Cathy Classics by Cathy Guisewite for February 18, 2012

I don’t think chocolate really needs a reason, does it?

I’m happy to keep testing. I ate a lot of chocolate when I was pregnant with my second child and she is very happy, which is what they say will happen when eating chocolate while pregnant. She makes me laugh every day, so I’m happy about that side effect! Good morning, Susan, serenaskitty and Aaron!@ serenaskitty – Love your name and we’re glad you’re posting with us! Hello to GsMom, Billy, KFG, gmforde, rgcviper, lindz.coop, hendelca, Mona and all the other Cathy nuts rolling around here today!

This is a ten year old strip. I think that there is now scientific proof that chocolate does those things. Dark chocolate. Cathy wasted her time on the milk chocolate ones.

Other than a chocolate coma of bliss, I see nothing wrong with experimenting and testing.

Morning Susan who I don’t if she comes back to read later. Morning lightenup who was here 14 minutes ago. I slept in a bit becase we got in after 2:00. Sleep on Saturday is tricky for me — too much in the a.m. makes for a very long 24 hours until I get home again.

Welcome serenaskitty. You’re right, it doesn’t. rgcviper later . . . there’s a explanation of why we post to ‘invisible’ people on yesterday’s strip. KFG not here yet, so she must be on the overnight comments. Hello fellow Cathyites. Oh, and hi Mom! Loved your chocolate comments last night :-D

KFG I noticed in yesterdays comments that you are from Alberta. If you don’t mind my asking, what part? I am also from Alberta but I live in Saskatchewan now.

Good morning everyone. I don’t know about all the legitimate testing, but I do know this strip wouldn’t exist without chocolate.

Good morning all! (I know the clock says afternoon but it is morning for me until I have been awake for 4 hours).KFG – To answer your question from last night – I am from Ontario – the north east part specifically – the part desperately short of doctors.Re the strip – I totally relate to Cathy in this one – chocolate is one of the essential foods.

I don’t take much stock in any “medical journal” that says chocolate can’t cure . . . well . . . pretty much anything . . . because it always manages to cure what “ails” me (most of the time anyhow)!!!!!

;-)

Good afternoon, Aaron, Dr, Billy, lightenup, K.F.G., Susan, Mona, rgcviper, hendelca, serenasakitty, gmforde, lindz.coop and all the rest of the Cathy fanatics joining us here today. Hope everyone’s having a great weekend!

There’s no conclusive evidence about most anything, therefore I would risk depression, cholesterol, and even bliss to test the waters of chocolate making me happy.

Hullo evening Cathyites. Hope all is well. :-)

Who needs science?? it tastes good, so we eat it!

Thanks for the heads-up on last night’s explanation, Aaron. Commenting on the previous evenings’s posts makes sense, although I tend to read just the current day’s.

However, much MORE likely is that I’ve gone “over the edge”. Come to think of it, that happened long ago … Ha.

Hello, everyone!

About ready to call it a night. I need to go my the lab tomorrow to get some tests set up. Friend Aaron will be coming in on Tuesday for his 6-month checkup.

KFG oh great and maybe future neurology fellow, is an illness called Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease known to you? I wonder what is going on for research, if any, in Canada. Aaron’s mom, who he loved dearly, passed on the illness to Aaron at birth. She was disagnosed with MS in the 1950’s. Our neurologist thinks theres a 50-50 chance she was misdiagnosed, though it is possible for a child to have CMT if a parent has MS. Just curious.

Dr. Billy and Aaron—does this help? Recent advances in molecular genetics have extended knowledge and permitted major advances in understanding HMSN. Researchers have discovered a number of different genes that, when altered, can cause disorders of this type. Some examples of these genes are the PMP22 gene, found on chromosome 17 (Type 1A), and the Po gene, found on chromosome 1 (Type 1B). Each of these genes affects the myelin sheath, the covering around nerve fibers that provides insulation for the nerves. Scientists are gaining a greater understanding of exactly how the myelin sheath is made and how it works. Alterations in the genes that produce proteins vital to the makeup of myelin could prevent it from doing its job in a number of different ways. Different changes on these same two genes are thought to be responsible for HMSN Type III and studies are underway with rats and mice having genetic alterations that are similar to this type of HMSN. Scientists continue to explore the areas of nerve function and development, especially in relation to the myelin sheath, to gain more information about the pathological process in HMSN.Based on these recent discoveries, other researchers are looking at the development of new treatment protocols.Their focus is on development of a drug that could positively affect a person’s loss of function in the myelin sheath related to genetic alterations. Hopefully, drugs will be developed that would either halt or reverse the damagecaused to peripheral nerve fibers and the myelin sheath that surrounds them. To this end, researchers havedeveloped rat and mouse forms of HMSN Type 1A, and a mouse form for HMSN Type 1B.From my textbook-

OK first of all Cathy, chocolate cures EVERYTHING!….and yes we should test the benefits of chocolate at least 3 times a week :)…..Sorry for the long posts Happy Weekend :) Lightenup, Billy, Aaron, Gretch’s ma, Susan, Viperdude, lindzcoop, hendelca, serensakitty (welcome:) and all ye wonderful Cathy nuts that without fear wander into her bizzaro world :)

Ok I hit ‘Submit’ before I typed the title of my textbook…..It’s called ‘Mayo Clinic Essential Neurology c. 2010’

I’ve found that chocolate can make me feel better, even milk chocolate. That’s good enough for me.