Hello, readers new and old – hope you are all well.
Or much better than I have been lately anyway – it really hasn’t been a great time for me, with legs giving way much more, becoming weaker, even leaving me in bed for a whole day a couple of weekends ago. Whenever I attempted to stand, my legs would just collapse from under me…
A lot of people, would think it would be great to spend a whole day in bed, not doing anything – no chores, nothing instead spending the day watching TV, films or listening to music. However, let me tell you the reality of it – it is so boring being stuck in a bed, I would much rather be doing something much more constructive than watching endless episodes of CSI, despite it being one of my favourite shows.
On topic, I was recently reading an excellent blog post regarding a person’s experience of a condition in which she describes as having ‘many voices’ and in which the community of people with the same condition is large – each sharing their own personal experiences of living with a chronic illness.
And that got me thinking of my condition – long-standing brain stem lesion and spastic paraparesis. To search information about it, is extremely difficult – most being medical journals, to difficult to understand for those without a medical degree! And the big fact that I have not met one single other person with either diagnosis.
Many of the information that can be found regarding my condition are those usually found on websites about Multiple Sclerosis, as MS can present with brain stem lesions, and spasticity of which I suffer is a common complaint within the MS Community.
However, I do not have MS, so therefore am unable to really approach MS organisations for support and information. Near to me is an organisation for people with brain injuries called Headway, however many of the case studies that I have read suggests that the organisation provides support and help for those with acquired brain injuries – usually those sustained in adulthood as a result of an accident or trauma.
So where do I turn for help and support with my condition? I feel as if I am one person, on my own living with this condition with nowhere to turn, or for people to listen and understand just exactly what I am living with day-to-day…
Image: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/audiencecouncil/sites/your-voice/
