Come on!

NYR 20XX I am not a ‘New Year Resolution’ (NYR) believer. Sick of minor heart-felt , common , and false, ‘beliefs’ just being said to say something across the years. ·        Job ·        Gym more ·        Get a lass When realistically, although they were true, to a broken / fractured mindset, the intent was hardly in line with the bollocks of a NYR! Firstly, the JOB . Well, as someone with I STILL BELIEVE a thoroughly paramount WORKING ETHIC and attitude; I can honestly say, that I have tried beyond belief. Now, my acceptance is that that has had to have changed due to medical reasons . Meh. Such is life. The GYM! Never a gym bunny to quote a phrase, I did attend a gym whenever I could within reason. Miami dreams? No! Fitness in-line with MS , yes. And age now a factor 😂 . COVID a different factor now anyway too! Singleton. 43 and single. No “aw”s there – not my search (no pun int...

Coffee journeys At the start of 2019 I made a return to, a start of, caffeinated coffee. What? Why? Well I'll put my thanks for that with a great few people I met in Prague at an #MS convention - details of here - that led to a fabulous weekend in Glasgow that reintroduced me to the real taste of great coffee that included caffeine! Yes, tea and coffee (LOT more tea then) both of the decaffeinated version) due to primarily bloody insomnia , then that in can be not welcome with MS. However! It seems that yes, caffeine has energy positives (great cheating fatigue at times), it also brings 'mild' diuretic affects. Taste wins! I started a little coffee tasting journey of my own. Just visiting some local coffee-shop-esq to try and discover what offers the 'best' in my opinion (aye, as a bit of a chocolate lover I had a few Mochas!) and a good time to read Ruby Wax's Frazzled ! Here are some scribbles from then:  Park View Deli Bar, Whitley ...

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...

3rd Year Medical Students  Cranial Nerve Examination Two weeks ago (second week of October 2017 ) I answered a call asking me if I would like to do as I have done before, (as an expert patient) at the Newcastle Clinical Research Facility . When I told Andy – the coordinator on the phone – I’d done it several times before and that I would rearrange other appointments to suit, he was a happy chappy. One of the appointments was Tysabri number 97, my first at CRESTA (Clinics for Research and Service in Themed Assessments), a new ‘venue’ to get my infusion (I'd rather stay where I was, but!). A phone call or two later and job one done. Others followed suit and I was free for service! As I have previously blogged this, I will not repeat the whole Cranial Nerve Examination process again, but will repeat that I enjoyed it once more and was left tired once more too! However! The hard work (it does get tiring!) gave me a thirst. I had a thought. An obvious th...

Former engineer keen to help others with multiple sclerosis Wow – it has (once again!) been a while. I do need to get a routine involving this blogging business (which for me, it isn’t by the way (business!)!). So by means of catching-up a bit, I’m going to the time I started my 2 nd (1 st time 2005!) flirt with Coronation Street in about June 2017 for reasons close to me – not a sudden Corrie fan! I received an email asking me if I would be open to be interviewed by the MS Society , being quote, “ a northern bloke with living MS ”. Well, I am that and of course I said yes (didn’t shout “aye!”)! Why? I was told that in about a month’s time, there was going to be an emerging story in a character’s story in a soap with multiple sclerosis , and that my story may help the character’s story develop! A first for me to be interviewed like that – for helpful research, not hammered about a job (of which I’ve had quite a few) – and I enjoyed it. I of course answered with t...

MS Expert Patient Cranial Nerve Examination I have recently met some 3 rd year medical students at my GPs’ surgery on their request; an activity I usually do if I can when asked to do it, being someone living with MS  – not solely stuck in MY head! What this does is not only the giving me the chance to give something back to the medical body, that they (students) learn from, but the chance for me to share some of my  story . I have assisted with a/the Cranial Nerve Examination several times now being the patient, as my eyes are affected by my condition. These (examinations) have taken part in a learning centre area of the RVI * and separately my GPs’ surgery. *This has been different across the years! I go along with about 15 other ‘patients’ across 2 wards, each in our own respective ward area, to sit or lie and await a small team (5-6) of students with a qualified doctor per team. These teams each have their task/s to perform depending on what these are...

MS and Work - Realisation and Acceptance Being a person with multiple sclerosis, I saw my  MS  consultant ( Dr M E Duddy , whom I rate very highly) at the Newcastle RVI in November 2016 for my annual check. This was, what, my 10ish neurological consultation following my return to the North East 10 years ago. So, I went a bit prepared! Well, that’s being armed with some questions on paper and a pen! Stand back! Without detailing what the questions were, they were of course mostly about me and ‘my’ MS and some of the effects I experience; and a request to see some MRI scan pictures! I scribbled some answers to some questions at the time but afterwards I tried to put them into more of a mini-blog format (for my sake given the memory!) that I am going to share with you (not word-for-word). I always enjoy seeing Dr Duddy for my personal knowledge of how my MS is progressing from a neurological perspective other than what I KNOW personally, and he’s a good blok...