Frazz by Jef Mallett for May 12, 2021

That doesn’t stop Stephan Pastis

Yes, but Pastis reaps a Bounty for his.

MS (and other auto-immune diseases) are really  scary to me.

… and if you make a really really bad pun, that will make you awfully good because the worst puns are the best puns.

The worst puns are the wurst puns.

If only they could come up with a way to immutinize the haywire immune system.

“Hey, Mr. Butcher Man! Those hot dogs I bought from you were cornmeal at one end!” “Well, you know, these days it’s hard to make both ends meat.”

See? She’s not obnoxious, she’s just the same level of snarkiness.

I like Patti. She’s a strong character, like many others in this comic.

I have the feeling Caufield has just found a new friend…

My mom was an elementary school teacher and she had M.S. When her walking got bad she retired on medical disability. She resisted using a wheelchair for years, even though it meant that her world shrank because of her limited mobility. I hope Patti has many years of teaching ahead of her.

What happened to Miss Plainwell?

What they do is make a vaccine from all old junked cars; once you have that vaccine injected you are auto-immune!!!

Jef doesn’t poke back at Steph very often; not a bad one here. And that is coming from a dedicated punster.

I’m glad this story arc is going like it is. It shows that in their first meeting, Patty really was just messing with Caulfield, and not being intentionally hard on him or unfairly indignant toward him. She’s kind of a grown-up Caulfield!

I have never understood why some people don’t like puns. I suspect it’s envy.

This Saturday I will be riding in the #BikeMS. I will be doing a #VirtualRide around the #SanFernandoValley. Please go to this link to donate to my ride to help #EndMS!https://t.co/EmCatKz2St https://t.co/YVWuPS4AZf

The only good pun is a bad pun.

Immutiny is a great word and I am so going to steal it! Thanks!

Awww. My brain is wired to find the pun applicable to any situation – I can’t help it. For instance, and true story, I had my son take a picture of me in front of one of those 18-wheelers owned by the company ‘Swift.’ I then posted it to Facebook saying “OMG, I met Trailer Swift today! So nice!”

She has a good sense of humor about all this. That is a good thing.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).

In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body. Eventually, the disease can cause permanent damage or deterioration of the nerves.

Signs and symptoms of MS vary widely and depend on the amount of nerve damage and which nerves are affected. Some people with severe MS may lose the ability to walk independently or at all, while others may experience long periods of remission without any new symptoms.

There’s no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, treatments can help speed recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.

Most people with MS have a relapsing-remitting disease course. They experience periods of new symptoms or relapses that develop over days or weeks and usually improve partially or completely. These relapses are followed by quiet periods of disease remission that can last months or even years.

Small increases in body temperature can temporarily worsen signs and symptoms of MS, but these aren’t considered true disease relapses.

At least 50% of those with relapsing-remitting MS eventually develop a steady progression of symptoms, with or without periods of remission, within 10 to 20 years from disease onset. This is known as secondary-progressive MS.

The worsening of symptoms usually includes problems with mobility and gait. The rate of disease progression varies greatly among people with secondary-progressive MS.

Some people with MS experience a gradual onset and steady progression of signs and symptoms without any relapses, known as primary-progressive MS.

(To be continued)

(Continued)

The cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown. It’s considered an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues. In the case of MS, this immune system malfunction destroys the fatty substance that coats and protects nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord (myelin).

Myelin can be compared to the insulation coating on electrical wires. When the protective myelin is damaged and the nerve fiber is exposed, the messages that travel along that nerve fiber may be slowed or blocked.

It isn’t clear why MS develops in some people and not others. A combination of genetics and environmental factors appears to be responsible.

(To be continued)

(Concluded)

These factors may increase your risk of developing multiple sclerosis:

Age. MS can occur at any age, but onset usually occurs around 20 and 40 years of age. However, younger and older people can be affected.

Sex. Women are more than two to three times as likely as men are to have relapsing-remitting MS.

Family history. If one of your parents or siblings has had MS, you are at higher risk of developing the disease.Certain infections. A variety of viruses have been linked to MS, including Epstein-Barr, the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis.

Race. White people, particularly those of Northern European descent, are at highest risk of developing MS. People of Asian, African or Native American descent have the lowest risk.

Climate. MS is far more common in countries with temperate climates, including Canada, the northern United States, New Zealand, southeastern Australia and Europe.

Vitamin D. Having low levels of vitamin D and low exposure to sunlight is associated with a greater risk of MS.

Certain autoimmune diseases. You have a slightly higher risk of developing MS if you have other autoimmune disorders such as thyroid disease, pernicious anemia, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Smoking. Smokers who experience an initial event of symptoms that may signal MS are more likely than nonsmokers to develop a second event that confirms relapsing-remitting MS.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350269

It seems that most diseases involve the body killing itself, including cancer.

“It’s a mess, aint it Sheriff?

If it aint it’ll do till a mess gets here.”

― Cormac McCarthy, No Country for Old Men