#bloggies2015 – Longlisted! Again!
And then there was that other happy thing that happened today: the longlist publication of the Blog Awards Ireland 2015 competition. I have YOU to thank for entering my blog, and for continuing to welcome new posts and ideas. Needless to say, I equally welcome the time you spend reading and commenting on my blog. Because this is my 3rd time being longlisted (and because I am my own harshest critic), my next goal is finding my name on the shortlist. That’s when I feel most comfortable, a little bit of a challenge, you, my laptop, that urge and the ever-present need to champion patient rights and raise public awareness on what life with an invisible illness is like. Each day, in fact, I wish I could write more. I…
Time to go our separate ways
We are having a divorce of sorts. Because of the ever-growing volume of my blog, and WordPress slower as time goes on, I’ve finally decided it’s time to move blog posts about Ireland, books, writing etc to a new blog called Kick-Ass Ireland! After all, this is a blog about multiple sclerosis with facts, figures, information sheets and my journey with MS. Ireland, books and writing does take up all my thoughts, but for now posts related to them are better housed elsewhere. The next few weeks will be busy, and I will sit down and put some serious thought in how to expand my blog once those weeks are over.
To update 2025 – Mental Health Ireland
Add Ireland St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS) Fasttrack General Practitioners, GPs, Family Doctors, Pharmacists, Dentists, Hospitals. It also provides contact phone numbers. Type your address in the box below. The Atlas will search automatically – choose an address from the search results. A map of your street will appear. Health Atlas HSE mental health support HSE mental health professionals National office for suicide-prevention National counselling service branches Services you access directly G.P. services What to expect when visiting a G.P. Counselling in Primary Care Evening and weekend services Emergency services What to expect at the Emergency Department Primary care services Counselling in Primary Care Community and non-statutory services Counselling Phone and online supports Interview with Samaritans Supports for young people Jigsaw virtual tour Supports for parents and guardians…
10 ‘Little rebel, me’ mistakes
Are you a list person? I am, that’s a given. After wasting time on websites like List Challenges, I thought, ‘Well, how about the ten worst things I’ve done since being diagnosed, with a follow-up on the best things I’ve done since that day in 2005?’ Quotes are added to underline my thinking, ideas or just as some way to kick-start goodness in my life. Once the 10 best things have found their way onto paper, I will link them to each other here if you want to read lists for a while!
MS, 50 shady ways of being sick
"I decided to call it, “MS, 50 shady ways of being sick.” It sounded good in that moment. Hell, it almost sounded sexy. I’ve yet to find 49 other ways of being ill though. When my friend therefore asked what I was (relapsing/remitting; primary progressive etc.), I simply said, “What I am? Tired, just endearingly tired, so much so I’m ready for my nappy.”"
Silence! (or how to break me using sounds)
"So yes, we all have a bit of that sh*t-life-syndrome every so often. Sadly, we cannot unlearn our illness or symptoms like we can unlearn unwanted behaviours. What a drastic symptom like this does teach us, though, is how we can best create a workaround that should lessen its impact on us."
Early signs of MS
While discovered 150 years ago, the cause of MS remains unknown. What we do know is that nerve damage is caused by inflammation, but the cause of the inflammation is still unknown. This means that there is no cure yet. Because of the different types of MS and the plethora of possible symptoms, 50+ symptoms can be linked to MS. Many people can, therefore, go undiagnosed for any length of time. You may have a single symptom, and then go months or years without any others. A problem can also happen just one time, go away, and never return. For some people, the symptoms become worse within weeks or months. Some symptoms of multiple sclerosis are mild and cause inconvenience; others may be severe and debilitating.
