Radio Cumbria "Little Cumbria" anniversary

Steven Greaves asked me to record a 'special' for his feature "Little Cumbria" on Radio Cumbria, with highlights of the last 12 months. Here is what was recorded, to be broadcast next week Monday to Friday afternoons.


Monday:-

In September last year I took part in the Aspire Channel Swim for the second year running. This annual event takes place in swimming pools all around the country to raise money for Aspire, a charity which helps people regain their independence following illness or injury that leaves them wheelchair bound. The objective is to swim the distance of the English Channel in your local pool, in a twelve week period between September and December. It's 22 miles, so here in Carlisle that means over 1400 lengths of the 25m pool. I really enjoyed the challenge, and was able to complete the distance in the time allowed. More importantly, I was able to raise some money for the charity, and made some good friends at the pool. I plan to take part again this year.

Tuesday:-

After many years considering the idea, Eli and I decided we would like to adopt a cat. We wanted to give a loving home to an old cat nobody else wanted, and decided to visit Animal Concern. They had an old cat that might be suitable. Eighteen years of age, never allowed in the house by her previous owner and fending for herself all her life, Foxx seemed like the ideal candidate. Who could deserve a home more? But wait, what about Zinnia? Born blind in one eye, now eleven and in need of a new home, having been shot by an air rifle in the throat, surely she deserved a loving home too? Eli could not decide between the two, especially when a large black cat crawled into her lap and promptly fell asleep. Maulberry, a three year old stray, had been in the refuge for six months and had been rejected because of her size (can you imagine?). So hard to choose between them! We ended up adopting all three. Our home is now divided into three 'territories', but Foxx, who is the smallest, rules the roost.

Wednesday:-

A definite highlight has to be the trip to Wembley to see Carlisle United contest the Johnsons Paint Trophy Final against Southampton. It was a very early start, a very long journey and a large expense from our fixed budget, but none of that mattered when we arrived at the stadium. The staff were pleasant and helpful and showed Eli and I to our seats in the disabled section behind and above the goal, to the left as the teams come out of the tunnel. We were treated to a couple of warm up games to lead up to the moment when we saw the teams come out to warm up for the match. I don't know how they felt but I know Eli and I were very proud of them to have got to the Final. The opening ceremony went by quickly while we waited for the moment of truth. As it happened, we didn't win the game. That didn't matter. It was a fantastic day out, and one we will remember for many years to come. Well done Carlisle. Same again this season, please! (maybe even win it this time).

Thursday:-

I am very fortunate to have three daughters and three grandchildren, so it is hard for me to imagine the distress felt by those couples who find they are unable to have a family. I know we live in a time of austerity and government spending cuts, but it would be hard to refuse help to those in that situation. My brother and sister-in-law had been trying to have a child without success for years. They had eventually been offered IVF treatment but had not yet had it when family circumstances suddenly being changed led to them fostering three girls. A few months later, to everyone's amazement and delight, they are now expecting a little boy of their own. Congratulations and best wishes to them both!

Friday:-

Eli and I have been learning Japanese since April and plan to take our GCSE exams in the subject next year. Our teacher, Harumi, comes to our home once a week to give our lessons, and we have become good friends. She and her husband Peter invited us to their home in the countryside near Roadhead for a meal with their family. We were collected by Peter and on arriving at the house we removed our shoes (standard practice in Japanese homes) and went to the conservatory to have our Japanese lesson. Afterwards, hungry and pleasantly exhausted with the effort of so much concentration, we all sat down to a home-cooked Japanese meal of miso soup, sushi and apple pie with ice cream. Delicious! Lovely company, lovely food and a definite highlight of the year. Domo arigatou, Harumi San!


If you get the chance to listen, there will be three people each day giving their diary entry, or in my case, the highlights above. It is an insight into what Cumbrians are up to.

A Japanese evening

Hello everyone!

Yesterday afternoon, Eli and I went to the home of our tutor, Harumi Sensei, to have our Japanese lesson. After an hour of very hard work (yes it was difficult doing adjectives, modifying and affirmative and negative, present and past tense) which we nevertheless enjoyed very much, we then joined the family for dinner. We had miso soup and sushi, followed by apple pie and ice cream. Everything was homemade and delicious! We had a very pleasant evening.

Today the sun is shining, my groceries have been delivered, the rabbits and cats fed and watered, and I am waiting for my carer to come and prepare an early lunch. I have a funeral to attend this afternoon, so I need to be ready in good time.

Tomorrow Eli and I plan to take at least one of my grandchildren, probably Nicky, to see 'Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief' at the cinema at the Kids a.m. show.

Enjoy your day everyone.
Bye for now.

how time flies...

A big thank you for following and a bigger apology for being absent for so long. I have been trying to get my first Japanese essay finished (see my Japanese blog, there is an English translation too) and trying to cope with poor health these last few days. Normal service will be resumed, hopefully, very soon.

The world is full of acronyms....

FMS... easy to say, impossible to understand unless you have walked a mile in the shoes of a person with it. Actually some people with it would really struggle to walk a mile, or even a few steps in some cases. So what is it, and what does it do to a person?

First the boring stuff. Most doctors either know little about it or nothing at all. They know OF it, and have various ways of making you feel worse without really helping. A few enlightened souls actually admit to not being able to do anything to help or cure. The very rare gems (I hope I have found one) actually do have something that may help, and even reverse this dreadful condition.

FMS - Fibromyalgia syndrome - has been known in various guises since the middle ages but until the middle of the last century was usually called Fibrositis. It was considered one of the things getting older could bring you, along with arthritis, senility and other wonderful conditions. It affects everyone differently but usually includes bodywide pain in joints, muscles, bones, brain and anywhere else you can think of, severe fatigue, irritable bowel and bladder, nausea, vertigo, headaches, visual impairment and a host of other stuff I lump together under the heading of "FMS other". Oh did I mention forgetfulness??

Nowadays you may find a GP who has either

1) heard of it but knows nothing about it, or
2) uses the latest (i.e. ten years out of date) methods of treating the symptoms (which don't work) but believes they work, or
3) is knowledgable and honest enough to realise that the previous methods don't work but it's all they have (they think)

That is all going to change...

My GP admitted on my next to last visit that the only help she could offer was that set out in the NHS guidelines, and refer me (yet again) to a rheumatologist. I pointed out that on the last few occasions I had seen such a specialist he had told me there was nothing he could do for me. The 'treatments' on offer of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and mild exercise had been tried and had failed. Physiotherapy, Hydrotherapy, anti-depressants (which rot your teeth so they crumble away, by the way) and various other things had also proved useless as long-term solutions. She was completely at a loss how to help me. I told her that being the case I would go and research myself and see what I could find.

The internet is a blessing and a curse. I found something that may work, and will try it, but I also found many people STILL advocating either that FMS is all in your head, or that if you only eat right, get enough sleep and regular exercise you can lead a perfectly normal life. Yeah right!

So here's the deal...

I have discovered the Guaifenesin protocol for FMS (Google it, its fascinating) and will be starting it as soon as my medication arrives from the US. It isn't available here on prescription, surprise, surprise. I have informed my GP on my last visit that I will be starting it and combining it with a low GI Diet. I printed out for her the UK Fibromyalgia website information on the protocol with dosages, diet and so on, and will keep her informed of my progress. I am sure there will BE progress!

So wish me well, literally, please! And watch this space for updates on the situation.

One day, I hope to be able to walk a mile in MY shoes :)