this is good! The only issue right now is that the Avonex puts me out afterwards, but the doctor said she couldn't promise that Copaxone wouldn't even though you think it might not, some patients still have the flu like symptoms. Knowing me and my sensitive self, that might very well happen! So we will just hang in there for now.




These are pictures of of Jim's birthday, which was last month, our dog Tearsa wanted to help Jim, just blow out the candles I'm sure, nothing else!!

Lots of other news with my artwork, I made a lot of skateboard images (one will be on a upcoming skateboarding DVD art gallery), and my ever giving Dermal Display animation has made it onto a Japanese television show and a French documentary! I made a new animation for a Doritos challenge that I did not place in, but I like the results very much anyway. And, I made Rosie.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Happy Holidays!

Hope the new year ushers in all that is new and good! The contest is over, thank you all for your votes!! You are always very kind and supportive! Want to see a new image I made? Click here.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Update on this post - The Voting is now closed

Hello friends and family! Hope you are having a very merry Christmas. Remember when you voted for my animation and I made it through that first round well now it's for the final round of voting! The winner will take home 20 thousand dollars! If I can win this, I will use it for my big project. Please use your previously created username and password (or register if you haven't already) to log into http://www.offzhook.com/ after you have logged in, go to the Inspirations video by Gina Miller (http://www.offzhook.com/contestEntry.jsp?id=30) and check the purple box below the video. You can vote one time every day until the 29th, so if you could, I would of course be very, very thankful. Looks like I really could use your help right now too because I'm at zero percent. By the way, if after you check the purple box you go to a java script error page, click your back arrow to go back to the page and check it one more time, it will then work.Happy holidays!!! If you need any help just email me. Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Gina
Update on this post - The Voting is now closed