Well as the title would suggest, I'm new to all this blogging stuff, so don't really know what I should do, and more importantly what I shouldn't. So any tips gratefully recieved!
I am a married Mum of one beautiful teenage daughter. In my blogs I shall refer to them as Hubbs and CC to avoid identifying and causing them any embarrasment. Although CC would probably say I am a constant source of embarrassment, as most mothers of teenagers would relate to. I'm sure you will find out lots more about them as this blog progresses.
I work in Local government, so the least said about that the better probably. I shall avoid saying too much about work, to avoid getting myself into any hot water. I should also stress that any views and opinions expressed are entirely my own, and in no way relate to my employer. Think they call that the disclaimer. I may talk about work, but it will be mainly about the wonderful people I am lucky enough to work with. I know, cheesy again, but happily all true! I'm lucky to be able to say that they are not just colleagues, but friends.
My decision to start blogging was a spur of the moment one really. I figured it would give me something to look back on. A way of seeing what has happened in my life, and how I dealt with it. As these things fade with time, I thought I could use it as an aide memoire type thingie. Especially with MS brain, things fade quicker than they used too! Or it could just be my age......haha
Which brings me neatly to the next bit. As you will probably have noticed in the little "about me" bit, I have Multiple Sclerosis. I was formally diagnosed in 2005, but my first 'big' symptoms were in 2004. When I say big, I ended up in hospital with no feeling from the chest down, so I think that was a fairly big symptom. At the time I was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, which is relatively unusual, and told it was unlikely to happen again. When I was back in hospital having my second lot of steroids just a couple of months later after losing the feeling in my hands and arms I started to adjust to the realisation it may in fact be something else, like MS. So when the diagnosis came less than a year later, and the other side of another relapse and yet more steroids, it was no surprise, in fact by then I think it was a relief to at least have a name for it!
That all makes it sound like a simple process, there were of course all of the obligatory stuff that all MS'ers are so familiar with. There were several MRI scans, my brain, my spine, my C-spine, more than once. There was the dreaded Lumbar Puncture, and all the other tests we endure. Oh and in the middle of all this they discovered a quite badly prolapsed disc in my neck at C5/C6, so there was the small matter of surgery to correct it, but thats a whole other story.
I think its important to say that I am more than just my MS! I'm a person first, who just happens to live with this condition, like many others. I have met so many people with MS along the way. Some of them amazing and inspirational, some of them just ordinary people living their lives as best they can like me, and far too many who have become their MS. They have allowed it to define their lives, and in doing so have surrendered their lives to it. They both frustrate and sadden me in equal measure. Many give up work the moment they get the diagnosis, not based on whether they can or cannot do the job, just based on the fact that they have MS now and are "disabled", so they cannot possibly work. Such a shame in a day and age where there is so much that can be done to support people to work for as long as they want to and can.
Please don't get me wrong, I don't condemn anyone who has to give up work because they are not able. Unfortunately I have seen a number who take it as the easy option, and that saddens me. They miss out on so much. Don't get me wrong, every day at work is a struggle, some more than others, some less. But I gain so much from it, and not just the pay cheque at the end of the month. But thats for another time too.
Well I think that is probably it for the first go. Just wanted to give anyone who strays across this a little background into who I am. I can't promise not to rant from time to time (as you'll already have noticed) but I will try to keep it to a mild rant. What can I say I'm passionate about stuff. But as a very good friend of mine used to say about my rants "They can be painful, but they are over quickly!" Thanks Rosie! Miss you!
So I shall bid you farewell, until the next time!
C x
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