MrsB
My wife
Only another invisible disability
An invisible disability is a problem for people living with advanced MS and you can easily have several. I could go so far as to call them as the lowest form of pond life. Something unexpected starts happening, initially its very slightly annoying and is quickly dismissed as a passing glitch. You hope the glitch […]
A stressful house move
Downsizing has definitely made this a very stressful house move. Everything in our lives was going to change. Advanced MS and its disabilities, we are both physically past our prime and living in a house with stairs meant our time was up. Throughout our married life we have accumulated possessions. Furniture, books, clothes, ornaments and […]
Time to move into a more suitable property
Me and MrsB decided its time to move into a more suitable property. Multiple sclerosis and age have finally caught up with me. Our Victorian five bedroomed terraced house is beautiful, but not at all practical. The local council built a wet room a few years ago. It made washing and going to the loo […]
Managing MS fatigue, an overwhelming inability to continue
Managing MS fatigue is a long story. As recently as 1995 I played badminton singles in the local sports centre, after just half an hour I was physically exhausted and very sweaty. I’ve now hung up my badminton racket, personally I blame multiple sclerosis,. I still suffer intense exhaustion but no sweating. Walking very slowly […]
Now it is the boredom since lock down started
11/05/2020 Its now over 7 weeks since the Covid19 lock down started, boredom is definitely hovering on the perimeters of my life. Retaining focus and motivation are getting harder. Over the years me and MrsB have developed a good coping strategy and mutual understanding but these are unusual times. We are both stressed and frustrated […]
Further handicaps because of MS
I have a problem with expecting too much from myself. This in turn hurts me more than it helps me. I am always looking at my life and trying to simplify everything I do but it is harder than it seems. The biggest problem with advanced MS is how an ordinary activity is suddenly […]
Multiple sclerosis and the double whammy
Multiple sclerosis has taken over my life very very slowly. That sounds so much better than ruining my life very very slowly. It all started in 1972 and remained in the shadows for thirty years. The disease is now grown up, it’s matured into SPMS. For every disability there is a consequence. I call this […]
Firing on all four cylinders
I am now recovering from a particularly nasty bout of man-flu. I was in bed for two a half days with a sneeze rate of anything up to 10 per hour. Add to this a temperature and I felt super grotty. I was not firing on all four cylinders Going out into the fresh air […]
I am physically disabled but I still travel
When I was working I travelled all over the world then medical retirement kicked me in the groin. Life as I knew it suddenly changed. Occasionally I still get the urge to travel, this time me and MrsB went to Australia. I am physically disabled but I still travel. Cut the stress I have just […]
DWP decide my Personal Independence Payment
This morning I received a brown envelope from Belfast. I knew the contents straightaway, the DWP had made a decision. I had already read the assessor ‘s report. How will the DWP decide my Personal Independence Payment benefits. A normal life I did not know if the DWP decision was going to be a mere […]
One Hell of a Day
There have been some cracking days this summer. Yup, it has been a bit hot but I have really enjoyed getting dressed in just a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. Like all good things there will be an end. I had a bit of a hiccup on Monday 9th July. It really was one […]
Multiple sclerosis has its lesions and inflammation
Just when you think there is a glimmer of hope, a tiny twinkle of light at the end of the tunnel, it is surprising how easily that little spark of optimism can be extinguished. Life with nearly every single Long Term Condition can be really rough. Multiple sclerosis has its lesions and inflammation. This causes the […]
Multiple sclerosis is such an unpredictable disease
I am getting my life back onto an even keel. Botox is working, Fampridine looks like it’s a winner and spring is in the air. Just when I think all is looking hunky dory and everything is under control ,BANG, something hit me in the solar plexus. Multiple sclerosis is such an unpredictable disease. It […]
Disabled man sees Iolanthe at the Coliseum
MrsB and I went up to London to see Iolanthe, a Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta performed by the English National Opera (ENO). It was a fantastic performance, bit frothy but we both enjoyed it. You’re probably thinking that we are rolling in money and with rather aristocratic tastes. Nothing could be further from the truth. […]
MS-SMART drug trial after 92 weeks
Its almost 92 weeks since I started the MS-SMART drug trial. The time has flown by. The trial as been straight forward. Just pop a pill every morning and again in the evening. Well almost every evening, sometimes when I go out in the evening I forget to take one with me and when I get […]
The Wife and I flew to Barcelona from Luton airport
When I am going on holiday I start at point A, have my holiday at point B then return to point A at the end of the holiday. In this case it was a five day city break in Barcelona. The Wife and I flew to Barcelona from Luton airport. What can I say about […]
Another milestone in the inevitable progression of my MS
Something has definitely changed in the last few weeks. It was not an ‘Oh my God’ moment as in a flash of inspiration. Instead it was an ‘Oh my God’ realisation and it took a few weeks for me to understand. Let’s call it another milestone in the inevitable progression of my MS. Life moves […]
Bed is the only place for you
Thursday 30th of April arrived I felt decidedly second-hand when I woke up and it went downhill from there. I felt as if I had been rejected by the local rubbish dump. Eventually I retired to bed very early in the evening. MrsB took my temperature, 38.3 and added. “Yup, bed is the only place […]
MrsB and I went go on a London Road Trip
MrsB and I went on a London road trip on Saturday 18th March. See the Hockney exhibition at the Tate Britain and then on to the Coliseum to see Pirates of Penzance. It’s always the other little events that make the day interesting. The Road Trip MrsB and I travelled into London independently. I arrive […]
Imagine life without multiple sclerosis
Sometimes I like to play a simple mental game. Picture myself going up a flight of stairs. Maybe I can see myself walking to the shops and then carry the shopping back home. Drive the car instead of using the bus. I can still visualize myself striding out for a walk with the dog, not […]
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 […]