Then & now
"Following that, I hit writer’s block faster than you can say ‘ABC’. That writer's block has reached the 'XYZ' stage, so I'm nearing a muse that sounds, tastes and smells like coffee. Starbucks. Where I am funnily always full of ideas. Away from notebooks and pens, I scrapped another item from my bucket list in September."
MS News: October 2016
Highlight! Influenza, Vaccinations, MS Brain cognitive exhaustion is real for people with Multiple Sclerosis
Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Symposium, Dublin
October has finally arrived, which means that the 4th International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day is almost upon us. On October 7th the Light Up Teal campaign will see buildings across the world light up in a teal hue, with many buildings in Ireland joining the awareness campaign. So far, confirmation of 34 structures has been received, including the 3 Arena, Convention Center, Mansion House, Cork City Council, National Concert Hall, Christ Church Cathedral, Shannon Airport, NUI Maynooth and Galway Cathedral. Elsewhere, Niagara Falls, the Canada Peace Bridge, Perth Concert Hall, the Trafalgar Sq Fountains, Taipei Tower and The Sichuan Tower to name just a few, will don the same colour also.
MS News: September 2016
Below are some MS-related topics that made the headlines this month. Do come back to check again, though, as the list will be updated every three to five days. Highlight! #ECTRIMS2016 – Congress on Latest in MS Research and Treatment Opens Sept. 14 #ECTRIMS2016 – Stay Up to Date with My Pick of Congress Highlights 25 American Athletes To Watch At The Paralympics
Being real!
Despite chronic pain and fatigue issues, I am making the best of my life, and I am doing everything possible to be the best version of myself as I can be. All I ask of you is some understanding of what I am going through, and know that every bad day is only making me stronger. Some days, though, I want you to hold my hand or hug me and tell me that everything will be OK.
Conversations with myself
Nevertheless, positivity, when faced with chronic illness, is not a cure. It never will be. That doesn’t mean I can’t slander myself, right? Hitting the nerve, as it were. If my central nervous system is allowed to hit me, I am as authorised to hit back. Three times over.
Difference between fibromyalgia and MS
Note: I am not a medical professional nor do I intend to provide any medical advice to anyone. Please see your physician or neurologist if you have any health care concerns. My intention is to provide accurate information from the perspective of an informed patient. Sometimes it’s hard to pin down which illness you have, as symptoms can look and feel alike. This is the case with MS and fibromyalgia. However, they are very different illnesses. Despite the overlap in symptoms, diagnostic methods and profile risks, having one doesn’t put you at a higher risk of having the other illness. If you suspect you have MS or fibromyalgia, please seek medical advice. A rheumatologist will be able to tell you if you have fibromyalgia, and a neurologist if indeed you have MS.