22/07/2023 - 'Thank you' by David

Thank you so so much for all your kind words and wishes following my diagnosis this week. It really is a strange feeling being given such disastrous news and obviously I have felt negative emotions like anger, frustration and hopelessness but amazingly I also feel confident, determined and postive.

I have the chance to make every day count with my family and friends and I now look at life from a different perspective. 

As Alice and I walked home from just hearing the worst news possible, it started to rain and and minutes later it turned to a torrential downpour. As people turned their collars and scurried along for cover, I slowed down, turned my face up to the sky and let it soak into me and it felt good, really good! 

There will come a day when I will never feel the rain, sun, wind or snow on my face ever again so until that day comes I will grab and embrace everything with a smile x

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

11/02/2024 - 'The highest of highs and the lowest of lows' by Alice

Image
Strap in for a rollercoaster - it's been a big, emotional and busy week.  'Monday Monday... so good to me'. Well, not really. I'm doing the blog this week and that's because David just couldn't face it and needs a week off. I'm sure our regular readers usually feel reassured that despite his disease, he's upbeat and positive but this week, started with him feeling down (and that's OK!). So was there a trigger to this low mood? Probably yes. And that was our check up with his neurologist at the hospital. We get a 30 minute appointment and as usual, we were joined by Clare, the MND care co-ordinator for the area. The consultant starts with the same question he asks every time - 'what's changed?' and we have deteriorarion to report. David's hands are becoming weaker and every day tasks are becoming harder (if not impossible). Not only that, his arms are failing him so his overall strength is weakening. He had been packing up his percus
Read more

18/02/2024 - 'My running days are finally over' by David

Image
In a week where both Alice and I really wanted to rest and relax, we unfortunately did neither. Alice is suffering from a bad back, and I was still recovering from my running and musical escapades last weekend, so the thought of sorting, boxing, and transporting to the new house wasn't something to look forward to. With the help of family, including Fin, who used all his lego building experience to help assemble units and desks, we have made a good start though. Unfortunately, my leg strength has deteriorated and on Monday I walked back from the new house to our old house on my own as Alice and Fin were busy assembling furniture and after only a few minutes of walking, I felt unstable on my feet, and I was lifting my left foot in a strange manner as I walked. Admittedly, I didn’t have my stick, or my shopping trolley, or the hand of a good woman to hold onto to steady me, but it was very disappointing and left me in a low mood. Amidst all the emotions and household possessions arou
Read more

26/11/2023 - 'What is MND and what does it feel like?' by David

Image
Recently, the blog has been about exciting travels, reunions, concerts, meals out and parties, and long may that continue as Alice and I make the most of my mobility and my time. This week though, I thought I would explain a little about motor meurone disease and describe how the daily life of someone living with MND actually feels.  I have spinal onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) MND, known as Lou Gehrig's disease in America, a painless but ultimately, terminal disease.  MND is life-shortening and there is no cure. Although the disease will progress, symptoms can be managed to help achieve the best possible quality of life. MND affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time. MND is very rare with only a 0.3% risk of getting it across a lifetime. It can affect adults of any age, but is more likely to affect people over 50. I am grateful that I don't have something like an inoperable cancer with all the painful treatments that are associated with such a horrible
Read more