Ella Does Squamish

I have been following Elan, an Irish Company, for the last two years.  Their MS treatment drug tysabri is receiving very good reviews from patients … check out www.mspatientsforchoice.org for much more information.  It is available in Canada. 

The next approved indication for tysabri will likely be Chron’s Disease as the research on its efficacy so far has been promising. 

Just to alert people who either have MS or are family members of people with MS (and ditto Chron’s Disease) that there is another treatment available and that if they are interested in learning more about tysabri there is lots of information available on the internet.  I expect that tysabri will eventually be used to treat other conditions, such as lupus and perhaps types of cancer, but this is just my guess at this point in time.  Most of these sources of information are US based at this time.  Tysabri is available in most of Europe and Canada but it is more difficult to access information by people with MS who are receiving tysabri and their opinions as to its effect on their quality of life and general health status.  Definately worth some research though if you or someone you know has MS.

Disco and Chewy are back here (again).  These two big mutts lived here before we moved in and have now been back to their old stomping grounds (our place) four times.  The first time they made the journey they were reported seen on Highway 99 by the local radio station.  Their current residence is Britannia Beach, approximately 15K south on Highway 99.  Apparently Highway 99 has 2000 to 2600 cars on it per hour - it is busy with lots of traffic going back and forth to Whistler and beyond.  If you want to see a map of the area go to http://www.britishcolumbia.com/Maps/?id=6 - Disco and Chewy have made their way from Britannia Beach to Squamish without getting killed. 

In discussions with our downstairs neighbor S., we figure they must take the railway track most of the way but still there could be a train.  And if E-dog wasn’t so old (and now losing bowel control) and they weren’t so smelly we might invite them in but as is they are out in the backyard with water and dog food.  As this has happened so often the usual protocol is that S. calls the local pound and they call D & C’s owners to alert them.  Unfortunately, the pound was closed today by the time the phone call was made.  However, it doesn’t take much of a guess for their owners to figure out where they might be as this is now the 4th time that they have visited their old homestead.

They are really nice dogs, obviously smart.  I hate to leave them outside but the weather is about 4C here and I don’t want to encourage their wandering.  If they are still here tomorrow morning I will take their picture to add to my pictures as they continue to appear and be part of ‘life in Squamish’.