I agreed to participate in an interview meme that is going around the blogosphere actually it is more like I asked to participate after I read Brian’’s interview. Brian over at Audience of One, happens to be a blogger that inspires me, one that I respect and call a friend and one who has been allowed to see and know just who Always Victoria is. I knew if he chose to ask me questions they would be well thought through questions which would allow you, my readers, to know me better and would also allow me to know myself better if I chose to reflect on the questions and answer them after adequate reflection. So here are the answers to the questions and prepare yourself for this is really long. Please accept my apology in advance..

You’ve overcome a great deal of adversity in your life. What has this adversity taught you? When ?

In 1989 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, my first reaction was relief for I had felt certain it was a brain tumor. Being a Registered Nurse, I have just enough medical knowledge to be concerned and know I need to know more for I am dealing with a dangerous issue. Once it settled in I realized what I was dealing with and things did not look so good for at that time there was no treatments available for Multiple Sclerosis as there are today. This was during the prime of my life, my husband and I were enjoying so many things together and making the all important decision of starting our family. After much discussion with my physician, my husband and I chose not to have children, the decision was not because I had MS but over the concern if I could me the mother I would want to be knowing one day I might not be able to go watch my little boy play ball or take my little girl to her dance lessons because the disease had progressed. I made the choice so I would not be selfish and bring a child into my life and possibly burden them with having a mother who was disabled. However most people with MS have Relapsing Remitting form where you have periods you are free of symptoms which was my case. Life continued to be simply good until one day oh my the MonSter reared its head again and reminded it was around. However there was some good news, much progression had taken place and there was now drugs out there to treat the disease. Over time I have been on three of the five drugs approved to treat the MS but the disease has continued to progress until I am no longer considered Relapsing Remitting but I am now Secondary-Progressive which is normal. 50% of people with relapsing-remitting MS develop this form of the disease within 10 years of their initial diagnosis.

Having climbed the corporate ladder to the position of Associate Vice President, five years ago the severity of my disease was to the point, I chose to take matters into my own hands and leave the company I loved working at on long term medical disability. At that time, I was seeing a new neurologist who treated only patients with Multiple Sclerosis and he believed in working with you and being as aggressive as you wanted. After discussions we chose to be very aggressive, I went 150 miles three times a week for six weeks for treatment and at that time I was able to continue in my home for I could once again walk but one of the medication had a side effect I would learn to dislike, .weight gain. A trade off I made but in the long term process I gained over 100 pounds, yes I could walk but barely ecause now I was obese. However there was no stopping me, I knew I could over come this if I wanted to. I begin to make changes in my lifestyle. I have lost a total of 120 pounds and still have some to lose and it is very difficult because of the limitations in excerise I am able to do due to MS but it can be done as I know and it will be done slowly but surely.

Through all this I have learned to enjoy life, take nothing for granted my next minute could change and render me paralyzed. Enjoy the small gifts in life for in most cases they will be the most important ones. Tell the ones you love how you feel and there is never too many times to say it if you mean it. Express it in your actions don’t just say it for actions speak very loud. If you encounter someone wit a disability treat them no different for they are human. If they were you friend before, PLEASE be there for them later for this world can be lonely when your life undergoes a major change. Educate your children about disabilities so they will understand and will treat those they see in wheelchairs and scooters no different. I life minute by minute not day by day as so many do because normal people often say they live day to day for financial reasons but I live minute to minute hoping for no progression but not allowing it to control my life just enjoying every opportunity that comes my way. I am a better person today because a MonSter called Multiple Sclerosis knocked on my door in 1989. I do regret the decision to not have children but I also know it was the right decision for the reason we made it because no I can not do all the things I would want to do that a mother should do with her children.

Think of something you’ve never written a post about for whatever reason. What is it? Write a short version of that post.

I have thought of so many things to write about and have started over so many times but at last this one seems right. Normally I don’t talk about Religion here for everyone has an opinion and they are all so different and each person is entitled to their own. I respect each person and their own opinion and this is MY blog and this will be my thoughts with MY request. I am a deep spiritual person and a Christian but that does not mean I am any matter than anyone else now having said that have you ever thought just What Is The Power Of Prayer? Here are some of my thoughts—

I suppose there are many answers to this question.I believe that the power of prayer is first felt inside of us. It’s a sense of God’s assent, somewhat like someone answering our phone call when the phone has been ringing for a long time and we’re wondering if maybe we should just hang up and try again another time. Then a voice answers and simply says, “I’m here. I’m listening to you.” Communication has been established! God has assented to our calling. God has assented to be in relationship with us. God has assented to us — to you, to me, to who we are and who we hope to be. “But why?” you might ask. “And why now?” Because that is God’s deepest desire and what God has been hoping for all along. I believe that we experience the power of God when we sense God’s assent to our seeking and even realize that God has been reaching out for us all along.

The power of prayer is the power that comes to us when we realize that God can be our point of reference in the midst of all the confusions of our daily lives, the steadfastness of God rather than the incomplete, fragile inconstancies of ourselves. It’s the power that comes when we’re able to be centered, anchored in a belief and rooted in a Truth, which is stronger and deeper than the day-to-day truths we struggle with.

The power of prayer is the constant renewal of perspective. Prayer opens our eyes. It extends our horizons. It sheds light into the darkness of our fears and our sorrows, our hopes and joys, our shame and our pride. It gives us new ways of seeing life and relationships, of understanding work and the cost of growing.

The power of prayer is real and palpable. You can feel it and know it and depend on it. It comes to us as a gift, but we need to do our part as well. God calls us to pray and through our prayer, God empowers us and gives us strength.

The power of prayer is awesome and immeasurable. It brings God close to us so we can listen. He suggests–we ask–we thank–we listen. It is a challenging, blissful round robin.

Having said what I have about the power of prayer now I would like to ask those of you who might believe in a similar manner for a favor. My 17 year old god child who is also my niece was in a sever auto accident Tuesday afternoon. She has sustained closed head injuries, internal injuries, fracture of her pelvis, severe facial lacerations, and the least goes on. She is in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit on a ventilator in a coma due to the severity of the head injury. If you believe in prayer or healing power of positive thoughts would you please keep Kristin in mind. I would appreciate it as would her parents and her younger brother Matt.

Now I understand why no matter what I wrote it just did not seem right but this one does. Having said that you will understand why blogging might be off some .

What blogger has inspired you the most? Why?

I know you asked me what blogger has inspired me the most but I am going to change this just a small amount here for I can not tell you which blogger has inspired me the most. Instead I am going to tell you how I got started blogging. My husband was familiar with political blogs and he encouraged me to start one. After listening to him for a few months go on about why I should start a blog and also thinking about my Father-in-law keeping a hand wriitten journal for over 30 years, As I begin to investigate blogging I found so many things available but one thing happened there was a spark in me that had not been present since I stopped working. I have always enjoyed writing but never had the time but have always been told I was good. I began to think of writing as a passion and I have one friend, Billy who has always encouraged me to keep my passion alive and never allow it to be smothered. My blog did not start to be Inspirational but to be personal and about life in general but more and more I hear people say they come to me looking to be inspired or knowing they will be. This is always in the front of my mind as I post and often I feel I am not being true to me, myself but in fact I am for I am keeping my Passion very much alive.

Now for the bloggers who Inspire me the most those are the ones I am always visiting and commenting at . I believe if you are going to take time to post and I am going to take time to read your post, I should respect you enough to comment. You can also recognize the blogger that inspires me when I pass out my “linky love.” So just keep your eyes open and you will always know which bloges inspire me.

What is your biggest unfulfilled dream? What are you doing to make it happen?

I would like to be a motivational speaker who has a specialtyfocused on living with a disability and overcoming it . I am opening a window and not a door with my blog AlwaysVictoria. I continue with my life style changes which include weight loss. When I am comfortable with things and I am ready to go forth I would like to do so with an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

What movie or book character have you identified most strongly with? Why?

This is very easy for me to answer Annette Funicello who started her career on the Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club, where she was its most popular Mouseketeer. Annette and the nation’s baby boomers grew up together, she had a string of film hits such as the Disney classic The Shaggy Dog and the Beach Party movie series, before going into semi-retirement to raise her three children. Annette first noticed her MS symptoms in l987 when she was making the movie Back to the Beach, a friendly spoof of her early sand-and-surf films that received both public and critical acclaim. In l989, Annette did a year-long concert tour to cheering crowds with Frankie Avalon, her long time friend and movie co-star. In l992, when rumors and gossip began to surface in the press after Annette’s MS symptoms became increasingly pronounced, she decided to go public with her condition.Although Annette has been forced by the effects of this devastating disease to retire from her stage and screen career, her indomitable spirit led her to found the popular Annette Funicello Collectible Bear Company, which is celebrating more than twenty years in business. Annette’s life story was both celebrated in a made-for TV movie, which was aired on Lifetime Television, and in her book, “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” .

I was told by my best friend and a very wise man who suffered from MS but died of colon cancer at the age of 42 that you can never expect understanding from friends are family only acceptance. You find your understanding with someone who also suffers with the same medical disease you do for they live your life day in and day out.

If anyone else would like to ask me any questions, please feel free to leave me a comment. I would also like to ask if any of you, my readers , would like to be interviewed for I would welcome the opportunity to place others in the limelight. Thank you Brian for the questiona and to each of you who chose to stay and read my response for now you know a little more about the person behind Always Victoria.

Have a great day and Pray or think positive thoughts.