MS & Me

'MS & Me Blog marks one year by looking back and looking forward'

“Hope” is a word full of meaning. A heavy-weighing word too. People with MS cling onto hope because at the moment there is not much else we can do. 

Before MS I really took my health for granted. I rarely went to the doctor. I was afraid of needles. I didn't think about what I ate or what time I ate it. I took little things for granted like ticking 'no' when asked if I had any known medical conditions. I guess I never really had to consider these things before and each first that came along really got to me. When shopping for car insurance after my diagnosis I wasn't able to get many quotes online because I had to tick 'yes' to the medical condition. There are more obstacles in the way... extra paperwork!

Sometimes I wonder how fictional characters would respond if they had a chronic illness like MS. What would Mary Poppins do? Would she keep the chin up and sing a cheerful song- even though the magic umbrella is not what it used to be since the last relapse? Would she get on with her chores even though she is so tired, she could fall asleep on top of a “Chim Chim Cher-ee”?

Part 2 - Helen continues to give her list of daily tasks a proper go to 'get happy'

Part 1 - A list of daily tasks to get happy!

From Willeke's own experience her medical team has been pivotal to her care and have been outstanding so far!

How full is your (tea) cup?

MS & Me Community blog reach the final

We have all had those conversations with ourselves - 'what would my last thoughts be if I was on a sinking ship?’  As a non-believer, I've wondered if I would I hedge my bets and start to pray to a (wo)man above. The closest I've come to that sinking ship 'moment' was in the days and weeks around my unexpected diagnosis with MS. In those long days, I was overwhelmed with good wishes, cards and gifts from family and friends. I was given religious relics, mass cards and messages saying that I was in people's prayers. I appreciated each and everyone of these gestures, but I confess, it did nothing to draw me back to the teachings of my Roman Catholic upbringing. Rather, it reinforced my lack of faith. Would I say that I am a full blown atheist? Probably. This can be tricky living in Christian Ireland, when education, births, deaths, marriages and everything in between is immersed in religious ceremony. But I am happy enough to go along with these and actively participate at times. Am I a hypocrite? Probably.