Living With MS

Life in a MS houeshold

Core muscles were weak so I used a wobble cushion

Core muscles were weak so I used a wobble cushion

My core muscles were weak, its something I only noticed a few weeks ago, Getting out of bed not been easy for several years, its something everyone takes for granted. Just recently it had suddenly turned into a terrible struggle. I’ve got enough problems already without worrying about new ones. Now was the obvious time […]

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Variable height saddle stool to move around in the kitchen

Variable height saddle stool to move around in the kitchen

I use a saddle stool to move around in the kitchen, prepare food and cook. It makes my life in the kitchen so much easier. I cannot walk or stand unaided because of multiple sclerosis. Now I can cook, a hobby that I enjoy. The stool is like a horse’s saddle on wheels. You could […]

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Feet are made for standing

Feet are made for standing

Feet are made for standing, its something people take for granted. OK I admit that walking, running and jumping also involve feet but standing on them is a basic function. “Learn to stand on your own two feet” and “Rushed off your feet” are two common phrases that involve being on your feet. My mobility […]

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Advanced MS and sitting down exercises

Advanced MS and sitting down exercises

Advanced MS and exercise are not natural bedfellows. None the less exercise can help us all to manage common MS symptoms such as fatigue, muscle spasms or balance. When I was a child my parents were always saying to me, “Go out side and take some exercise” and it was so easy. Those were happy […]

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Poor balance and mobility makes walking difficult

Poor balance and mobility makes walking difficult

I have poor balance and mobility so I use a mobility scooter. I remember in 2012 when medical retirement arrived I could easily lift my mobility scooter onto a train and I did not need a walking stick either. Those were carefree days, now long gone. Nobody told me how my life would change in […]

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Only another invisible disability

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 […]

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Do we really need a car in London?

Do we really need a car in London?

Do we really need a car now we are living in London?  Our car is a 14 year old 2 litre diesel VW Passat estate, far too big for us in London. Its not ULEZ compliant (Ultra Low Emission Zone), much too old. Its starting to cost more every time it has an MOT. Also […]

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A short visit to Woburn Centre Parcs

A short visit to Woburn Centre Parcs

I last visited Centre Parcs when all 3 of our children were under 10, over thirty years ago. My diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was at least 10 years into the future. Now our two daughters are married, and each has a baby son and I am living with advanced multiple sclerosis. A visit to Centre […]

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3 traumatic injuries to me

3 traumatic injuries to me

Visits to hospital Multiple Sclerosis was the the one factor that joins these 3 traumatic injuries together. None of them could be described as fun but hey, I survived. Sepsis December 2013 I have used intermittent self-catheterisation to empty my bladder since 2005. this visit to hospital occurred in 2013. I had just received a […]

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My life with MS and invisible disabilities

My life with MS and invisible disabilities

My life with MS is turning into a balancing act. Not the high-wire type of balance, just making sure I don’t do two things simultaneously. My life is now just one job at a time, no more walking and talking. Invisible disabilities rule plus they control my life. Nobody knows I have invisible disabilities unless […]

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A stressful house move

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 […]

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Time to move into a more suitable property

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 […]

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Downsize to a flat, the story has just started

Downsize to a flat, the story has just started

We live in a Victorian terraced house. Downsize to a flat is our next step but the challenges have only just begun. We moved into this house over 20 years ago and its now time to move on and start a new chapter in our lives. The children grew up here and now lead independent […]

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7 comments

My own cannabis experiment

My own cannabis experiment

I’ve had MS since 1972 and it has had a huge impact on life. It now affects me in every which way.  The wonderful NHS prescribes drugs that will ease my symptoms so every day I have to take a cocktail of pills. Time to look at other solutions. I decided to do my own cannabis experiment. […]

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I forget what I was going to tell you

I forget what I was going to tell you

I’ve had too many ideas on blogs to write over the last few months. Some frustrations, some positive experiences and even some actual thoughts. But when I start to write a blog there is a crisis that needs my full attention then I forget what I was going to tell you. I’m ten Recently this […]

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Thoughts on buying a mobility scooter

Thoughts on buying a mobility scooter

You are disabled and your mobility is getting worse. Now you realise you can no longer comfortably walk very far so you need to think on this. Distance is not the only problem, speed, balance and carrying also come into the equation. Thoughts turn to buying a mobility scooter. Original mobility scooter They first appeared […]

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What has happened to my energy?

What has happened to my energy?

What has happened to my energy? Back in the day, I had so much get up and go. I had a 9 – 5 job, 3 young children, a garden to look after and numerous other responsibilities. From about 2005 the wheels began to come off the car. I gradually had less energy to fit […]

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A UTI with advanced multiple sclerosis is no fun

A UTI with advanced multiple sclerosis is no fun

It crept up on me very slowly, just think of a lion stalking its prey. Initially, I was blissfully unaware that I had an infection. Looking back with the benefit of hindsight I can see how I slowly deteriorated followed by a slow recovery. A urinary tract infection or UTI with advanced multiple sclerosis is […]

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My interview on Tring Today – Friday 18 February

My interview on Tring Today – Friday 18 February

Bored on Friday 18th at lunch time? Why not tune into Tring radio on Friday between 12 and 1 and listen to my interview as a guest on Tring Today. Tring Radio is a local community radio station run entirely by volunteers. Two people started the station two years ago at the start of the […]

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Mobility scooter needs a bus permit

Mobility scooter needs a bus permit

In late July 2017 I was getting onto a bus at High Wycombe with my mobility scooter. The Arriva bus driver said “The mobility scooter needs a bus permit. Can I see it” Arriva are responsible for running all the buses in the towns close to where I live. I have to use the buses […]

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38 comments

Shopping in a wheelchair is a challenge

Shopping in a wheelchair is a challenge

If you find walking easy then I am going to issue a challenge, go shopping in a wheelchair. Before you leave don’t forget to tie your legs together. You must go out on your own and don’t forget a shopping list or shopping bag. You will need some cash, credit cards and your mobile phone. […]

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My MS journey begins, 24 years before diagnosis

My MS journey begins, 24 years before diagnosis

Some events are very significant, and the emotional impact is unforgettable. Think of marriage, death of a spouse or parent. I will never forget that moment in 1996 when the consultant uttered the words “You have multiple sclerosis”. Many years later I realised my MS journey started 24 years before my diagnosis. My MS journey […]

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Understand MS fatigue, logic can fly out of the window

Understand MS fatigue, logic can fly out of the window

For many people fatigue is an unenviable part of multiple sclerosis, its severity varies from person to person.  People do not truly understand MS fatigue unless they suffer from it. The cause of this hidden disability is not properly understood. Worse still, too many people do not appreciate that fatigue is a chronic hidden disability. […]

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7 comments

Something vaguely interesting, dining across the divide

Something vaguely interesting, dining across the divide

Its July, the middle of a dreadful summer and I’ve got nothing to do so I‘m surfing the internet. I find something vaguely interesting, The Guardian are offering a chance to have a discussion with someone who holds opposing views. A free meal is thrown in. I answer the questions on my views, submit my […]

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I attempt a stupid walking challenge, only 100 Km

I attempt a stupid walking challenge, only 100 Km

Earlier this year I tried a stupid walking challenge, only a mere 100 Km over 10 months. I have used an FES for over six years, it  helps my walking. A year ago I completed a one hour walk. At the end I was exhausted but it was deeply satisfying especially as I raised over […]

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Would  a spiky ball foot massage help me with my balance?

Would  a spiky ball foot massage help me with my balance?

I was toppling onto the floor far too often and I could see a wheelchair hovering over me 🙁 So, I arranged to see a physiotherapist at the Chilterns MS Therapy centre. At the start of every appointment the physiotherapist massaged my feet and ankles with a spiky ball to improve my balance.  Would  a […]

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Medical retirement sounds relaxing until it happens

Medical retirement sounds relaxing until it happens

Imagine I’m 10 years younger, a mere 56 but still with advanced MS. Faced with the prospect of returning to the office or still working from home then the idea of early retirement is exciting. The children have flown the nest and grandchildren are imminent. Would a city break in Europe suit me and The […]

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Now I’m comfortable in my skin

Now I’m comfortable in my skin

Multiple sclerosis affects everyone differently. My life was busy with work, family and a tiny wee bit of MS until medical retirement arrived. My MS started in 1972 but it was not diagnosed until 1996 with RRMS. MS made no impact on my life even after diagnosis, the relapses were very sporadic and disappeared as […]

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My sewing skills are tested in the Under and Over trial

My sewing skills are tested in the Under and Over trial

Twelve weeks to test my sewing skills. Another one of my MS stories. That old friend MS is now slowly destroying the nerves I use to control the fingers of my left hand. Find out how I discover my sewing skills have deteriorated. My sewing skills There was a time, many years ago when I […]

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Broken skin: my Functional Electrical Stimulation story

Broken skin: my Functional Electrical Stimulation story

MS affects my left leg and I have been using an FES since late 2014. For the previous 10 years I had used a Musmate a simple mechanical device that is a walking aid for foot-drop. My foot-drop and leg-drop mean that I cannot walk unaided and I walk very slowly. My Functional Electrical Stimulation […]

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The curious incident of the missing disability ramp

The curious incident of the missing disability ramp

I often travel by train on London NorthWestern Railway, I ride The Tike to my local station, flash my disabled person’s travel card, and buy a ticket. The staff check which train I am catching and my destination. When the train arrives at the station a member of the staff puts up disability ramp up […]

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Dog chews the internet cable

Dog chews the internet cable

Stress happens when there is an excess of emotional or mental pressure. Something totally unexpected happens and the body does not know what to do. The flight or fight reaction creates a conflict which leads to stress. Dog chews the internet cable taking my stress levels to a new high. The Lunchbox show Every Thursday […]

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I have a radio show

I have a radio show

I have a radio show with Tring radio every week. We, me and Jessie, present a magazine show, just chat and music. This Thursday 3rd June will be my 10th show live on air. I have always wanted be on the radio but never admitted that to myself. The organisers, Tim and Rachel together with […]

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2021 MS Awareness Week or living with my multiple sclerosis

2021 MS Awareness Week or living with my multiple sclerosis

It’s the annual chance to make people more aware of the problems of living with multiple sclerosis. Yup, its the MS Awareness week. Multiple sclerosis is different for everyone, The handicaps, niggles and disabilities all gang up and form your own personalised version of MS. I have my own unique selection, but hey-ho things could […]

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My positive attitude despite MS disability

My positive attitude despite MS disability

Isn’t it great when a positive event happens, I love it. The wretched pandemic has imposed so many restrictions on everyone’s life, mine has been no exception. It’s not always easy to see when there is an opportunity that is exciting and fun. I always try to have a positive attitude despite MS disability. Gardening […]

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4 comments

Under & Over Rehabilitation Trial

Under & Over Rehabilitation Trial

This is an opportunity to check out if a daily 30 minute sewing exercise program can help with rehabilitation of arms, fingers and hands. This sounds absolutely ideal for me. Its called the Under & Over Rehabilitation trial. People take it for granted that they can write, use a cork screw or peel an onion. […]

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