Under the radar

When I reached the age of thirty, I was helping my father-in-law do some gardening when I bent over to pick up a leaf and I felt a twang somewhere in my lumbar region. This twang put me completely out-of-action for a week or so afterwards. My GP had simply smiled and said, “welcome to

Fampridine trial thoughts

I’ve just come off my trial period of Fampridine and I’ve decided to carry on with it. Fampridine is a potassium channel blocker which ultimately means that messages can travel along nerves more efficiently. It’s prescribed for MS patients like me, with a walking disability. It’s something I would take alongside the other medications I’m

Postcard from Osteoporopolis

Warning: Tired travel analogies may continue to be employed in this post. “I know the C word and the F word. The C word is cor blimey, and the F word is flippin’ ‘eck” – Rat, lead singer of Chesterfield based punk band The Bland on stage at the Take Two club, Attercliffe c.1988 It’s

A postcard from Limboland

A month ago, if you asked me how tall I was, I’d say I was a six footer. It seems I’m not. I’m a five-foot-ten-and-a-half short-arse apparently, so essentially I’ve lost an inch and a half (4cm) in height. Even if you consider I may have always rounded up by half an inch, and I

The aftermath

Warning: this post contains experience of intense pain and some details of sensitive medical procedures. Sometimes I think of my MS as a monster. A monster who is always there tugging at my neck, poking me in the back, tripping me up or holding my ankles like a deadweight. As a child of the ‘70s,

Let’s get physio.

Here’s a video showing a typical minute in the life of my calf muscles. Yesterday I added to my Panini sticker book of health professionals by seeing a neurophysiotherapist for the first time. It was mainly about leg pain and my twitchy calves, but also about my general clumsiness, fatigue and my general state of

The sting

Well, I’ve been taking Copaxone (Glatiramer Acetate) for about a week now. I administered my first injection under the gaze of my wonderful MS nurse last Monday. When I was on Rebif I didn’t really inject into my arm or leg, favouring the fattier parts of my anatomy. It has been my arse and my

Back to Blighty blues

I’m just back in the UK after a fabulous trip to Australia and Singapore. I don’t normally do this, but while I was away, I re-evaluated things a little. What I should be doing to make myself happier, more comfortable and healthier. The thing about Australia is that there are so many similarities to home

Mild relapse?

I have been on beta interferon (Rebif) for nearly two years now and in that time I haven’t had a relapse. Or have I? Beta interferon is supposed to reduce the likelihood of having a relapse and minimise the effects if you do get one. Back in January 2009, when I came off gabapentin, I experienced

Dental mentalism

I went to the dentists yesterday. I love the dentists. I am seen by student dentists in their final year at university and because of this, I a) get free treatment and b) get some of the most careful attentive care possible. Everything is double-checked by a doctor from the university dental school and ninety-nine