MND can get in the sea

This week was all about Teddy! Our latest addition to the Baker household is our gorgeous Savannah Tabby cat and he has settled in extremely well. He watched the Paralympics from his dark hidey hole under my record decks in the conservatory for the first three days, only emerging for food once the daylight had run out. By Wednesday though, Alice had enticed him out with catnip and treats and he rubbed himself up against her and was happy to wash himself in front of us, and by Friday they were cuddling on the sofa. A quick internet search informed me that Savannahs are known for their loyalty so he will be a companion to me over the coming months (and hopefully years) while I'm in the house alone and a good friend to Alice once I'm a tree. They also have tall, thin bodies, a small head, and big ears (a bit like Alice). He's a very handsome fellow and we've fallen in love with him. Apparently, they can be trained to walk on a leash and also to fetch. &

After last week's exertions on our island sojourn, I had the opportunity of resting my legs at home, doing some serious sunbathing and watching the Paralympics, and that's exactly what I did.  The first human other than Alice and Fin that I had seen for 3 days was Dani, a speech and language therapist who came out to see me to assess my swallow as dysphagia can be one of the symptoms of motor neurone disease. I have noted already that my voice has become weaker in recent weeks and I feel as though I'm swallowing saliva more between meals and at night. She got me to perform various movements with my mouth, tongue and throat, and watched and felt my throat as I swallowed a biscuit and drunk water, and we were both pleasantly surprised that after her evaluation, my swallow was normal. She did detect a slight weakness on the left side of my mouth, but was happy enough to leave me with factsheets on dysphagia and vocal care, and we will talk again in four months.  Alice and I po

There was no blog last week I'm afraid as I was really on a bit of a downer. I had been feeling poorly for three weeks and was really fed up with coughing, sneezing and nursing a sore throat. My hands and legs were weak, my body ached all over, and I was feeling sorry for myself, wallowing in self pity on my own at home while Alice was at work.  Apart from attending the monthly MND support group meeting, I didn’t leave the house for six days and I said to Alice that I just couldn't write anything down. While resting either in bed or on the sofa, I had a lot of time to think and sometimes too much thinking is not necessarily a good thing.  For the first time since my diagnosis over a year ago, I actually felt scared of dying. It's not the actual death that frightens me as we are all going to go sometime and we just hope it will be painless and atraumatic. MND is largely a painless condition and I've come to accept the inevitable so that isn't my worry. What I am scar

Another week of feeling like a poor poorly pig I'm afraid. I just can't seem to shake this thing I've picked up, but I had things planned for Monday and Tuesday though, so on with the show! People of a certain age will remember the former Doctor Who actor Jon Pertwee from the 1970’s, swapping heads and being regenerated in the 80's as the scarecrow that comes to life - Worzel Gummidge. I was that age and I enjoyed his portrayal of the lovable but recalcitrant scarecrow, who very rarely scares any crows.  As a child growing up on the Isle of Wight, I didn’t realise it was filmed just a few miles over the water in various Hampshire locations until I moved to Southampton a decade ago. My friend Dean grew up in Southampton and when he mentioned that he knew where the episodes were filmed, I was excited to go in search of Worzel! We chose a lovely day and Dean pushed me in Duggy the buggy for the first time as we made our way through small villages, getting more

Unfortunately I have felt unwell this week. I may have picked up festival flu after last weeks shannanagens, or maybe it was covid as there has been a spate of cases locally. Either way, a cough, sore throat, headache and the shivers has laid me low. Of course my nurse, carer, and wife, Alice has looked after me, with suitable aplomb, bringing home Lucozade and paracetamol and I have spent even more time in bed than I normally do. I was off drinking coffee, so I must have been ill, and I couldn't face sunbathing with a temperature, which was a shame as we are enjoying a mini heatwave in the UK.  This week, I have mostly been eating cold oranges from the fridge, warm  peaches from the conservatory, figs, and kiwi fruit, so I have definitely been having my 5 a day in pursuit of feeling better. The non stop Olympic action from Paris has also aided my recuperation. My friend and nutritionist doctor, Sandra will be pleased with my fruit filled diet. She has recently been looking into MN