Pushing the boundaries...

This is the first time all week where I’ve felt that I could think properly, with my brain feeling like it’s melted like ice cream with the heat this week (an interesting/gross analogy for you there). I’m trying to get my creative side working as I have a guest blog due for Shift.MS soon. I’ve recently been approved to volunteer with them as a buddy (to support newly diagnosed MSers), and I’ve been given the opportunity to write a blog for the site – so I won’t write too much here in case I use up all of my creative energy.

I went away to a festival last week (2,000 Trees), admittedly when I bought my ticket it was a slightly tipsy decision, and I even went for the VIP option (well done drunk Jo!) I’d questioned several times whether I’d be well enough to go with my mystery illness making my life hell this year. Painful swollen joints, restricted mobility, and everything else makes every day hard, so going to a festival might not have been the best decision, but thankfully it worked out.

Thankfully, the above symptoms subsided quite a bit, although I had a virus before I went which flared up my MS slightly, I felt okay (okay for me is slightly less shit than usual).

A physiotherapist once told me that if I felt ok enough to not use my stick, it would help with my balance by not being reliant on it all of the time (I’m not sure how true this is). So, I put it to the test last week. A couple of times I felt myself stumble (this was before any ciders), and I’ve hit a wall of fatigue this week, so maybe I should have used it a bit more.

I find myself hesitant to admit when sometimes I might need that little bit of extra help. On good days sometimes I need to use a stick, sometimes not. However, the anxious side of me worries what others will say when I use a stick, then suddenly not. It’s silly really, and also on the back of a couple of comments from friends, one who scoffed ‘Well, you must be cured then!’ when I put my stick away once, I felt like I was faking it in a way, even though I obviously wasn't.

Last week though, I was on a high from life enjoying myself properly for the first time in goodness knows how long. I wasn’t with people who would make those types of insensitive comments, and I was in bed before midnight, so resting definitely helped. Plus glamping and parking so close to our tent helped massively. The fatigue I have now was definitely worth it, and I’ll be resting this weekend now. Obviously with being in a pandemic, having bad fatigue and hayfever I had a fun week of ‘Is this Covid, a cold or allergies?’ Thankfully all negative lateral flows so far anyway.

Anyway, I have no photos of the week (typical me), aside from the fancy doughnuts that I bought in Bristol (Future Doughnuts - worth a visit). I don’t think I’ll ever change with the lack of photos/proof...

Until next time,

Love Jo xxx