23/10/2023 - 'A wonderful weekend' by David

After a week of the usual up/down, happy/sad emotions, I ended up frolicking in outdoor beautifulness. 

The working week started very pleasantly, as there was a package under my desk and as soon as I opened it, I knew who it was from. In my theatre days, I often worked with a lovely anaesthetist named Louise, and we invariably talked about a shared passion - advent calendars! Not the modern choc filled, cartoon adorned type, but the traditional Father Christmas or forest animals in the snow type, with obligatory glue and glitter finish! I already have two calendars for this coming festive season, but this beauty is by far the best, so thank you Lou Lou for thinking of me, and remembering our chats between checking our patient's blood gases, end tidal CO2's, and train of four twitches.

The rest of the week had my emotions fluctuating between being upset at my legs feeling so weak that I needed Alice to help me up the hills, being bemused by the sole of my DM's literally flopping loose as I walked along a hospital corridor, and being surprised by expecting to go for a coffee with my colleagues but coming back to my desk having been given both covid and flu jabs in an impromptu visit to the jab hub.

I popped down to the maintenance guys, with one shoe in hand, and not only came back with a walkable shoe, but with the knowledge that the best thing for removing super glue is vinegar, and that it was first used in Vietnam by American field surgeons! Who knew?

As the week wore on, I was feeling more down than up and coupled with my tiredness that comes with exerting muscles that don't want to be exerted, plus my aching limbs from the jabs and by Friday, I just wanted to go to bed at 7pm and lie there, feeling very sorry for myself, so I did just that!

We had a busy weekend on the island planned, that could have gone either of two ways. I could have been ready to jump in the sea with MND, or I could be lifted by the love of my friends and my self belief that I still can do the things I love and... I'm happy to report that it was the latter, and I finished the week on an emotional high!

For many years, I have been telling Alice that I would really like to walk the coastal path around the island, which is beautiful, barren, stunning, and very hilly. After diagnosis though, we both thought this would be very hard, if not impossible but I am quite a determined person and like to push myself. As we had already walked sections of the coast before, we decided to just finish off the route with our unrecorded sections.  We had completed the walk from Cowes to Thorness in training for Walk the Wight a couple of years ago so on Saturday, we asked our friends Guy and Neil, if they would like to accompany us from Thorness, heading anticlockwise towards Yarmouth.  They agreed, so armed with sweets, cagoules, and my walking poles we set off westwards. I really wasn't sure how strong my legs would be as one day they feel like they are made of rubber, and the next I'm striding out like a man on a mission, but within the first few kilometres, I knew it was going to be a good day!

The beer at our 3 pub stops on the way obviously helped, as did the banter but there were also actual and metaphorical obstacles on the way. I'm sure the numerous wooden stiles we encountered have a purpose, but to a man with MND, they were an annoyance. I had to hold either Guy's or Neil's hand as I stood astride, and Alice grabbed my foot and pushed it over - oh how I wish I could still Fosbury flop! It also rained, which meant everything underfoot was slippy and muddy but all four of us managed to stay upright.

The skies brightened as we entered our destination and with over 8.5 miles in my legs and a grin on my face, we enjoyed a pint in the pub and planned our next walk and the best routes to tick off the remaining sections of the island to complete the mission.  This was followed by a hug and a taxi ride back to Cowes for the rugby and a good night's sleep ahead of another big day! 

My running friends Rob and Glen have organised separate running fundraisers for the MND Association, and they came together on Sunday in an emotional event. Rob, along with Kev, Debbie and Cat, have been running most days in October in an effort to run 100 kilometres for the MNDA and they joined in with today's Friendly Frolic that Glen had organised, again for the MNDA. 

125 runners were given the option of 5 different loops including one in my honour, Dave's Dash, a 5k loop and I was given vest number 1!   The participants were all given little forget-me-not ribbons and badges with my face on to wear on their loops and Alice and I ran hand in hand with a group of mostly strangers, but by the end we were all friends and despite my legs hurting and feeling weak from the day before, we finished it.  I was clapped in, as they let me take the tape first. 

I then sat in the sunshine as they all ran off in different directions, coming and going, as we waved and shouted encouragement to each other. I enjoyed a beer, a coffee, a coke, a burger and a cake before I was given another surprise.

30 Vespas and Lambrettas from the IOW Scooter Alliance pilled up in the car park, and my old primary school friend Terry removed his crash helmet and handed me a bag of cash. They were on their monthly ride out, and he had heard that the frolic was being held and had made it their final destination. Their whip round was added to Rob and Glen's totals and after everyone had donated, run and bought raffle tickets, the amount raised on the day was £1,128!

I ran with ex-school and running friends, ex-work colleagues, fellow football supporters and players, total strangers and a punnet of vegan runners who had come over from Southampton 'specially.  Everyone was so kind towards me and I was made to feel very special and it was an emotional day to top off a wonderful weekend on my beautiful island. 

I managed to see my mum, brother, sister-in-law, sister, daughter, her husband-to-be and my niece and nephew as well as all my friends so it really was a lovely weekend. And yet, I know that I have to make the most of these days as this horrible disease likes to remind me on at least a couple of days a week, that living with a terminal illness really shouldn't be a bowl of cherries all of the time, and unfortunately, the bad days are heart wrenchingly sad.

I am as ever, grateful to everyone that loves me, walks with me, runs with me, thinks fondly of me, or reads this blog.

You are all beautiful x