Making an annual wish to improve my life
Making an annual wish to improve my life
Back in the day I would make a resolution every New Year’s eve. Its such an easy thing to say when I’ve drunk a glass a glass or two too many. Everyone else has made one so why shouldn’t I? Now I’m a bit softer in the stomach and wiser in the head so I’ve stopped making an annual wish to improve my life.
Do I need New Year resolutions
Most of them are made on the spur of the moment with no thought. Take the resolution “I will stop smoking”; I said it too many times. In the 80s everyone smoked everywhere, me included. I was young and considered myself immortal, married but BC (before children). I finally stopped in 2003 twenty years later and that was only because I really wanted to stop smoking.
Making an annual wish to improve my life
Another New Year’s Eve and I realised I wasn’t very fit. This was in the time when there wasn’t a gym on every High Street. I resolved to go for a run every day. I did go out for one run and immediately realised that running was not for me; that was a very easy resolution to discard. I did walk the dog every day but somehow it was not the same.
The years roll by
Since those young carefree days a lot has changed in my life. I’ve got grey streaks in my hair and some people think I look distinguished. Unknown to me I acquired a nasty vicious little disease called multiple sclerosis. For over fifteen years so I’m learned to fall over gracefully, it is a skill I have refined as MS has slowly consumed me. I don’t think there’s any resolution available to me that will improve my life with MS.
What is available?
Over the last 10 to 15 years tremendous progress has been made to slow down and possibly even stop progression of multiple sclerosis. This is only if you get a diagnosis before the disease starts to shred the nerves. Then there is a very good chance it can be stopped.
One day stopping progression of progressive multiple sclerosis is a possibility. There is no medicine available yet to repair the damage.
One day there will be a cure
Define it
MS is a very difficult disease to define because it really is different for everyone. Go to Google and type “What is deafness?” or “What is arthritis?” and it will return a short easy to understand definition. Now type “What is multiple sclerosis?” and you get a very woolly imprecise answer.
Multiple sclerosis is different for everyone
If I go out into the street and ask people “What is MS?” then the vast majority don’t really know.
I have heard the reply “Oooh, is it something to do with the muscles? No hang on a minute isn’t that ummm, oh no I think that’s MND. No I don’t know”.
So my resolution is to tell people who do not have MS what it is like to have MS.
“OK, OK I know you know what it’s like”.
“I know this is a difficult task. I’m up for the challenge, are you”?
Tell people about MS. That’s my resolution for this year.
Associated articles
Does my disability make me worth less?
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10 Jan 2019
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