patron saint of MND... ?

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rocmg

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another post! it might not seem so, but i really, i do try to limit how many new threads i create a week... sometimes i just can't help myself.

anyway, my mum is a devout Roman Catholic. however, we can't figure out which of the saints would possibly want to take responsibility for motor neuron diseases. seems like God is busy listening to other peoples problems at the mo'. we've decided to go through his friends. i just hope word gets around heaven about as fast as the gossip gets around my home town.

i'm being a little facetious here, but the closest we come to Saint Dymphna, patron saint of mental and neurological disorders. (She's Northern Irish too, which we quite like) has anyone else thought about this?
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In my little search, I did find Saint Bibiana, who is also the Patron Saint of hangovers--gave me a little chuckle :)
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A Prayer Used to Ask for Help from Saint Dympna

Lord, our God, you graciously chose Saint Dympna as patroness of those afflicted with mental and nervous disorders. She is thus an inspiration and a symbol of charity to the thousands who ask her intercession.

Please grant, Lord, through the prayers of this pure youthful martyr, relief and consolation to all suffering such trials, and especially those for whom we pray. (Here mention those for whom you wish to pray).

We beg you, Lord, to hear the prayers of Saint Dympna on our behalf. Grant all those for whom we pray patience in their sufferings and resignation to your divine will. Please fill them with hope, and grant them the relief and cure they so much desire. We ask this through Christ our Lord who suffered agony in the garden. Amen.
 
Oh Rocmg! You've outdone yourself. This is very humorous and yet I actually felt a sense of comfort reading it. I can relate to your Catholic upbringing, my family is Italian and although most of us are not very devout, my aunt is and she has forced my Dad to wear a Padre Pio bracelet. It's made with wooden beads and has images of Padre Pio on it. My aunt told us that he was known for the quote, "Love is the first ingredient in the relief of suffering." I can't believe my Dad is wearing a bracelet, let alone a religious one. Clearly he is humoring his big sister.

Also, I did a quick search and found that there is a patron saint of neurological diseases: St. Bartholomew the Apostle. Apparently he is also the patron saint of tanners... as in animal tanners, not sun worshippers. Go figure.

Anyway, feel free to post as often as you want. I am always interested in what you have to say. Please give my regards to your Mum!
 
i'm just imagining them all lined up, and God being like, "OK.. who wants the hangovers? Hangovers anyone? Right, Bibiana, that's yours. Oh, you also get cross dressers and headaches."

I'm glad we've got St. Bartholomew the Apostle on our team too. A problem shared is a problem halved, as they say.

When I was little, I always had chats with Padre Pio after communion. He looks so cute in all his pictures... like the cuddly, friendly uncle that would always give you money for sweets on the sly from your parents. It's the beard...

Mum wears a little rosary bracelet. It gives her great comfort.

Hope your dad is doing ok, too! Mum will definitely appreciate your good vibes. :)
 
Hey you two, you're making me feel like I had deprived childhood being boring old United Church of Canada. Maybe it's was just me not paying attention in Sunday school but it didn't seem any way as interesting as what you grew up with. I'm not Italian but I do have some Irish blood so it's all very interesting stuff!
 
So let me get this straight. Bibiana has hangovers, cross dressers and headaches? What an interesting collection of causes!

That's so cute that you used to chat with Padre Pio. I never even knew who he was until my Dad got the bracelet. The saints I was most familiar with were Saint Anthony and Saint Rita. They were my respective grandmothers' favourites. I personally never chatted with any of the saints I only ever chatted amicably with Baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary as a child. I sure would like to believe that someone up there was listening.

My Dad is doing a little better now. He proudly announced that he gained 1.5 pounds and he credits the Ensure I have been supplying him with. We are all looking forward to his upcoming Peg tube. I think that will help.

Hi Barry, your post just magically appeared while I was typing. I'm sorry you feel deprived of all the many varied Catholic saints that are out there but with your Irish blood it shouldn't take you long to get all caught up.
 
hey, Barry! Don't be disheartened! I'm pretty sure there's a patron saint of the United Church of Canada out there somewhere... we just have to find 'em is all! ;)

If not, Bibiana might have a free slot... have a word with the great administrator upstairs!
 
Thelma, glad your dad is doing better and has gained weight! I don't know if this is patronizing... but to see PALS little triumphs over this disease is spectacular and humbling... mum was so pleased with herself today when she was able to lick a little bit of ice-cream off of her top lip... she's was so happy the ability to do that is still there.
 
The official cathedral of the LA dioses (sp?) used to be St. Viviana's. I wonder if she's related to Bibiana? Knowing LA, we probably spelled it wrong. Anyway, it's a charming old church, but not much of a show piece, so they build a new, snazzy cathedral and tried to tear Viviana down, but she was saved by a bunch of historical building lovers.

I guess you don't mess with a lady with a hangover and a headache who hangs around with cross-dressers, even if she is a saint.
 
Wow I'm glad Bibiana/Viviana found a home in LA. I can't think of a more perfect place for a lady with a hangover and a headache who hangs around with cross-dressers.

Rocmg, tell your Mum to eat as much ice cream as she can. (I can't resist nagging our PALS to eat.) I feel like there are no small accomplishments with ALS. And thank you for cheering me up tonight! You are very funny you know. :)
 
Barry... since you mentioned Irish blood, it reminded me of some stuff I read once... It's from October 2007. The article itself is interesting reading, but I've emboldened the pertinent part to this discussion -- and other parts which are particularly exciting.

***
Scientists have discovered a causal link between the gene for a small protein involved in the formation of blood vessels and the development of some forms of Motor Neurone Disease.

Published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics, the findings could provide a basis for developing methods for halting the progression of some forms of the disease.

Their work builds on the discovery in 2006 by a research group from Ireland that some patients have a mutated form of the gene which produces angiogenin - a protein involved in blood vessel formation.

In a series of recent papers, including the latest one in HMG, Dr Vasanta Subramanian and colleagues from the University of Bath have shown that as well as playing a key role in the formation of blood vessels, angiogenin is also involved in maintaining motor neurones. My text -- News Flash!: the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland published a report in the December 24, 2008 edition of Journal of Neuroscience establishing evidence for neuroprotective activity of the protein angiogenin. Based on that evidence, researchers are now working to identify a new treatment to arrest ALS.

The researchers have also discovered that the mutant versions of the molecule are toxic to motor neurones and affect their ability to grow and extend.

The scientists behind the new research believe that the gradual build up of these faulty molecules may explain the late onset and gradual deterioration of function caused by the disease.

By targeting the altered form of angiogenin, it may be possible to better maintain the neurones of people with the disease, in order to prevent them from degenerating and halt progression of the disease.

Motor Neurone Disease, which is also known as Amyotrophoic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) affects between one-five of every 100,000 people, and around 5,000 people at any one time in the UK.

Some ALS patients of Scottish and Irish descent as well some ALS patients in the USA have the mutated gene which produces faulty angiogenin.

“We know most about angiogenin from its role in helping blood vessels branch into the tree-like structures as they grow, particularly in tumour growth,” said Dr Vasanta Subramanian from the University of Bath’s Department of Biology & Biochemistry.

“Last year’s discovery that some patients with both familial and sporadic Motor Neurone Disease have a mutated version of the human angiogenin gene was surprising because we didn’t know how angiogenin could be connected with the disease.

“Since then we have been busy trying to find out, and now we have shown that angiogenin also plays a key role in the maintenance and development of motor neurones.

“We have also found that mutated versions of this molecule are toxic to motor neurones and affect their ability to put out extensions called the axons.

“This clearer picture of how the altered angiogenin works at the cellular and molecular level enables us to think about ways of preventing the disease from progressing.

“The symptoms of Motor Neurone Disease begin to appear as the neurones which control movement begin to degenerate.

“If we can block the function of the faulty angiogenin in patients in which it is present this may help to maintain healthy neurones and prevent further progression of the disease.”

Funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, the researchers looked for where angiogenin is produced (expressed) in developing mouse embryos. They found that it was widely expressed in the nervous system both in the brain and in the spinal cord, mostly in the neurones.

As the mouse embryo developed, the amount of angiogenin gradually reduced but was still expressed in the brain and spinal cord of adult mice.

They then used a molecule to inhibit the activity of the angiogenin gene in neurones and discovered that the absence of angiogenin affected the neurone’s ability to extend nerve projections; a process known as neurite pathfinding.

They then examined the effect of a mutated angiogenin on motor neurones and found that the molecule effects motor neurone pathfinding. They also discovered that the mutated angiogenin is toxic to motor neurones when the nerve cells are subjected to oxidative stress.

This suggests that angiogenin acts as a neurotrophic and neuroprotective factor that helps neurones to survive.

“There is still much to be done in order to better understand the precise nature of the disease mechanism and the role played by the altered forms of Angiogenin,” said Dr Subramanian.

“When we figure out exactly what goes wrong, we can start to develop ways of preventing progression of this neurodegenerative disease.”

In ALS, the neurones responsible for transmitting the chemical messages that enable muscle movements become affected and subsequently die, causing muscle weakness and wasting leading to death by asphyxiation.

Famous people who have succumbed to the disease include actor David Niven, footballers Don Revie and Willie Maddren, and baseball player Lou Gehrig. Professor Stephen Hawking is exceptional; he has survived with the disease for more than 35 years.
 
Beth, I remember something from my Spanish lessons about Bs and Vs so you're probably right. I'm glad they kept the cathedral, we are too fast in north america of tearing down our historical buildings.
 
Wow I'm glad Bibiana/Viviana found a home in LA. I can't think of a more perfect place for a lady with a hangover and a headache who hangs around with cross-dressers.

haha... that is so perfect!

Beth -- if the power of God is great enough to fend off those pesky, relentless property developers, he's bound to be able to do something about this ALS thing, right?

While there's faith there's always hope. I'm not giving up on this medical science malarkey either!
 
Beth, I lived in southern Spain for a little over 4 years and can also boast of taking (and flunking) Spanish One in high school. V's are pronounced with a soft "B" sound when the appear in the beginning of a word, at least in the southern regions of Spain. The entire population of the southern region (Andalucia) speaks with a sort of lisp. The word, "Dos" for instance, is pronounced "Doth". Anything ending in s sounds like it ends in th.

It all sounded a bit gay to me until I got use to it and started emulating it myself. Hey, when you are the foreigner, you do what you can to blend in as much as you can...
 
Wow I'm glad Bibiana/Viviana found a home in LA. I can't think of a more perfect place for a lady with a hangover and a headache who hangs around with cross-dressers

Thelma, it works for me ! :lol:

Kim, you're a prodigy. I didn't flunk Spanish till college!
 
Well according to Wikipedia (not always a reliable source I know) "The earliest mention in an authentic historical authority of Saint Bibiana (Viviana, Vivian, or Vibiana), a Roman Virgin and Martyr.... " Poor woman suffered a horrifying demise but there you have it. Spanish or not Bibiana and Viviana are indeed one and the same. :)

Another lesson learned here at the ALS forum. We're just getting smarter and smarter every day it seems!
 
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