This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Hi all

Nothing to do with ms, but I am just so damn proud, I have to share it. Tonight South Africa won the Rugby World Cup, beating England in the final in France, score 15 - 6!!!!! This is the second time we have won (1995 in South Africa), and we are the only country after Australia to have ever won it twice. We never lost a match throughout this world cup - our Springboks are just the best - this is a huge big deal over here - they have restored national pride. Our President, Thabo Mbeki was there (along with Gordon Brown, the English Prime Minister) to hold the Trophy - wow - well done Bokke!
BTW, Argentina really played well (coming 3rd in the tournament) and they were real underdogs - well done to them. England played a great game and it was a tough fight, but there are fireworks here in SA tonight. Well done to England for playing so well.

Thanks for letting me share, I realise that not many others will be interested in this, but I am fairly bursting...

_________________
Al

i think it is so great you love your country and take so much pride
and sports are soooooooo much fun to follow
CONGRATES
being canadian i LOVE hockey
and Toronto haven't done squat
but when our country plays in the worlds
it is like i scored the goal myself
shell

Hi Ally,

Congrats to you and yours on the Springbok victory. Rugby always looks like such a tough physically demanding game. 15 to 6 sounds like a pretty good beating if you ask me.

I do have a question for you, unrelated to sports or MS. I found a South African food store here in Charlotte the other day and I was wondering if you might have any suggestions on what to try. I like to cook and I'm not afraid of new tastes. What should I try?

Thanks and hope you're doing OK.

_________________
RRMS since 01/07.

Hey Jack

Thanks for the kind words! The whole country is still in a state of euphoria...

That is so cool, to have an SA food store - I had no idea that such a thing existed...Although I do know of one in London.
You should try some Rooibos or Honeybush tea - very healthy, no caffeine, tastes great!
Also, Biltong is not to be missed (dried meat, beef or Kudu - a type of deer, or ostrich is really fantastic) - eat it as a snack, grate it into salads...Mrs. Balls chutney is very popular as an accompaniment to a good curry, or with Boerewors (great sausage on the braai - barbeque) on a hotdog roll or with cheese sandwiches etc.

SA wines are some of the best in the world, as are the cheeses. I remember that the last time I was in the States, I wasn't too crazy about the cheddar cheese I found there, so if you can get any SA cheddar, you might like to try it (I loved many other things about American food though). I am not sure what this shop would stock, but if it has a butchery, and you are not vegetarian, try ostrich fillet and Boerewors too - absolutely fab. We usually have great stocks of Indian spices where I live - you might strike it lucky with those - garam masala, star anise etc.
We also get the best prawns, crayfish, lobsters and crabs, but I suspect it will only be dry or canned goods available....
Pronutro breakfast cereal is very popular here, though I do not have a taste for it!

It is really hard to try to think of things that are uniquely South African as we are such a global village these days and I think that most of the branded products are the same around the world. If you pop in, give me an idea of what they stock and I will let you know what is good. Maybe I can even give you some recipe ideas - be happy to do it.

Now that I have a Southerner online - what is/are "grits"? What are "chittlins'"? And a Poboy (New Orleans, I think)? I have been puzzled for years....

Thanks again & speak to you soon.

_________________
Al

Ally,

Yea, I was surprised to find such a store myself! I used to drink a lot of coffee, so I will definately try the teas. And the Borewors sound great. I love to grill so that will be high on my list of things to try. Biltong also. Beleive it on not, ostrich and SA wine are carried in most of our local grocery stores. And cheese, one of my favorites, I love blue, but I look forward to trying some SA variities . Thanks for the tips. I will definately try their stuff.

As to your questions about grits and chittlins -

Grits are made from corn. Corn is soaked in a basic (as in pH) solution of water till the husks come off the kernel, then rinsed till the basic water is removed. The kernels are dried then ground to the size of medium sand. It is cooked by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil (two cups of water to a cup of grits), cutting the heat to low and simmering till thick. Grits are kind of bland, so they are historically served topped with butter, salt and pepper. To complete the typical Southern breakfast, add eggs (scrambled or fried) and red eye gravy (which is made from the drippings of fried ham steaks and left over coffee), along with biscuits. Not the English kind, which we would call a cookie, but a light fluffy flour bread, about palm sized, baked to a golden brown, and served with butter and fruit jelly.

Now for chittlins. I don't know a delicate way to put this, but they are hog intestines. During the time of slavery (an ugly time yet to be fully lived up to in this country) the best cuts of a slaughtered hog were reserved for the white families. The left overs were given to the slaves. That included the entrails, ears, feet, jaw, tail, etc. The slaves cooked the intestine by boiling. I have never eaten chittlins, but I have been in a house when they were being cooked. I can honestly say they stink (That is my personal opinion, I'm sure there is someone out there that will say they are good). No, that's not a strong enough phrase. The odor is enough to make you sick. People I know that have eaten them say they are like chewing rubber bands.

A Poboy, also known as a plough boy, is a sandwich. Typically made with slices of cured meats (ham, roast beef, pastrami, salami, anything you have), on a sourdough bread roll. There are a lot of variations on this sandwich so it is kind of hard to define, but it usually has mayonaise, mustard, sliced cheese, and maybe lettuce and tomato. I'm sure there are others out there that can give a more definative description.

Thanks so much for your tips on SA food. I will definately let you know what I find and what I think.

It's great to talk to you. Hope all is well with you.

Jack

_________________
RRMS since 01/07.

I happen to be more familiar with the name Poor Boy for those sandwiches.

NHE

Hi Ally,

It's me again. My info on the poboy was a bit off. (grits I know, I eat them almost every Sunday for breakfast) Sorry about that. Around here, the term is used generically for a submarine sandwich, kind of they way any soft drink is referred to as coke. For a good description of the original poboy sandwich, check out it's listing on Wikipedia. Here's the link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Po'boy

Jack

_________________
RRMS since 01/07.

Hi Jack

Thanks for the illuminating info!

Grits sound like mielie meal porridge, or putu! Mielie meal is ground corn, boiled with water and a dash of salt, into a thick porridge, eaten here with sugar and butter, maybe a dash of cream or milk, for breakfast (my husband loves it with condensed milk!). Putu is the same ground corn, also cooked with water and salt, but made into a stiff consistancy that can be picked up in pieces with the fingers (think very stiff mashed potatoes) - it is eaten at barbeques (braais) with a gravy made from tomatoes and onions, garlic and chillies - and the Boerewors!

The chittlins don't sound too great, but you are talking to a girl whose father loves tripe - another very popular dish here, which also stinks to high heaven when it is cooked - I don't eat it! I have however, eaten haggis and black pudding (breakfast fried sausage made from pigs blood!)....Not too bad, actually. Chicken feet are also popular in SA, as are mopani worms....But I prefer KFC! I live in a country where attorneys and accountants regularly sacrifice goats and cattle to their ancestors, and it is not unusual to see a cow's head, complete with hair and eyes, at a market...

I am thrilled to hear that some SA produce has travelled so far - I am also a huge cheese fan, but cannot indulge with the wines because of the Avonex! I also love coffee, but only have one cup in the morning, then switch to rooibos tea - you can drink it black, or with honey and lemon, or with milk and sugar - I just take a bit of milk in mine, the way I do with coffee. It has some healing properties and is used in many skincare products and health supplements - we give it to our babies from when they are newborn (as an extra to breasmilk or formula - in this hot climate, extra fluids are essential) - helps with colic. Oh, you can also make it up, allow it to cool and have iced tea - delicious!

I never thought to try looking up these dishes - I have heard the names in many American novels (I love reading, especially thrillers) and always wondered...I am really enjoying Greg Iles at the moment, and his stories are based in Natchez, Mississippi - his writing manages to be both good and interesting!

How are you doing on the Rebif, Jack? I hope you are stabilised now and getting a handle on the side effects...
I am doing ok - I think I take way too many meds - just a year ago, I took nothing other than an occasional headache tab, now I take about 9 different types of tabs, sometimes up to 4 times a day...Not sure if how I feel is because of all the meds, or if it is really me - everytime I have a complaint (I try to be honest with my doc), I get a new tablet, guess I better learn to keep quiet - I have a long learning curve it seems, but I am catching on now!

Take care

_________________
Al

Hi Ally,

I made it to the store Saturday afternoon and managed to lay my hands on some Boerewors, Biltong, and Mrs. Balls Original Recipe Chutney. They also had Rooibos, but it is honey flavored and a bit too sweet for my taste. No Honeybush tea - but I know it is available at a local health food store. Oh, and a bottle of wine, Railroad Red, from Graham Beck Winery in the Western Cape Region. No cheese or ostrich I'm afraid. The store is rather small, doing most of its business on-line at southafricafoodstore.com not that you would need to use it.

You could have warned me about Monkey Gland Sauce though! I was taken-a-back for a few minutes 'till I realized it contains neither monkey nor glands of any type.

Biltong is much like what we call jerky, strips of dried beef (usually) with spices. It made for a tasty snack Saturday while riding around in our convertible. The Boerewors and Chutney are very good. I grilled last night and they made a nice accompaniment with the Ribeye Steak and baked sweet potato. The 'wors is definately different than other sausage here. It's a whole different style of spice, not Italian, not smoked. Definately something to keep in my larder.

The Rebif is going alright. I gave up using the autoinjector, it's much easier to do just using the syringe. I'm over most of the physical side effects, like flu-like symptoms, but I do still get the red spots at injection sites, and they tend to itch. That's not really a big deal though. I do have a problem with anxeity which I never had before. I think that is an issue with interferons in general and not specific to Rebif. I'm not real sure what the best way to deal with that is going to be.

My MS symptoms seem to be slowly becoming more pronounced, though they still seem to be less than obvious to people around me. I hear the "but you look so good" line all the time. I do feel stiffer in my left leg and arm than I did six months ago. I'll have to take to my neuro about that next month.

I saw your post about cognative issues. Sorry to hear you had to quit work. Wish I could keep typing but I have to go get ready for work now myself. Take care Ally. Talk to you soon.

Jack

_________________
RRMS since 01/07.

Hi Jack

So glad you enjoyed the biltong & 'wors - they are a staple here for Saturday afternoon Rugby or Cricket (depending on the season!). Mrs. Balls Chutney is great too - try it with a good curry, if you like spicy food - my husband will not eat a curry without it!

We don't really have honey-flavoured rooibos tea here - that is a novelty item, and maybe you should ask them to order some oof the plain stuff for you, or you could give me a PO box number and I will be happy to send you some (it is not at all expensive, and really worth trying - I drink it all day), if your customs allow that sort of thing.
All our wines come from the Western Cape - its main industry is wine, fruit growing and tourism, as it is very beautiful - google earth Cape Town sometime, or look at the tourism pages from google, and you will see what I mean. I live in Durban, on the east coast, right on the Indian Ocean, and it is also lovely.
Some other good wineries are Boschendal and Vergelegen (their wine cellers are in caves, deep in the mountains).
Monkey gland sauce does sound a bit odd, but it is basically just a sweet barbeque type sauce used mainly for steaks - you could have put it on your rib-eyes! 'Wors is more similar to German style sausage, I think,but is really unique as it evolved from the early Dutch, German, and French Hugenot settlers!

I am glad you are managing the Rebif ok - maybe a mild steroid ointment would help with the itch? I believe that it can get quite bad (I am on Avonex, so don't have that problem) so some form of relief may become necessary. We have Arnica ointment here, a natural remedy used for minor itches, bites, and bruises. But I am sure your neuro will know just what to do.

The anxiety could be from the Rebif, but just as easily from the ms itself - many of us had anxiety or even mild cardiac issues even prior to diagnosis, and this may have something to do with the way the immune system affects the brain and CNS - your emotions originate in the brain, and your brain is under attack, so it makes sense that there could be a link. I have the same issue, plus the interferons can cause depression, so my neuro put me on Cipralex which is a SSRI anti-depressant that combats anxiety too (he wanted to kill two birds with one stone, even though I insisted I was NOT depressed), and I feel much better.

Or you could either try a straight forward anxiolytic like a mild dose of Xanax or Lexotan (only when needed), homeopathic or herbal remedies, meditation etc. Anxiety is very unpleasant as it manifests with physical symptoms, and your quality of life will be better if you find a way to address it that suits you.

As for that ..."but you look sogood" crap - it winds me up no end. I used to (and still do) get it all the time. I was always so aware of my problems - I would arrive at work and I would get "oh, you look better", as if I was suddenly cured!
They can see that you are limping but we perpetuate this by acting as if it is no big deal, but they can't see the fatigue, or pain, or the fact that you have to type with one hand because the other one is numb or your arm is in spasm, or that you are having terrible stiffness and spasms in your leg...
I suppose it is not their fault - my HR Director had the audacity to give me a newspaper clipping about someone with ms who was supposedly cured from snake venom, and suggested that I try it so that I could get rid of the disease too! I know she was trying to help, but this is a highly educated woman with a masters degree in psychology...? One whacky article and suddenly she knows more than all the scientists! (I apologise to all those who swear by the snake venom treatment, but I am somewhat mainstream).

My right side is the one affected, and I have ended up on a cocktail of meds, plus a programme that helps me, but I had to keep going back again and again to the neuro before he got it right. Your stiffness could be caused by spasticity and spasms - talk to him about some baclophen, amitriptyline, and if you have pain, neurontin helps. Also, some physical therapy and stretching daily helps, and massage therapy too.

I struggled to give up work, but now it has been a while and I have realised that it was the best thing for my health. I don't have the stresses of a demanding job, the exposure to infections that could trigger relapses, that heavy weight on your shoulders knowing that you have to get up and perform at your peak, when you know that your peak isn't what it used to be! So for me, with hindsight, it was the right thing to do. I am still involved with work, but now it is on my terms, when I feel I can do it, and my income is not dependent on working 12 hour days and jumping through hoops all day!

Thanks for your concern, I really appreciate it.
I envy you your convertible, I drive a bright yellow (new) Beetle because it makes me smile every time I see it - it is such a silly car that it lifts my mood right up - even the car seems to smile, and the colour is outrageous!

Get help from your neuro now - he needs to know that you feel that your ms is a little worse or more noticable, and you will benefit from trying new medications or adaptations to help you live more comfortably. There is a lot that can be done to help with symptoms, while we all wait around for a cure - no point in suffering if you don't have to...

Take care, enjoy working (I did, for many, many years - I am 42 now) - I think the key is to get as much pleasure out of where you are right now, and you sound like the kind of guy who already knows how to do just that.

Let me know if you want some rooibos tea, and where to send it - I am happy to do it, and also how it goes with your neuro, and if you do any more culinary experimentation - you might go back for th emonkey gland sauce!

Talk to you soon.

_________________
Al

Ally,

The day is finally starting wind down so I have some time to zip you this post. I do like spicy food, and there are some really good Indian cusine places here, but I've never tried making it myself. Guess it's time.

As for the honey flavored Rooibos, the lady at the store told me no self-respecting South African would drink it, but I bought it anyway. I did find Rooibos at a local health food store. They have it as loose tea so you can buy as much or as little as you like. It's about $22 a pound - $5.50 per kilo if I remember my conversion right! I really appreciate your offer to send me some. It would be interesting to compare the two. My post office address is:

PO Box 25648
Charlotte, North Carolina 28229-5648

If you can think of something from the States you would like to try, just let me know. I'll be more than happy to return the favor.

By the way, the convertible is a 2000 Chyrsler Sebring, red with a tan top and interior.

I have an appointment to see my neuro next Thursday. I've already started a list of things to go over with her including my anxiety issues.

I know what you mean about pressure to perform at your peak. Honestly though, I think I put the vast majority of that pressure on myself. When I went back to work, I really wanted to return with a vengence, prove I could still multitask with the best of them. It is a real internal struggle to accept that I can't acheive as much as I used to on a daily basis (actually it reallly pisses me off), at least not regularly, some days are better than others. Some days about all I can do is show up and hide in my office. I'm lucky that my co-workers and boss have been very supportive. And I love what I do for a living, which helps. But not always being on top of your game kinda eats away at how you define yourself. You know how us Yanks are, defining ourselfs by our work first and foremost. Do South Africans do that?

By the way, I'm 45.

Well I better sign off now. Time has flown by, it's already after 11:00pm and if I don't go get some sleep tomorrow will really suck.

Take care and talk at you soon.

Jack

_________________
RRMS since 01/07.

Hi GeoGuy,

There are 2.205 lb/kg so the final price would actually be $48.51/kg.

NHE

Howzit Jack (SA greeeting!)


Holy-guacamole! I can't believe that you guys are being ripped off like that! We also get loose tea here, but most of us prefer the convenience of tea-bags (they are pure rooibos). They come in boxes of 100 or 200 bags - I can't really remember the weight, but I think a box is 250g (half a pound) and I know the cost is about R10, and with the current exchange rate, that is about $1.40 or $2.80 per pound! I will get some off to you on the weekend! No problem.
Get cooking - you seem to know your way around a kitchen (not sure how I got that impression), and Indian food is such fun to experiment with (my sister-in-law is Indian) once you know your garam masala from your ghee - I am sure you know all about chillies, given how famous American chillie is! They also use a lot of tumeric, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, star anise, and yogurt (as a marinade). I love to cook...

I am now even more jealous of your car - you should never have told me what it is! Chryslar is not huge here, but we do have the Crossfire, together with the large family Voyager - the Crossfire is very very pretty...And sounds good too. Va va voom!

South Africans, generally, have a very strong work ethic, mainly I think, because there is no real form of social security, so if you don't work, you don't eat! For me, I worked in high school, I worked through university, I was back at work 2 weeks after having my babies (by choice)...It was just a compulsion, and I also (mostly) loved what I did.

You are right, I think we set the bar too high for ourselves - it is not really about other peoples' expectations of us, but rather our own.

I left when I finally accepted that struggling to just be average (in my mind), with occasional flashes of mediocrity, was detrimental to my health and I was possibly developing spms - I also felt, that at the amount my company was paying me (I had been there a long time), they could do a lot better!
Luckily, I have really good private disability insurance (perk of the company) as there is no State insurance and it will continue to pay until my regular retirement age, or my death, provided I don't suddenly get cured - if that happens, I stop getting paid! But I would rather be back in the job market and healthy.....So a cure would be good!
My boss & co-workers were also great - I still do some part-time work for them and go to visit, it is nice to keep those friendships.

We are a similar age - I am 42 and have had ms for almost 9 years now (very mildly for a long time, and I am still ok, now that I can rest more the progression seems to have halted again, no further replapses, though no improvement either yet). I have two young sons, which means that I still work - just at a different job! I am still getting used to it though - I miss not being out there...But my kids are loving it.

Your parcel will probably take about 10 days - I have friends in Houston, Texas, and that seems to be about the norm.

Take care & let me know how you like the tea! Hope your neuro visit goes well.

_________________
Al

Howzit Ally,

Thanks for sending the tea. I'll be sure and let you know when it gets here.

I take it from your expression of amazement that you are familiar with the wonderful avocado. I make a mean guacamole myself, if I do say. And your right, I do enjoy cooking, it's one of my favorite things to do in the house. Otherwise I'm an outside guy. Now that the temps are starting to cool off around here, that is a much easier thing to do.

Take care, talk at ya soon.

Jack

Oh yea, and thanks to NHE for the correct conversion of pounds to kilos!

_________________
RRMS since 01/07.

Hiya Jack

I was wondering how you parcel was faring, so I looked up the tracking - the url is
http://oraweb.sapo.co.za/track_trace/ow ... E558899113

Your tracking number is PE558899113ZA (omit the ZA if entering it again) - it seems it is still in transit, Christmas is probably delaying it, but the good old postal service is not the most efficient operation here, and I am betting it is pretty much the same where you are.
I hope that it gets there soon, and I hope you are still doing ok.

BTW, I have a massive Avo tree right next to my swimming pool (should cut it down as it makes a helluva mess in the water, but I love it) - it is very fertile - has ripe fruit in Dec/Jan (summer here), and we usually get a couple hundred Avos from it. Also have Mangos, Pawpaws, Guavas, Grenadilla (passion fruit), lemons....Garden is bountiful because of the climate, and (unlike where you are) it is not cooling down here - temp is rising, currently around 33C, and we will only get hotter until March/April...Also high humidity (98 -99%). The upside is, we have amazing winters - daytime temp in the low to middle 20'sC, dry and sunny (summer rainfall area).
I also love to cook (also the only stuff I do in the house these days) - I will send you a traditional SA recipe for rusks one day (you won't need anything you can't easily get there) - rusks are a very dry and crunchy snack - sort of like a cookie, but not! We make them with fruit and nuts, meusli, buttermilk...all sorts of stuff, then you put them in a warm (just warm, not hot) oven for hours to dry out while they cook, and you end up with something resembling the texture of biscotti...

Take care.

_________________
Al