An Unwelcome Visitor: Chapter.18

'I have been a bit tired this week, well knackered really, have I been too busy at work, don't know............hope that's what it is, so just forgive me if some of this week's blog is a bit............stranger than fiction!'


INSPIRATIONAL People and things that help me deal with my  M.S!

'Or people and things to ADMIRE, LOVE and LUST' 

(You work it out!!) 

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              I have been thinking lately, what the hell is there that  inspires me, that keeps me looking forward, that keeps me from giving in to this bastard thing that we all know and love (or hate with a passion in my case!). Well, when I first started to compile a list, there were so many people and things that still make life 'very' worthwhile. I reckon ALL M.S'rs should do a list, very positive and very therapeutic!  If you are down and feeling a bit sorry for yourself, do one, do it now, right away, it makes you feel so good about yourself!

             We all have 'special' people or things in our life that mean so much to us, that in some ways are largely responsible for defining who we are!  Apart from our wives, husbands and our children, who for the most part go without saying but just for a minute, let's go a bit further, a bit deeper and look at those 'subconscious' ingredients of people and things that we all have that go to make that unique cake,  the 'US' cake!

            The list that I have compiled, is perhaps a bit 'off the wall' perhaps not what you would expect, however, some of the list resonates even more with me nowadays especially since  'The Unwelcome Visitor' showed up, some have always been there and some I have acquired along the way and some even quite recently!

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             So here goes, not in any particular order, that is something I would find really hard to do but they are all special and mean a lot to me :-

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT.
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           Strange choice coming from a 'Brit but this was a guy who, shrugging off his disability, he was crippled with polio and was wheelchair-bound, he managed to drag America out of the worst depression in it's history, he got that country to believe in itself again!  Also in this week of V.E anniversary celebrations, just like to say thanks Mr President for all of your help, it would have been pretty tough without it!!

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LEMMY
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              Now this is a guy who lives life to the full, enjoy's life and does it 'his' way!  Totally fearless in what he say's and does, 'Born To Be Wild' and makes no apologies to anyone!

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TOM JOAD
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The fictional character brought to life by Henry Fonda in the movie 'The Grapes Of Wrath'  

When a man is 'down' the only way is 'up', the journey is tough and full of knock backs but you just have to keep going! You will come up against people and things that will, it would seem, be determined to hold you back and in my case and indeed all of ours, the enemy is M.S!  So, if you can, get up and have another go and just keep getting up!!

 

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FORD MUSTANG
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          An 'icon', beautiful lines, perfection in every detail, just built for huge roads that just seemed to go on and on!  Ok, so you need a big wallet to run the thing but I can dream can't I and I want one on my drive, outside my house, NOW!

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AUDREY HEPBURN
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A beautiful person in looks and style and a beautiful person on the 'inside' too!  Check out the quote, so profound don't you think!

I loved her and do you know what, I think loved me, well...... she would have, she only had to ask!

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JACKIE WRAY
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           Jackie is the manager of Swindon Therapy Centre and she has such a beautiful smile, the sort of smile that makes you feel that you belong, you may have had a really bad week, you may not even feel that great when you arrive at the centre but when she greets you with a smile and a hello, things seem just that bit more bearable. You are, without doubt, inspired to go on, so if you have not checked out the Centre yet, a lovely smile awaits you!

LAURA WILSON
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          Laura is also from Swindon Therapy Centre and her job is to raise the DOSH!!!   She is the 'Community Fundraiser' and she may be young but she possesses a very 'wise' head and I have had a few conversations with Laura, of which I would like to thank her! She is a good listener and a confidante that is lovely to have around! (Probably bored her stupid but do you know what.....she never let's on!!)

PAUL MANN
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                          Is a member of the Swindon Therapy Centre, Paul has P.P.M.S and he is someone who I find very inspiring!  Recently I had a chat with him and the conversation went from normal chit chat to laughing and joking and then I had to ask him the question that I ask all M.S'rs that I meet, 'have you now accepted your M.S'? He told me that because he has P.P.M.S and although he has good and bad days, he knows that his condition will not get any better and when he finally knew what he had, his argument was that there is no point in getting bitter and twisted about things, it will only start to 'eat you up' inside, so just try to enjoy and make the best of what you have!  Now if that had come from anybody else (a non-M.S'r)I would have just said, 'that's easy for you to say' and I would have definitely been, quite rightly, pissed off but because it came from him, I found it very INSPIRING! This is because as I have said many times, my history with this shitty thing is shall we say, not exactly friendly and what he said does make sense, to me anyway!!  Paul and his wife Linda are brilliant supporters of the Centre, it may be in-store collecting or even growing a beard, having it dyed blue and having it shaved off (Paul that is, not his wife!!), just to raise funds for the centre!  Paul also has managed to keep hold of his wicked sense of humour, his wife would probably disagree  I'm sure.  Paul, hang on to that  sense of humour, life is that much more bearable with one and if we laugh at each other, that's got to be a bonus in my book.  Paul, what a  guy.


               A nice song for the Centre I think and the 'RIGHT' song!

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RIK
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        My lifelong friend, he has been my friend through all of my  my worst times and the good!  He has always been the same guy, he's calm and collected and 'SO' laid back, where as I am the opposite, a great guy but a bit fiery in comparison!  He had a quadruple by-pass a few years back and was more pissed off that he had to give up smoking, (perhaps that is why he was so coooooool!!)
                    God bless you Rik, love you man.
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HARRY LAWRENCE
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My Grandfather, I suppose he is the reason I am here today! My dad gave his sense of humour and his ability to get on with everyone to me, the gift of being able to 'swear and cuss', never gratuitously but just enough to make your point and never in a 'harmful' way or 'nasty' way! My Grandfather, my Dad and  myself, have all had the gift of being the sort of guy who once met and spent some time in his company, you look forward to the next time! (sorry to sound pompous but true!!) 
              I often wonder what sort of relationship I would have had with my Grandfather today, especially with my M.S, I reckon he would have been angry for me but so supportive in anyway that he could be. However, as we are so much alike, there is no way he would have accepted M.S !  A great man, a wise man and a man who is so integral to the way 'I' am!
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GIBSON LES PAUL
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            A work of 'art', a moment of genius, a beauty to behold, the tone, the sustain!  The 'Strat maybe the face of Rock 'n' Roll but the 'Les Paul' is the face of ROCK!  I own a 'copy' of the one in the picture, the dexterity is not there anymore, my days of playing with conviction are long gone but in front of a full length mirror, I pose with the best of 'em!  M.S you have stolen my playing but you have not taken my 'attitude'!

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GUINNESS
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It 'INSPIRES' me, I 'ADMIRE' it's beauty, it is 'So' pleasing to the eye, I 'LOVE' the way it look's when poured out correctly, it would be wrong on so many levels to say I 'LUST' after it but what the hell, I do, I do, I do!

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MRI Scan
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A marvelous invention, a piece of equipment that can see inside your mind, not just like an X-ray but the softer stuff too! Particularly, in all our cases , the grey stuff, that on board computer that we call our brains!  Problem is,  it is a bit of a double edged sword, unfortunately it see's the things that we don't always  want to know about!!

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(I reckon that the guy who invented the MRI was listening to this, if only for the last line!)

SHELLEY
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My Councillor and I like to think that she is my friend!  She has listened to me, she has helped me to deal with this thing and I thank her for all of the help she has given to me.  So in short, she has 'INSPIRED' me to take control of my life with M.S.

ESMERALDA
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The Gypsy girl who could see the person within the tortured freak that was Quasimodo, she could see that the person inside is a pretty nice guy, a real person. Perhaps it just goes to show, looks are not everything, much like myself,(ha ha ha!)

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MODAFINIL
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The little pill that gives me that little bit of an edge on M.S fatigue!  Since I have been taking it, I can now manage my levels of fatigue so much better than before!  Would I recommend it  to other M.S'rs, that would be a big fat 'YES', it certainly helps me anyway!!  I can now come home from work and stay awake and alert until bed time, wooohooo!! (except on weekends...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

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Prof. COLIN PILLINGER.

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            He had a vision, maybe a dream, whatever, he was a true pioneer, he sent a robot to Mars, ok it was on a shoestring budget compared to the 'big' players and it , unfortunately failed but what the hell, he got it to land on the Red Planet,  now that in itself is an achievment!!  

         Diagnosed with M.S in 2007 but he kept on and on, he had a vision and his life was cruelly cut down by a brain hemorrhage and by Christ that was a BIG brain.  Who knows, one day a mysterious 'PING' will be picked up coming from Mars and it turns out to be coming from that bloody robot and it has finally got the Sat-Nav to work!!  

God bless you Prof, you are a 'TRUE' Inspiration!  

                           
                                                R.I.P   
                                   9/5/1943 - 7/5/2014

                Remember, life is a real pain in the ass at times but there is so much 'STUFF' out there, so many WONDERFUL people to INSPIRE you, to be ADMIRED by you and LOVED by you, so work on your own list, it is so good for you, trust me...................... I'm a Doctor!