Living With MS
Life in a MS houeshold
Walk the MS Mile. Video, Good Exercise For Me
Good exercise is something we all need to do. It gets those muscles working and it also makes me feel a whole lot better in mind and body. Since I signed up for the ‘Walk the MS Mile’ for the Chilterns MS Centre I have gone out nearly every day with my rollator pushing myself […]
A Short Video – Me and My SPMS
Below is a short video of me taken recently after a networking meeting. To watch the video click on the picture I know full well that after a diagnosis of MS you may well feel shell shocked, devastated, depressed or even as if the world around you has collapsed. Despite the diagnosis MS […]
At Night I Can’t Just Fall Into Bed
It’s the evening, I’m tired and its bedtime but at night I can’t just fall into bed. I have to go through a ritual every evening before I can get into bed and start reading my book. Getting undressed and removing my FES is quite a palaver. If I do this standing up I’m guaranteed to […]
Training for ‘Walk the MS Mile’
I’m now training every evening. Getting fitter so I can walk the ‘MS Mile’. Training time Every evening at about 5 o’clock I’m out training, doing a walk with my rollator. I increase the distance every few days. D Day is Saturday 12 September and takeoff is at 11.00 outside M & S in Berkhamsted […]
Aidapt Wood Button Hook or Zipper
The Aidapt Wood Button Hook or Zipper is a handy device for doing-up buttons and pulling a zip up or down. Its easy to use, there is a loop at one end for buttons and a hook at the other for zips. The button loop simply passes through the button hole and clips around the button which […]
Walk the MS Mile 2015
On 12 September 2015 I will be walking 1,760 yards or 1 mile, to help the Chilterns MS Centre celebrate its 30th birthday. The Challenge Maybe you don’t think that is very far; for me it is one heck of a challenge. I have always liked a challenge, I’m definitely up for this one. The […]
Drop Foot And The FES
It’s now August 2015, time to think about my drop foot and the FES ; I have been using a Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) to help me walk since December 2014 that is 9 months. It is a dual channel FES. I cannot lift the toes or front of my left foot off the ground. I cannot […]
TGA Launches Lighter Mobility Scooter
Building on the nationwide popularity of the Minimo range of folding mobility scooters, TGA launches a lighter mobility scooter the Minimo Plus for even greater levels of independence and transportablity. This latest version of the Minimo Plus is easier to lift, provides an upgraded driving experience and delivers additional safety. Its advanced lightweight design combines the compact […]
Bath or Shower Locking Suction Cup Handles
Years ago when I climbed into a bath I just knew it is going to be difficult to get out. Then my disease progressed and I needed help with balance and standing up in the shower. The shower is in the bath so I had to climb into the bath first of all. How did […]
Non Slip Outdoor Step
The Non Slip Outdoor Step is is a practical and clever idea. It instantly reduces the height of a step. The non slip outdoor step is ideal for giving you that little bit of added help when tackling large doorsteps. Its allowing you to take two smaller steps rather than struggling with one large step. All […]
Should A Mobility Scooter Be Insured?
Sould a mobility scooter be insured? The simple answer is yes but it is not a legal requirement. Always check your insurance, sometimes household insurance can be sufficient. There have been a small number of cases where uninsured people have lost their homes after being sued for negligence after injuring people with their scooter. Don’t let it […]
Good Days and Bad Days
Its only started over the last few days. It’s a return to the old times of good days and bad days. What’s happened? I am still just as busy. I am still doing things that I enjoy. Some of the things I do even earn me a bit if money. One small thing has changed […]
Diagnosed with MS And You Drive A Car
If you are diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis) and you drive a car then here is some good news. There are one or two hoops that you must now jump through when you get the diagnosis. You must tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) that you have been diagnosed with MS. Also the […]
Wood and Fabric Hand Fan
Swish a Black Wood and Fabric Hand Fan gently in front of your face; it creates a gentle breeze that will make you feel cooler. Elegant solution Using a Black Wood and Fabric Hand Fan exudes an elegant style so you keep cool while everyone else is getting too hot. I think a folding fan is an excellent […]
Do Hospital Gardens Aid Recovery?
Hospital gardens can help patients with recovery. They will spend less time in hospital. A garden provides access to active exercise and can instill a desire to live My experience in 2009 I was working in Hamburg when I fell over, cracked two ribs and punctured a lung. After the operation to insert a tube to […]
Mobility challenges
MS is not a good disease and many sufferers have difficulty getting around. Shall we call these mobility challenges? We are all different Each MS sufferer has a unique set of problems the usual culprits are walking, mobility and balance. There are plenty more problems in case you were wondering. Here are some of my […]
Reunited With My Scooter
Man is reunited with his lifeline scooter A father has credited the power of social media with helping to reunite him with his ‘lifeline’ mobility scooter after it was was snatched by thieves. Patrick Burke’s three-wheeled scooter vanished from outside Berkhamsted’s Quaker House last Tuesday evening (9 June 2015) – but thanks to his daughter […]
A Very Wet Phone and 5 Rules to Dry it
Does your mobile phone float? Mine fell into the loo. I had a very wet phone. A very wet phone and 5 rules to dry it. Let’s start at the beginning I’m a bloke and I keep my phone in the breast pocket of my shirt. If I bend over at the waist I will fall […]
Safe Return Of My Travelscoot
I am a member of Berkhamsted Speakers club, it meets on Tuesday evenings; I go to the meetings using my Travelscoot. After the the meeting had finished on Tuesday 9th June I went outside to ride it home but my Travelscoot was nowhere to be seen. It had disappeared. I looked again and it still […]
Its taken a long time to get going again
It’s took me a long time, a whole week to get going again after a short holiday. Here’s why. First excuse is Portugal Barby and I went to stay with University friends of mine. They have a house in the mountains near Monchique, Portugal behind the Algarve coast. Here are some of the memories: Freshly […]
Digging up weeds should be an easy job
Use a Fiskars Weed Puller and now digging up weeds should be an easy job. Lets be honest, bending down to dig up weeds is not enjoyable gardening. Now you can do it while standing up. This must be a better solution. Could it be called fun gardening? As we all know weeds just appear out of […]
Tale of two different rollators
A rollator is an aid that helps with walking. They help me with my balance and to walk upright. A rollator provides the support. It will have a seat to sit on when tired, brakes and a basket to carry items They are all lightweight, the frame is robust, the brakes can be adjusted and should […]
Glasses for Double Vision
It was double vision that led to my diagnosis of MS in 1994. Twenty years later double vision was turning into a serious problem. Prisms are included into the prescription and these are then glasses for double vision. The problem for me was that my double vision had reach the stage where prisms could not […]
Feeling Frustrated, Lost my Temper
MS is a personal disease, different for everyone. No matter how much you try to explain only an MSer can truly appreciate it. There are subtle changes to the mental state of mind. Claustrophobia, clumsiness, feeling frustrated and even stupidity can occur. The physical situation will invariably deteriorate during the day. Sometimes it all gets […]
I Wear an Eye Patch Because I have Double Vision
I wear an Eye Patch because I have double vision. Double vision, led to my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 1994. Double vision did not become a serious problem for me until about 2012. I had double vision before then but prisms in my glasses were always able to eliminate the problem. The double vision can no […]
Two channel FES
I was fitted with a single channel Functional Electrical Stimulator (FES) in mid December. Sixteen weeks later, at the end of March I was upgraded to a Two Channel FES. The original FES is only able to stimulate one muscle; the new one can stimulate two muscles. The original FES stimulates the muscle to lift the front of the foot. […]
Memory is definitely getting
The Cognitive Rehabilitation for Attention and Memory in people with Multiple Sclerosis (CRAMMS) study will focus on these MS related symptoms and begin to recruit patients in April 2015. I already know that I have a very poor memory. What do I use to help my memory and make my life with multiple sclerosis that little bit easier? The […]
Caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed drug
Caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed drug. It changes brain function and results in alterations in perception, mood or consciousness. Unlike many other psychoactive substances it is legal. If you have MS and an unreliable bladder then caffeine is definitely bad news. I love a cup or two of coffee in the morning but there is a price […]
Lucy Bee Extra Virgin Raw Organic Coconut Oil
Why am I reviewing Lucy Bee Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil. It has incredible properties and it is very healthy. It is extremely versatile. Coconut oil is a natural oil that will benefit the body in many ways. Coconut oil is made from the flesh of the coconut. Find out how it is made read this […]
Berkhamsted station is step-free
At long last the lifts at Berkhamsted station are working. It is a step free station.. The lifts were opened to the public on Friday 13 March. It has been an awfully long wait. They started the building work in early 2014 and it was finished by January 2015. People had been seen going up and […]
The inevitable progress
Doing simple things thing seems to leave me feeling exhausted and no physical energy. Hole in my energy tank Why do I leak energy so easily? Any little job leaves me wanting to sit down Not only is it so tiring doing anything remotely active and now it takes me so much longer. I hear […]
The positives from MS
I was going to give this article the title of “What has MS stopped me doing?”. I don’t like that because it is so negative and basically I am a glass half full man so lets make this a positive post. Positive things What good things have happened to me over the last few years? […]
An unwanted visitor
It all started at the back of my throat. It was just a tiny tickle at lunchtime. I honestly thought it was my imagination. It had gone away by the evening, hurray. Next morning, day two, it was a bit tricky to swallow but a couple of cups of tea sorted that one out. I […]
A terrible shock
Last week I discovered that our lovely shower was not working and the problem wasn’t just the shower. Book the engineer The story starts when the thermostat for our power shower broke so the shower water was only freezing cold. I phoned Aqualisa to book an engineer. I pulled the disability card and was told […]
Hydrotherapy and multiple sclerosis
Hydrotherapy, some people call it about physiotherapy in water or even aquatic physiotherapy Power of Gravity When walking around doing the day to day activities we tend to forget about gravity. Gravity is everywhere, its keeping things on the ground. Pour water out of a jug. It is the effect of gravity that makes the […]
Toilet Frame with Adjustable Height and Width
There time may well come when a Toilet Frame with Adjustable Height and Width is very helpful when you need to sit down or get up from the loo. Be as independent as possible. This toilet frame is designed to give you that independence. It will make life just that little bit easier even if you […]
