MS & Me

I think I have an aversion to the World Cup. In July 2010 I ended up in hospital, and was subsequently diagnosed, with MS. Roll on 4 years, and I was back. I was in a different hospital, and the relapse was totally different than my previous one, but the drill was the same. 

Recently I took a trip with some of my fellow bloggers to Lisbon. During a chat over coffee with one of the ladies the subject of  "When I was diagnosed" came up. It inspired me to go rooting though my college boxes when I got home and I found a notebook I had while I was going through the diagnostic process. When I think back to that time I tell myself that I remember every thought and every feeling I had. Well it turns out that I don't. When I was reading over my written ramblings I felt as if it was written by a different person. Life really has moved on so far in the short 3 years since I was diagnosed. I read about the fears I had, the feelings I experiences and the thoughts that came to me. The trauma of the diagnosis had given me such a distorted view of my life and my future. I thought I was fine, but looking back it was an extremely traumatic time in my life. I was wasting energy thinking about something that might never happen. This got me thinking about the advice I would give myself if I could magically send a letter to the past. Here is my letter to me:

The View From Here: Opinions From a Life With Multiple Sclerosis

Three years ago, my computer died a sudden, premature and grizzly death. No warning! Just gave up the ghost during a Google search. I lost EVERYTHING! Apart from teaching me the hard way to make regular backups, I had to embark on a treasure hunt to recover any paper copies of important documents I had lying about.

We need 'focus' in our everyday lives to achieve our goals or targets. We need self-discipline to stay on track. Our battle with Multiple Sclerosis is a never ending battle and there are very few lulls in the fighting and because of that we need focus more than most. The need for focus begins with little things, with attainable targets. We need 'our little victories' as Claire Mitchell wrote in her recent blog. The longest journey begins with one step. Take the first step and set yourself a target, the second step is to set a route plan to reach the target and the third step is a celebration having reached your goal.

This week blogger Lucina Russell shares her experience of public and private health insurance.

MS is a life-changing event, but so is having children. If MS had not entered Willeke's life, she absolutely would have wanted children.

The View from Here; Opinions from a Life with Multiple Sclerosis:

Employment affects your brain, your mental health, the money in your pocket and life you get to live. This week Emma Rogan discusses the value of work from her perspective and how having something to wake up FOR can transform our lives. 

Ah, public transport… Train stations without elevators or escalators; Buses with seats for elderly or disabled people; Crutches or walking sticks you want to throw from the train right into the Irish Sea.