Where we live is on a side street so it doesn't get gritted. Which meant that on Saturday, our street, our drive and our car were all completely covered in snow.
50 minutes of fun and games with a snow shovel later, I'd got the drive and the pavement outside our house clear.
Yes, I know his isn't a massive deal to most people. But I was SO PLEASED with myself.So pleased in fact, that I took a photo and sent it to my Dad and my wife.
If you read the comments and followed the links from my post the other day, you'll have seen that both Its a Shit Business and Stumbling in Flats seem to have started something of a mini-fuss about mindfulness and 'positive thinking'.
With this in mind, look upon my works ye mighty, and feel the raw power of what can be done when you don't take any shit* from MS. Or any other chronic condition.
(* if you're able, obviously)
Yes, I can have bad days. Sometimes I feel very sorry for myself.
But when I feel sorry for myself, does it do me any good? Does it miraculously make me feel better?
Does it make my family and loved ones feel good?
Is A BLOODY GOOD MOAN the magic bullet that scientists the world over are looking for?
I don't think so.
So lets pick our battles and celebrate the small victories. Because eventually these little victories can build up into something greater
Small acorns... mighty oaks... well, whaddya know? It's cliché-o'clock!
In all of this I'm not in any way belittling the very real problems that people have through their MS - I'm very lucky that my symptoms are fairly minor.
But there is a tendency (particularly through the dreaded #mssucks hashtag on Twitter) for people to blow up all their symptoms into another relapse or a stage in their (inevitable?) decline.
Like I said above, this doesn't do any of us any good. And it really doesn't help those that live with us.
(And if any of the above pisses you off, leave me a comment. And enjoy the fact that following the thaw yesterday, the only bit of snow left is the pile I created on my front yard when I cleared the drive - I needn't have bothered! But I'm still glad I did)
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Steve - AMAZEBALLS. That's all. No other word will do. AMAZEBALLS. All capitals. TAKE THAT MS! You could have sat and done nothing and let that pile thaw in its own good time, but you got up and you made something happen. That's definitely worth celebrating. I'm not even joking. I'm with you, brother!
ReplyDelete(I shifted no snow, so I'm claiming some of your shifting into my own credit pile. Is that okay?)
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Good job! Those "little" victories can be quite rewarding. I guess otherwise they wouldn't be called "victories," would they? Oh, well. Am not going to use quotation marks any more in this comment, having used more than my quota, I believe. Incidentally (or, more accurately, apropos of nothing specific you said), when you people (had to fight the urge to use quotation marks around you people...and by YP, of course I mean those who are from the UK) say -- shit, I want to use them again here -- is that pronounced (blast!) ?
ReplyDeleteEnough nonsense. I'm avoiding having to deal with ($#^* insurance, which is forcing me to call multiple numbers to get my Copaxone filled. I'm new to this insurance; hence, the PIA factor. Infuriating.
Clearly, I'm still delaying...OKAY, here I go.
thanks guys!
ReplyDeleteSwisslet: my snow is your snow, dood.
Ms.CP: we're so lucky in this country to have the wonderful National Health Service - my MS meds (Rebif) would be around £1000 a month otherwise. put simply, I would not be able to aford to be well.
I'm from the Middle of England (I think SwssLt is too?), so i say 'blast' as in 'ass'. Some people in the UK say it as in 'arse' - a subtle difference, i think you'll agree.
but like so many aspects of British culture, it's all about the butt.
(unless i've totally missed your point and just spent a good few minutes talking about rear ends for no reason. and i'm at work - now THAT'S procrastination!)
You are lucky indeed for the NHS. I am STILL waiting for my health insurance to agree to pay for my meds. If they don't shape up, I may do a scathing cartoon about them. Then they'll be sorry. (Referencing my most recent post*, which involves drawings. Original drawings. *Like what I did there? Subtle!)
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm concerned, time spent discussing rear ends and/or poo is never wasted. So there's that, for what it's worth. Very little, no doubt.
Oh, dear. Have instantly regretted the "rear end" and "poo" comments. I frequently have the mentality of a very immature 13-yr.-old boy (no offense intended to very immature 13-yr.-old boys).
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm a Midlands man... although in spite of 15 years in Nottingham and several living in York, I still say ARSE and not ASS. GLARSE and not GLASS. BARTH and not BATH. Go figure. I must be posh or summit. I do, however say COB and not ROLL. I have - so far - resisted calling anyone "ME DOOK".
ReplyDeleteAlso, big up to the NHS. Far from being the Socialist Nightmare that some US politicians like to sound off about as they attack Obamacare, those of us who use it have very little but nice things to say about it. I had private medical insurance when I first started seeing a neurologist, but as soon as I was diagnosed, the NHS just scooped me up... and I saw the same neurologist... and they paid for all my scans, all my clinics and diagnostic tests and now they pay the £1000 a month or more I need for my Avonex, with MS Nurses on hand to get me anything else I need. It's truly an amazing thing. (yeah, I know it's a postcode lottery and I drew the jackpot when Nottingham is a centre of research and expertise, but still....)
ah yes, the team at the QMC are in my 'hood' - having grown up in Ilkeston, I have no problem saying Y'ALRAYT MI DUCK.
ReplyDeleteMs.CP - as a former immature 13yr old boy, i take no offence. fire away! i can always be guaranteed to lower the tone - so go crazy!
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