Slowing down
A friend sent me this picture this evening as a reminder that I need to take a step back from writing, reading, advocating and generally helping others so I can “get better” again. We all know people with MS do not “get better” but I understood his reasoning… I need to sleep more, relax more and stop running around like a crazy chick (also his words, not mine :)) It has been a mad few months really. Stepping up my writing for the Ireland Blog Awards (being nominated and then shortlisted has finally started sinking in), going away for the MS National Day in Galway (stress about public speaking!), starting a writing course (not done a dicky-bird yet!), having to travel abroad because of the passing away of my uncle,…
Disability rights in Ireland
October 16th, 2013 is Blog Action Day, dedicated to human rights. Bloggers in 126 countries are writing about things that matter, like education for everyone, healthcare for each and every person on this planet and many, many more human right subjects. After yesterday’s announcement of Budget 2014 by the Irish government, I clearly see what I need and want to address with my post for Blog Action Day 2013.
Playing God
We all have good friends and we all have fantastic friends. You know the type, the ones that will stick around for an hour when nobody else will. Every now and then, however, we realise we have insanely outstanding friends and feel how one simple sentence they say, can change days, if not weeks, of feeling, let down. Living history, living it right now. Last night I wrote this on my Facebook wall: “Take away. Rugby. Bed. Sleep. Approx. waking up 4 times before 8am. Get up 8.01am for meds. Go back to bed until noon. Wake up for meds. Sleep until 8pm tomorrow. Meds at 8.01pm. Back to bed. And the beat goes on. And on. And on.” I know… it sounds intense, but it was not my intention…
2014 Budget plea to the Irish government
"A heart transplant is easy enough these days, but brain transplants belong in the world of fantasy. Because of that, urgent reconfiguration of existing services should be done."
International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day
International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day on October 7th 2013: Today is the first Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day, please watch this video and sign the petition to get the World Health Organisation to add this to their ‘Health Topics’ lists to get more research and funding into this debilitating symptom: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/trigeminal-neuralgia-awareness-day/ http://www.tnnme.com/ ©Willeke Van Eeckhoutte and Ireland, Multiple Sclerosis & Me, 2011-2013. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Willeke Van Eeckhoutte and Ireland, Multiple Sclerosis & Me with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day
Tomorrow is the first Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day, focused on bringing awareness about facial pain disorders. This year I have gone through severe TN attacks myself and I therefore want to spread awareness about Trigeminal Neuralgia, also called “the suicide disease” because of the severity of pain experienced. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-8PCv4UWJo&w=420&h=315] “The presumed cause of TN is a blood vessel pressing on the trigeminal nerve as it exits the brainstem. This compression can wear away the protective coating around the nerve (the myelin sheath). TN symptoms can also occur in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a disease caused by the deterioration of myelin throughout the body, or may be caused by damage to the myelin sheath by compression from a tumour.
MS News: September 2013
Just because multiple sclerosis too often has a negative undertone, here is some good news that was published online lately! Gene discovery! Gene discovery is major step towards finding cure for multiple sclerosis, researchers believe. Brand new helmet! Harding, the Minnesota Wild backup best known as the winner of the 2013 Masterton Trophy for his courageous fight against Multiple Sclerosis, has a history of working up some pretty sweet helmets with artist Todd Miska. Vitamin D: reverse or halt? In search of a better option for MS patients, a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison biochemists has discovered a promising vitamin D-based treatment that can halt — and even reverse — the course of the disease in a mouse model of MS.