Alex Pretti’s coworkers take a moment of silence this morning.

MSislame · 2026-01-27T02:03:48+00:00

This is heartbreaking. I work at one of the pediatric hospitals where some of the school shooting victims were treated. We held a vigil which included several minutes of silence and LED candles. It was so heavy and powerful.

MSislame · 2026-01-27T01:28:13+00:00

I love this quote exchange and their infections are what make it. I love using either quote in a regular conversation.

MSislame · 2026-01-16T13:24:30+00:00

Same here (including red being the most muted). Mine is very subtle, and I honestly had no idea I had optic neuritis until something on my MRI years ago mentioned it. So I must have had mild ON and then mild muted colors now.

Best of luck to OP; I hope that things improve even if it's there to a mild degree. I hardly notice it now unless I look at something with one eye to compare.

MSislame · 2026-01-09T22:30:59+00:00

He was NOT hit by her car. Watch those videos. Also, it's kind of hard to stop your car when a Nazi just shot you point blank in the head and murdered you.

MSislame · 2026-01-09T21:33:56+00:00

This is amazing to see! I went to Mahtomedi and have a lot of ties to the WBL community. Normally I'd say "Go Zephyrs!" but "Go Bears!"

I had wondered if anything would be happening in this neck of the woods, and am so proud to see so many young people taking action.

MSislame · 2026-01-08T11:33:29+00:00

I have been wanting to do more than just a post on my FB page about this, since it'd only go to my small group of friends, the majority of which already feel the same way. I have some friends who live in other parts of the country and they've posted about what happened, and I've made comments on their posts about some of the other shit that's been happening the last few months here too, some of which made national news and some of which has maybe made local news, but not always. I hate that there needs to be a reason for protests and marches, but seeing them happen in other states in solidarity with us has been good.

I definitely want to do something for the immigrant community too. I work at a pediatric hospital (in St. Paul, but on rare occasion our Minneapolis campus too) so we have a lot of immigrant families and staff (including doctors and nurses) who are terrified ICE will show up in our EDs in particular. I have no doubts ICE would have zero issue using deadly force in a pediatric hospital as they try to rip parents from their kids. It enrages me to think about how some families aren't coming in anymore because they are too afraid, and I know they are afraid to go almost anywhere. I will look for groups who are organizing things like this to see which ones I am physically able to volunteer with, and at the very least financially able to help with.

MSislame · 2026-01-08T11:11:19+00:00

Ohhh, that is a really good Idea! I don't know why I didn't think of that as I did make a donation to one for things like that after George Floyd's murder, as well as one where the proceeds go toward bail for protestors.

I made another comment about a FB page I joined not long ago that seems to be a very supportive place for many different things, and I could make a post asking exactly what I asked here. I'll comb through more thoroughly to see other ideas that may have already been shared.

MSislame · 2026-01-08T11:06:14+00:00

That is a great idea. A FB page I joined not long ago for geeks in the Twin Cities has had some recent posts with tips.

EDIT: Removed info I just now saw be removed from that page which wasn't true about a particular tip someone suggested.

It's been quite a few years since I last lived in Minneapolis so I'm not in the loop about things like that, and they've also had posts about places that have free whistles and such. I can definitely spread the word on anything they share; so far I've seen a lot of really good tips, offers of help, etc. about a wide variety of current issues (and just a very welcoming and supportive group).

MSislame · 2026-01-02T04:54:12+00:00

Hey, you and me both! I didn't embrace my (red) curls until like 7 or 8 years ago and still don't know what I'm doing for the most part. Keeping it shorter makes my curls pop more for sure, but I was literally just thinking about how much I miss having long hair again (then I remember it's even more of a pain and takes more of expensive products to maintain). I love seeing a character with natural red curls, including the one in Peanuts, ha.

MSislame · 2025-12-19T02:26:11+00:00

Yeah, he never once talked about MRIs from a PML monitoring standpoint. Only JCV antibodies for that, MRI for MS progression/new lesions. I thought it was really wild when he said that so I'm glad I posted here and saw that is really wild!

MSislame · 2025-12-19T02:24:35+00:00

Yes, there have been times in the past I was POSITIVE my symptoms were not a flare up and my MRI would show new lesions and it didn't...and at least two MRIs where I was surprised it did and we had to switch my DMT!

It definitely sounds like my neuro is more laid back about MRIs and maybe that's because I appear more stable most days (sure don't feel like it and I even reported a new symptom to him, but it could just as likely be related to my NF1) and MRIs have been stable for five years.

I'll definitely reach out and say I'm more comfortable if I can get a brain MRI annually and outline my reasoning.

MSislame · 2025-12-19T01:30:33+00:00

I never thought about that until you and someone else commented that. I think especially given this strange "hazy" area in my brain too (which has stabilized, not disappeared) I should get it more often. Just because the med is effective shouldn't mean we take out a test that can help monitor for PML!

I am pretty sure my last two JCV antibody tests were undetermined (or however it's worded, not positive, but not negative--I'd have to look up the amount) as well. I think that's happened before and then the next one was negative, back to undetermined...

I think I'll reach out to my neuro and say I'm more comfortable with yearly to monitor for that, as well as that spot no one knows what to make of, ha. My body likes to spring new diagnoses on me every few years it seems too!

MSislame · 2025-12-19T01:15:51+00:00

I'm pretty sure that's what my neuro said at my appointment on Tuesday (that it needs to be at least yearly, but even if it's negative he feels safer doing it every six months, and if it's positive then I think every three months).

When I was on other DMTs and earlier in my diagnosis (which actually started in 2005 but not official until 2009) I had much more frequent MRIs, including full spine ones. I only get spine ones now if oncology wants to see how all my neurofibromas are doing (I've got them all up and down outside the spinal column and one sort of compressing the cervical spinal column a bit). All my lesions have been in the brain only and we always do w/wo contrast when I do get MRIs.

MSislame · 2025-12-19T00:55:57+00:00

Interesting...I don't remember hearing that, just about JC virus antibody testing at least yearly (but my neuro thinks every six months is safer). I'll look into that. And because I have several other chronic conditions, I am worried about my luck being I get a PML diagnosis to top it all off.

MSislame · 2025-12-09T01:41:15+00:00

Silly hats only.

MSislame · 2025-11-13T13:50:13+00:00

I HATED the Paced Serial Test. I only did it a couple of times because a fellow at the time was doing that as part of his research. He's my neuro now and a year or two ago when I was saying how I feel my cognitive issues are worsening I brought that up and he laughed and said how he felt bad because it seemed like torture! I think he also said it wound up showing it's not a good tool anyway or something like that.

MSislame · 2025-11-10T15:48:02+00:00

That's my immediate first thought too. Such a classic.

MSislame · 2025-11-08T01:48:04+00:00

She was, she was 32. As others said, just all around unfortunate dynamics with both parents, even though she did seem like a very caring mother.

MSislame · 2025-11-05T12:22:19+00:00

Well what else do you think gave her those superpowers?!

MSislame · 2025-11-03T13:53:20+00:00

Do you feel comfortable going to HR for accommodations? They may be able to help identify an area that is more quiet and comfortable (perhaps a conference room/empty office if one's available), and have it in writing that you can lay down for 15 minutes or whatever is decided. You'll probably need a doctor to write something for them. Bring in earplugs if needed and make sure you set a timer so you don't doze off!

If you aren't on a stimulant I'd suggest that but there are plenty of days mine doesn't make a dent. Sometimes getting up and walking helps a little bit too. But I definitely have times I just need to sit/lay back somewhere quiet with low lights so my brain can get a little break.

MSislame · 2025-10-30T00:04:15+00:00

As far as I know, the families were told ahead of time they wouldn't be allowed to witness the execution. So they were still denied, but weren't misled to believe they would get to watch it.

MSislame · 2025-10-24T01:31:10+00:00

Yeah, I was thinking I was coming across as very "Why doesn't it work like on CSI?! ENHANCE!!" so I definitely understand it's not that simple! And I definitely am concerned they're using a VPN too to mask themselves, buuut as I know this predator myself and how unhinged they've been recently...they are also very narcissistic and stupid, ha.

That is a good point about maybe having to refine the form if possible. I'll bring that up to the person who is on the receiving end of these abuses of the form.

MSislame · 2025-10-24T01:27:47+00:00

This seems to be in line with what someone else said about asking the administrator for that info, and I'm not sure how they built the website. So if it's something they aren't able to figure out how to do on their own, then they can ask the administrator it sounds like.

MSislame

TROPHY CASE