The beginning of the blog ...

17th September 2008



Have no idea what I'm doing blogging-wise yet but expect to be soon proficient and to have a pretty groovy thing going here.



I intend to chart my family's progress with our wide array of diseases and illness, our battles in getting support from the people we have paid all our rates and taxes to, over the years, and how the Irish black humour has rescued us from many a bizarre situation.

Mum called today. I have just been, or still am, recovering from various ailments, and was almost ready to get out of the house earlier to spend a few hours with mum and dad, to hopefully stop us all going beserk and getting shouty. Dad is still getting over a chest infection and sore throat, which he picked up in his respite home, and mum was concerned that, with all the stuff I was getting over, that I would also get his stuff. So I didn't go.

I am on steroids atm and, fabulous though they are, they lower your immune system, making you even more susceptible. As my MS dictates that infection = mayhem, then I avoid people with known germs! Even if it is my lovely old dad.

Mum sounded shattered already. Dad has been back home, from respite, since Saturday (it's now Tuesday) and she's almost back where she was. She is also still in recovery from a heart attack on the 27th December, and has very bad arthritis in her knee.

Dad has vascular dementia and is slowly reverting to being a baby really, not recognising most of us, and needing all of his bodily functions taken care of. He is 80.

I should be round there tomorrow and to that end I shall now go to bed. I hope to post some more tomorrow, and gradually build up a picture of my family and our battles and victories and hopefully be able to relay some of the times that have in tears of laughter.