Christine’s Ataxia Blog

Goodbye Umbrella…

November 5th, 2007

Hello all,

Living in Vancouver,B.C., I’m now contending with the rainy season. We’ll have rain ( not steadily! ) from now until about next May. We’ll have brilliant days of sunshine & warmth sometimes, and very little snow (some Vancouverites like to wear sandals all year…), but it will be wet. That’s why it’s so green BUT, the downside is that you have to be prepared to not get soaked every time you leave your house. Anyone with mobility challenges can find that an umbrella becomes a useless accessory. I have a collection of umbrellas that I now occupy a place in the storage cupboard downstairs. Now , I buy jackets and coats with hoods. I need both my arms free for balance and holding onto things , sometimes, for safety. Try juggling a wet umbrella and a handbag or try to negotiate a narrow, slippery sidewalk or go up a flight of stairs…. What about trying to get on a bus? No thank you. On days I’m walking somewhere local with a light bag and no plans beyond grabbing a cup of coffee somewhere, I’ll haul out an umbrella for old times sake. It makes life much simpler. I’m like a bicycle courier now-strap on a messenger bag, stuff my pockets or wear a backpack and a courier/gortex style rain jacket. So much for style, but I’d rather stay mobile, upright and safe….

I had some friends inquire about my stem cell experience and one of the people had M.S. . She asked if I’d gather some information together and, while doing that, I took a look at Betty Helm’s M.S. experience & blog on this site. Wow! An inspiring read, if you haven’t already looked at it, please  do so.  In correspondence with her , I learned that , along with her daughter & son, she is forming a nonprofit corporation called “Stem Cells for Hope”. Their mission is to pass along information about stem cell therapies available now and to fund-raise to send patients for this treatment. The website should be up & running in about a week and the address is: www.stemcellsforhope.org Betty Helm can be reached through her blog or at bettyhelm@cox.net This is wonderful-we need to learn about the facts “as experienced by an actual patient”.

On the negative side, I’ve read a scathing article at:

http://www.6minutes.com.au/michael_blog/blogposts.asp?postid=509

Don’t misunderstand me-there should always be an open debate on medical issues and treatments, that’s how we can open our mind and learn about things. But this article doesn’t seem to be based on any “real” facts and is VERY one sided. Digging deeper into the issues instigating the writing of this diatribe, I uncovered a lot of comments that reflect, well, the only way I can put it is “sour grapes”. Everyone has a different interpretation of their experiences and is certainly entitled to their opinion . but, sometimes I find, you get as good as you give. Attitude can make the ultimate difference…

On the personal side, I had 6 incredibly good weeks. It was as if the calendar had been rolled back 4 years. I was doing so well, I felt as if I could start running! ( I didn’t ). I have more of these days now and for longer stretches too. Now I’m not doing as well, but still much better than a few months ago. It’s all very encouraging and I continue with my exercise routine , which has become habit by now. I’m almost 49, so exercise has the added benefit of helping me keep in shape!

Before I sign off, best wishes to Suiling and her husband. They are in Beijing right now & her husband is undergoing treatment. I’ll also send greetings out to anyone else I know who may be reading this blog and “catching up on the news”. Till next time…

“I get by with a little help from my friends” - John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Christine

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