Monday 29 August 2016

Logical Recipe

Many (many, many) years ago, I remember having to write up my physics lesson following a certain formula (I wonder if everyone did).  You had <method>, followed by <results> and then <conclusion>.  So I thought I would follow along with this logical recipe.
 
 
METHOD (or in this case CIRCUMSTANCES)
 
As I've mentioned before my family own and run a caravan park in West Wales and even though my parents are in their 70s it was only at the beginning of the summer, early this year, that they finally gave up running the clubhouse, and let out the bar to a lovely young couple.  My mum and I have always run the various entertainment aspects of the clubhouse, but with new managers this task has fallen to other, younger and fitter organisers... or so we thought!  It turns out that experience is still greatly valued by the young and apparently my comparing skills are still required... and for some reason everyone, except me, become either a gibbering mess or a total diva when presented with a microphone. 
 
So... Saturday saw me overseeing a children's Team GB Sports Day (I managed to last an hour before I'd had enough of handing out medals - pretty good going, I thought). I then rested (that's another word for 'slept') for two hours before my wonderful son made me some food.  Saturday night's disco was next... problem? By the time I had changed ready for the evening... I was too tired to go out, and my legs had decided "no, we're not moving".  So instead of getting to the disco at 7pm, I managed to drag myself downstairs (I live in the flat above the clubhouse - noisy? yes, but at least I never feel alone!  Every cloud has a silver lining, right?) at 8.30pm after another well deserved and necessary - rest. 

They sat me in front of the disco, with my trusty mic and I rattled off raffle numbers, whilst my mum handed out the raffle prizes.  Then (no, I wasn't finished yet), I called up various children in a prize giving ceremony for the winning contestants from the afternoons sports day; handed out envelopes of money and my mum pinned a variety of children with rosettes, trying to avoid stabbing any of them in the process. By this time my bladder was screaming at me for release and my tena lady was getting wetter by the minute!  Time to go.

Could I get my leg to bend in order to get on my scooter to take me back to the stairs?  Could I hell!  Bloody spasticity... if I take any more 'Baclofen', I'll either fall into a puddle of human soup or fall asleep on the spot!  My son, seeing my struggle, didn't waste words and simple picked me up and carried me back up the stairs, he then left me to get undressed for bed whilst he made me  a cup of tea and then abandoned me to go back to his pint!  So concluded my Saturday nights activities, and to think it was only two years ago that I would of been dancing and drinking with the rest of the rabble-rousers!
 
How was my night's sleep? (I hear you ask!  Well I'll tell you), due to a recommendation from my GP, my 'Baclofen' dosage had been upped overnight (a bigger dosage was required due to my leg's increase in stiffness and hopefully taking it overnight would counteract the effect the drug has on making me so tired that I sleep the day away!), however, the only thing that the increased dosage managed to do... was give me cramp, meaning I had to jump out of bed (jump! ha ha ha).  In turn the 'Baclofen' then kicked in, doing its job of  reducing my leg stiffness - to such an extend that my leg wouldn't hold me up and I promptly found myself sprawled across the bedroom floor... wondering "how many bruises this time"!
 
 
 
RESULTS
 
Team GB Sports Day - a success with lots of happy children, stuffed full of sweets, hot dogs and lollies and even though the exercise has been good for them (so nice to see them using more than just their thumbs), I am exhausted and fatigued due to overexertion. 
  • I am 'wicked' on the microphone.
  • I cannot stand when tired.
  • Tena lady's get wet
  • 'Baclofen' counteracts spasticity and stiffness, but doesn't let you join in with the drinking games :(   and too much results in bruises!
  • My son is strong enough to carry me upstairs.
  • Floppy leg!
 
 
CONCLUSION
 
MS limitations need to come before other people's expectations.  I need to accept, that I simply can't do what I used to do, and stop trying to do too much, because if I don't pace myself... I'll miss out on everything!
 
Children need to do more exercise... I DO NOT.
 
I need to buy more absorbent Tena Lady's or invest in adult nappies!
 
My GP doesn't know what's best for me, only I do and an increased 'Baclofen' dosage needs to be monitored more carefully.
 
My son is the BEST.
 
I am jealous of all those people who can dance and drink, but it's nice to still be wanted and needed, even if it is only for my microphone skills, it seems everyone else is scared of it or won't get off it!
 
Accepting this new version of me... is hard, but I still have a life to live. Laughing at myself helps.
 
I still love myself... 'cause I am awesome.
 
Falling out of bed... hurts!
 
 
 
 
 
TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER!
 
 

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