Come on!

  PIP reflection 2024 Over the last few months, it’s safe to say (metaphorically) that my head had been somewhat up my arse; with anxiety. All due to my friend P I flipping P. Yes. Personal Independence Payment ( PIP ). Having received the renewal form LAST year (that’s 2023 as of typing), I anxiously stressed to get what legitimate proof I could get to assist my honest form answers. Big kudos to the Citizens Advice Bureau for help with said form ‘completion’. I was struggling. And without ANY surprise, I still live with MS ! Multiple Sclerosis the chronic Central Nervous System disease. Has it improved? No. Is it progressing? Yes. Is there a cure? I and about 2.3+m others wish. Anyway, part of my ‘processing’ stuff is that I keep notes. Yip, my memory is far from good. Cognition . So, here are 3 fairly recent ‘notes’ relating to PIP that I still have in my phone for a short blog and how one’s anxiety has been: No escape (1st May) Missed phone calls, a voice message. Joanne ab...

MRI Freeman. After a week of potential COVID , I was thinking that I may have had to cancel said MRI. That was scheduled for 19:10 on a Saturday night! The demand ruins weekends. For good reason to be fair. However, I received a phone call on that Saturday morning asking if I'd accept an earlier slot of 12:00. Hell yeah! Saturday night alive again. I'm not missing the possible cancellation reason: I woke up on that day (for the 2nd time since actually falling asleep) feeling SO much better than the Friday before! After explaining that I had been home testing with LFTs (lateral flow test) with Negative results to the caller, I was told that if I did one before going to the Freeman with a Negative result, I could safely get the scan! To the scan. In a mobile MRI unit at an unusual venue, I was a tad anxious ; that anxiety proved of no worth thankfully. I found where to go, checked in at the reception and was taken to the scanner. Up some stairs with handrails, thankfully. What...

Hippotherapy? Having visited my ex last year, the surprise I was promised was not expected! At all. Something I’d NEVER done... Horse riding! [“ Hippotherapy ”?! YES!] She has done more than a bit of said activity in her earlier life, me though, none. Ever. So, to have an arranged session with a trusted instructor type who is mindful of helping those with challenges – MS in my case, her too but she has experience – I was excitedly nervous / nervously excited! The day arrived. It was initially quite funny getting the correct and fitting helmet and back protector on; we got it after a while. Then to the arena! We were introduced to our respective horses – Jack for me as he is better with ‘newbies’; Whisky for her as she (horse) isn’t quite so tame , but! – and we received good relevant chat before anything else. To mount. Hmmm. I was presented with a stepping block ladder to assist me with the ‘manoeuvre’ and helped get my foot into the stirrup and pushed up a bit. Succ...

Disabled supermarkets rant! Corona2 I have just been to a supermarket for essential foodstuffs and was greeted with a long queue of shoppers adhering to the 2m rule. Fair enough. However. As someone who is legit disabled – MS as the big one – I cannot stand for 30+ minutes in a slow-moving queue. I wish I could. This I flagged with security at the front door, who were only doing their jobs, and they said no. That was respectively passed to the store manager who also said no. That is the ‘law’. OK with that. My gripe is the visibility of what differences there are for the ‘vulnerable’ in this affected Coronavirus society, i.e. those affected by whatever their ‘problems’ may be. The elderly seems to be covered well , with the “vulnerable” too. But. The times that are supposed to be available for them/us ARE NOT CLEAR. Hey, if I have missed this information and these slots, I’m sorry. Just haven’t seen or heard them. Rant over. #Staysafe

Coronavirus The year is 2020. The world is facing a new challenge. Coronavirus . I say new as in history there, I think, has never had such a global challenge. We all know what its effects are leading to. Nut shell? No, not an actual nut shell (have recently seen Austin Powers though!), just in a double-metaphorical stance; obviously. Firstly, our (UK) Prime Minister has declared that MOST (key workers allowed) people must stay indoors and adhere to 4 rules to try and stop the spread of this bastard virus. It is killing a lot of people. §   Shopping for basic necessities such as food and medicine. Shopping trips should be as infrequent as possible §   One form of exercise a day such as a run, walk, or cycle. This should be done alone or only with people you live with §   Any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person. This includes moving children under the age of 18 between their parents' homes, where applicable...

Season change Autumn is in full force. Is it? Well the leaves think so and the cooling weather thinks so; or does it?! Recently there have been temperatures up here (the north east) hitting bloody 20°C! Yes, that is nice in summer months (obviously higher please; and was this year to be frank!) and not one to whinge about any other time; unless. Unless? Well, you know where I’m going with that. Yip, M bloody S. Temperature can be a nasty (for want of a taboo-free word!) trigger. Can. Not everyone granted, and depending on the type of temperature; e.g. dry or damp/humid. Enough of that; for now. It is currently October and so far, so good in that I’m having (touch wood) a good month with a few notable ‘good’ days. Those who know what I mean by that, know. Just a month then? Yes, in that apart from A great week last month, I did not really enjoy September. Change of season? Who knows! Now it’s been and gone - moving on! What is/are the change/s making a posit...

Positive Affirmations goes Alpha; apparently Second blog within a week? Something good must have happened right? I would not be writing this if not so! I do not want or seem to be repeating myself, like I may have said already, but certain things I do are done regularly with regular positive outcomes. St. James' Park This blog though covers different efforts! 1. Meeting Sound inspiring? Gets worse! No. Let me continue. As part of my world now has me functioning as a willing volunteer within the MS world – literally! – due to no longer being a member of the workforce ( GRRRRRRR ), I fulfil quite a few roles instead. #cantdonowt. As one of these roles – happily being part of the Multiple Sclerosis Society’s North Tyneside Group – I am the Health and Safety   (h&s) volunteer. Peterhead Power station Love (ha) or hate, I do have some history adhering to strict health and safety protocol of such, in the past. Power stations. Can’t m...

Positive Affiliations 5 Straight to it! #lesswaffle! 1. Tysabri 108. Another? Thankfully YES! Those who know, know! My MS treatment, my DMT ( Disease Modifying Treatment ; DMD…Drug), and it has done and doing its job. Touch wood. I like to think that the week prior to the infusion I was quite active and energetic in my own way; then the reminder. Tysabri gets commonly named ‘magic juice’ by its MS recipients. I can’t quote stats for those of us who get Tysabri that are NOT affected by the time between infusions. Some are though. Commonly I am one that knows when it is the 4 th week of the 4. More fatigue with symptomatic responses as an example. A top-up then. Literally! The weekend was largely spend sat on my arse doing not a lot. The actual day after the infusion (before the weekend) I did ‘receive’ a session with an MS specialist Physical Trainer, all positive for the MS journey’s benefit. Then a welcome sit for a meditation session thereafter. Back ...