Fourteen MS years and counting
Thank you for listening to whispers of fear and despair when life seemed all but lost in translation.
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.”"
How to wrap friendship
Friends reply less when words fall between the cracks of self-censorship. When they decide to stay away, it’s up to us to never think any less of the friends who stay away. I consider it a justified reaction. I’m also on the other side of the scale where I chose to stay away from certain people because of their words.
Thank you
No man’s an island, we weave connections through waves of emotions, through faith and happy occasions. This month, I’ve been very lucky to have found waves meeting others, and to have found people with the kindest of hearts, the softest of voices but the strongest of minds. This is for them. Joan, Aoife, Niamh, Karen, Declan, Trevis, Lucina, Miriam, Diana, Natalia, Ava, Ruth My GP, MS nurse, neurologist, ophthalmologist and many others in the two hospitals I attend The many friends back in Belgium and in Ireland, especially Claudia, Dirk, Susie, Jean, Audrey and Gratiane and as always: My mom who never gives up, even in the strongest of seas, every single day. ©Willeke Van Eeckhoutte and Ireland, Multiple Sclerosis & Me, 2011-2014. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without…
9 years on…
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…
Time heals
People have referred to me as what they would call an old soul. Animals are my biggest love, I love campaigning against unfairness in society and I love the company of books over that of certain people. My mum always told me to be kind, caring and having empathy because not everyone has an easy life. She taught me well. Now, I rest my case about awarding myself such qualities though, as articulating who and what I believe to be, is for others to decide.
