June 21st

It's been a while since my last blog. I have had a lot of stuff going on and need to get back on track with this blog. I had my #8 tysabri infusion last friday and everything went fine. I have been feeling pretty good since my last flair up ended. My legs feel really tired but they are working so that's good. I can't believe that I have been on Tysabri for 8 months already. Time has flown by. On the music front, I am still working on the CD. I have added a couple of cover songs into the mix and one will shock you, no hints yet...lol. I leave for L.A. next week so that will back me up on the cd for a little while. I'm not sure of the new release date but I don't want to rush it. Sheridan is working on the new look for the website and I hope to have it up pretty soon. I have seen it and it looks awesome. The artwork for the CD cover is almost done now also. I am launching a contest for someone to win the new cd autographed for free before it goes on sale. All you have to do is take a picture of yourself holding a sign that says "Chris Cox Rox". Make it on paper, a tree, a car, a body, a t-shirt, or whatever you think of. Be creative and the best picture will win. email me the picture to chriscoxrox@live.com
I have also been working on new songs with Sounds behind the Sun. They are some real rockers. If you want some of the heavy side of my music back, this is it. SBTS is going to be a great project and the first band I have worked with since ms hit me. I have been worried about expectations from a band because of my ms but they have been awesome.
Thanks for all of your letters and kind words. The book is still doing really well and I have received many letters from some of you that have read it and I am so happy that it helped you. Remember that you are not alone.
Together we are strong !!
CC

from may 17th

May 17, 2009

Feeling better but still not 100%. I am fighting through this and ready for my ms to take a break. It has been giving me hell for the last 2 months.
I have a good group of songs together for the new cd but I am still waiting on getting Sheridan down to cut the drum tracks. I also need to add guitar solos and melodic touches in on most of the songs. I have been having weird crackleing and poping show up in the rough mixes so I am fighting with that now also. I took a break from my solo stuff for a little while to cut some vocal tracks on the new band “Sounds behind the Sun” stuff also last week. They have been jamming in Houston and sending me mp3’s of the rehearsals. I have been writing lyrics to the stuff and recording them on the mp3’s that they send me at home. It’s a pretty good system, better than going to Houston to rehearse! That stuff is going pretty good also. The real studio stuff with SBTS is set to take place in mid / late July. I will keep up the info on both projects here on my blog.
I have another infusion coming up on Friday May 22nd. My fingers have felt so swollen the last few weeks that I think they are about to pop. The fun just never stops with ms.
I saw a letter on a website and thought that I would share it with you. Enjoy and we will talk later!
CC
A Letter FROM Multiple Sclerosis

Dear Newly Diagnosed,

I know you don't want to talk to me right now and I can't say I blame you. I'm sure it was quite a shock, finding me camped on your doorstep that day, with my luggage packed. And I know you didn't "exactly" invite me in, but here I am. I'm certain you're probably wondering how I got your address in the first place, aren't you? Everybody always asks me that stupid question. It was easy really. I looked you up in a statistical manual, calculated your genetics and environment, crunched some numbers about your childhood illnesses, relatives illnesses, and basic habits, and I located you. It wasn't hard at all. I chose you because I could.

Now, I'm not saying we have to be friends here. Frankly, I'd be a bit surprised if we got along very well at all. You and I are very different in many ways. For instance, I thrive on surprises, whereas you prefer to always know what lies ahead. I enjoy a big dose of sardonic humor...you prefer a kinder, more mellow approach. I see nothing wrong with pain and suffering...you try to avoid it. A good time for me is kicking ass and taking no names...you prefer a reasonable fight.

Here's the part that's probably really going to piss you off, so I might as well just get it out of the way. To date, no one, and I mean no one, has ever been able to evict me once I decide to move in. Oh sure, some people try to slow me down by scaring me with needles and the like, but I don't leave. I get quiet and reflective sometimes, but I'll never leave you totally. That you can count on, my friend.

So here's how this is going to work with me, like it or not. I'm here and I'm not leaving so we might as well try our best to co-exist. You do some things for me, and I'll occasionally scratch your back (and anywhere I else I choose to itch you, just for the record). I'll give you some good days and if I like you, maybe even a few good months or years. I'll teach you some important life lessons about not taking things for granted, which you'll thank me for later. I'll encourage you to get out of bed and live today to the fullest and to enjoy whatever morsel of goodness The Universe is throwing on your plate. I'll teach you how to appreciate the simple things in life and how not to sweat the small stuff. I'm definitely gonna make you laugh sometimes, even if you don't want to. Likewise, I'm gonna make you cry sometimes because you need to. You WILL learn to respect me or I'll kill you trying. If you think about it from my point of view, I'm not asking for much in return really. I just want to have a good time messing you up. A few laughs when I surprise you with being unable to walk or see. A little chuckle for me when you accidentally wet yourself because I've messed with your bladder. Maybe even a full, belly laugh when I make you ride around in one of those electric chairs or something. It's all in good fun. And again, if I like you, I may not make it a permanent event.

So what do say, roomie? We got a deal? Personally I think you're getting the better end of the stick out of this arrangement, but that's just my perspective. Take your time thinking over your answer. I've got your whole life to await your response.

Sincerely yours,

Multiple Sclerosis




**Contains harsh language**
Dear Multiple Sclerosis Ok, roomie , you evidently have me confused with some one else! I am never up for just a reasonable fight. I love a good fight- so pack a lunch you son of a bitch; you have met your match with me. And I am not ashamed to admit that I fight dirty.Did you ever think that maybe I chose you? Or that maybe it wasn't just coincidental that we ran into each other? Did you really think that I just let you walk in? You need your ass kicked and I'm gonna be the one to do it. I'm your worst nightmare. Friends? We'll never be friends you piece of shit. The needles are just a start as to what I'm going to do to you. It's like Chinese torture-- I'm just starting out with the little things. Needles and steroids are minor compared to the horrifying things I have up my sleeve for you. Sure, I like to avoid pain and suffering BUT I'll also be the first to dish it out. I can be just as vengeful as you. Don't you worry, I'll serve your ass with an eviction notice soon enough!Keep thinking that I'm calm..that's exactly what I want. Go ahead and keep trying to mess with me. When you least expect it- I'm gonna Muhammad Ali your ass. Sure you may get some blows in but, do you really think that messing with my vision or mobility is really gonna take me down? I'm bigger than that. I love life and I'm not going to let anyone or anything get in my way of being happy. It's going to take a lot more than something as sorry as you to hold me back. Oh, and by the way, you think that you're hurting me if I wet myself?? I'm pissing on your face mother fucker! Fuck with my bowels next and see what happens!It's you who has to learn to respect me. I DEMAND respect and eventually you'll give it to me. I don't mind long fights. What's the fun in a three round match? I'll take greater pleasure in TKO'ing your ass in the 12th. Before long you'll be begging for mercy. You'll hate surprises when I'm through with you. I have something that you don't-- HEART AND DETERMINATION. That's why I'm gonna win this fight!You got the short end of the stick when you showed up here! Are you wondering now if you had the wrong address? Nope, I've been waiting for you. I was born with a mission-- it just took me awhile to find out what it was. So, be prepared, I've been in training for over 30 years!And for the record- fuck your perspective and fuck you too.Very truly yours!
THE LAST ONE STANDING

may 9

Things are back on track with the recording. I have been getting a lot of good stuff done. Things are just taking a little longer than I had hoped. I'm not going to rush it though. I will try to stay on track for a June-July release date. Stay tuned for more!Much Love,CC

Weekend of vocals

I did a lot of vocal recording this weekend. Still not sure about them. I'm going to have to live with them a while and see if they grow on me. I need to get the freaking drums down. Also worked on some of the Sounds behind the sun stuff. I will be going to Houston to do the final vocals for the STBS stuff. Other than that I felt pretty good. I am dead tired. Check in later !!
CC

Saturday April 25th

Full day!
I did some major recording today. Things are going really good! I might end up cutting a couple of songs out of the CD if things keep going this way. I will have plenty of songs and just roll with the best for the cd.
I also had a few pictures shot tonight that might be used in the new CD. I might stick one up on myspace or somewhere else. I am digging how things are going so far. I had my Tysabri infusion Friday with no problems. They had to take blood for the regular 6 month liver test. I should have a M.R.I rolling up soon.
Catch ya later!!

April 20th a little late

April 20, 2009 Update

I had a productive weekend of recording. Songs are starting to shape up. I have the solid roots for 8 of the tracks down. I was starting to wonder when I would be able to put some good solid work in on the cd. The flare up that I had a couple of weeks ago, set me back some but things are starting to look up. You have a lot of time to think about all kinds of stuff when you can’t get around. I did some arranging in my head and heard a lot of parts and instruments that I imagined might sound good on the tracks. I have a clear idea of what I want this project to sound like. I hope that I can pull all of the instruments off. They sound so easy in my head but I know it will not be that easy. I broke out the Les Paul for some dirty tracks this weekend and it sounded great. I have been tracking the clean guitars with my Strat and this seems to be blending really well. I have also been using my Takamine for the acoustic parts. In the past I have stuck to one guitar for tracking but I have a whole new feel for this project. I am walking on my own now and feeling much better. I hope this was just a passing flare with my ms. The wheel chair and walker were driving me crazy. The overall pain has gone from a 9 to about a 4 on the scale of hurt. That is good for me and seems to be my normal number these days. 3-5 is my field of play for the last year. While talking to a friend of mine from future-link, I realized something. The way we deal with constant pain is through distraction. We try to keep our minds off of the pain and focused on something else. Music seems to be my something else right now.

without legs

A long week without legs

Last Sunday seemed like a normal day. I did some work in my yard on the fence, general weekend stuff. Then Sunday night the hammer fell. I started to get up from the couch after dinner. I went immediately down to the ground hard. I hit my elbow and shoulder on the ceramic tiled floor and head and neck on the bottom of the couch. I though I just made a goofy step or something. I was checking to see what was hurt and besides the obvious neck and shoulder my legs felt kind of goofy. I moved them so I thought no big deal. I started to get up and something was not right. I could not support my weight. This was kind of new but didn’t freak me out yet. It should pass in 30 minutes or so. I probably just over did it. Bedtime rolled around and I still couldn’t stand up. My wife somehow drug me to the bedroom. I was dead tired and had no problem going to sleep. The next morning came and still no legs. I could not support my weight still. Tuesday rolled around and I still could not stand. My neurologist had me come in that day. I called him that morning and was sitting in his office that afternoon. If things did not improve by the end of the week I was going to have a M.R.I. He also ordered me a wheel chair. This seemed like no big deal until I got home. Then it hit me. I don’t want to be in a chair 24-7. I lost it. I couldn’t even make it to all of the rooms in my own house. Now I had a walker at home and a wheel chair on the way. Wednesday I could stand up with the help of leaning on something. Slowly I could take steps as time went on. Kind of like Frankenstein. Slow dragging monster steps with the aid of a walker. Friday rolled around and I could walk with a cane and slowly by myself. I was ready to get outside of the house. I was going crazy stuck inside. I drove the car around the block with my wife to see if I could do it. I watered the yard and feed the dogs. Just from that I was beat down.
Saturday was better and Sunday also. I can walk without any help now. It’s just not as smooth as before and I get tired sooner. Just another fun filled week with ms. This is the short version of the week. I thought that I would spare you the details until another time.