#TreasuredMoments Bloom Linky

Welcome to the #TreasuredMoments link-up.
The place to share treasured moments in poems and blog posts.

This time the linky will last two weeks until 26th April 2016 and I'd especially love to see your posts about Bloom.

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Tremor #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

Tremor
About one third of people with multiple sclerosis may have tremor to some degree.

Shaking
Trembling
Tremor

It's MS
Not parkinsons
Ataxia

Didn't know
This was a possible symptom
But it is, for me


For some people it can be a relatively mild problem with coordination (ataxia), but for others it can be one of the most disabling symptoms of MS.

Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

Spasticity #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

Spasticity
Spasticity is a symptom of multiple sclerosis

Spasticity
pretty new to me
started this year

leg locked
couldn't move it at all
terrified

shoulder stopped
is it a heart attack? no
different spasm

have to be ready
pray that it stays rare for me
not my favourite

Spasticity causes your muscles to feel stiff, heavy and difficult to move. A spasm is a sudden stiffening of a muscle which may cause a limb to kick out or jerk towards your body.

Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

Relaxation #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

Relaxation

Regular relaxation is really important to manage the symptoms of MS.

Stress is a trigger
it makes my MS symptoms
so much worse

Overwork
exhausts me causing
pain and fatigue

I must rest
Take time out regularly
Relax

Not easy for me
I've never liked to rest
But it works

So I'm learning
to relieve tension, chill out
put myself first


Regular relaxation can help you decrease tension in muscles, lower your blood pressure and slow your heart rate. Relaxation can help with fatigue as it promotes good sleep patterns, increases benefit from rest periods during the day and can help to manage stressful situations.



Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

Questions #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

Questions

Questions: so many questions.

What is causing this symptom?
Will it improve or get worse?
Will this symptom stay forever?
Are there any treatment options?
Are there likely to be any triggers which set it off?
What can I do myself to manage this symptom?
What shall I do if my symptoms get worse?
What shall I do if I experience new symptoms?

Possibly the hardest thing is dealing with the huge list of questions which pop up between appointments; especially if you turn to the internet and find lots of conflicting information.  It is important to find a trusted source of facts, such as the MS Trust, and share what you are reading with a close friend or relative to help them help you understand.



Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

Paraparesis #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

Paraparesis 
Paraparesis is weakness in one or both legs

For years
My legs have been
Unreliable

For years
I've blamed it on
My weight

But I was wrong
It's another symptom
of MS

Paraparesis
weakness in my left leg
mostly

Every day
I get out of bed carefully
Will it hold?

It likes to
SURPRISE me
to be funny

But no humour found
when on the staircase
or out on town

Now a stick
stays close always
that's OK


Paraparesis can cause problems with walking and balance.  
It can also increase the risk of having a fall. 



Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

Optic neuritis #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

Optic neuritis
Optic neuritis is a common eye problem in multiple sclerosis.

Optic nerve
Inflammed won't work
Brain can't read

Without the brain
The eye doesn't see
Blindness

Optic neuritis
from MS nerve damage
stole my sight

five times before
but this time overnight
nerve finally died


Optic neuritis is also recognised as a condition in its own right, it is not always caused by MS.


Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

Speccies Reading #review #glasses #shopping

Opened this month is Speccies, a brand new shop on Cross Street in Reading.

Speccies is a brand new way to buy prescription glasses and sunglasses. 

Instead of paying through the nose for your glasses at one of the large chains, you can take your eye test prescription straight to Speccies and get expert advice whilst trying on hundreds of designer frames at internet low prices.

And the even better news, is that the lenses are all made and supplied by Speccies high-tech optical laboratory that produces lenses and glasses for many other optical retailers and opticians in the UK. 

"Whether you want to look professional, fashionable, sexy or all three, you can choose your eyewear from the fabulous collections of top designer frames online. When it comes to lenses, we supply the world’s leading lens technologies in terms of both spectacle lenses and contact lens options. So, if you insist on high quality and excellent value, then choose Speccies."

As you all know.  I have lost almost all my eye sight thanks to MS; but I still need to protect my eyes from UV rays and so I went to Speccies for some sunglasses and also some UV protect glasses to use when I'm on my computer or screen which is emitting UV rays all the time.

I was incredibly impressed with the range of frames on offer and even more impressed with the advice I received on which frames suited me and would meet my complex needs.

And the effect on my bank account?

A fraction of that I have paid in the past even from the discount stores, and no hidden extras to shock you at the end.

I highly recommend Speccies to you; pop in and say hi to the wonderful owner Uki and say Emma sent you.  She'll treat you like a long lost friend.  

You'll never buy glasses anywhere else again.

Find out more about the Speccies store in Reading HERE

Fair Blogger Policy:  

Uki is a friend at my Church.  

I received a discount for being the first customer at the Speccies store 

but all opinions are completely my own.

Neuropathic Pain #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

Neuropathic pain
Neuropathic pain (nerve pain) is caused by damage to the nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

Pins and needles
up and down my body
always on the move

Sometimes scary
but usually just irritating
now I know the cause

Numbness stops me
it is petrifying
every time

On face or neck
down arms or legs
or in just one spot

Feels like burning
yet there's nothing to see
just nerves

Trick of the brain
no actual damage done
not externally

This is life
with neuropathy
freaky!


This includes altered sensations such as pins and needles, numbness, crawling or burning feelings. Examples of nerve pain include painful sensations in the side of the face, called trigeminal neuralgia, and a tight feeling, often around the chest, called the MS hug. Pain in the limbs is very common.


Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

Help everyone cross the road #poetry #access

This is a tale
True one about me
And my experience
Being mum with disability

This is a story
About joined up planning
Well, lack of it
And lack of thinking

Remember I
Am blind; and also
Travel on wheels
Wherever I go

Yesterday Rachel
Needed to be
At a DT day
At Reading uni

I knew the bus
Went through campus
But I hadn't expected
The problem access

Not with the bus
No, that was great
But once off
At pepper lane gate

We couldn't cross
No such luck
Coz no dropped curbs
We were stuck!

This way and that
Rachel searched
Put matching curbs?
Don't be absurd

Clearly no one
Ever thought
Disabled people
Here would be brought

And so, it's crazy
Yet it's true
I took my scooter
Right into

The traffic!
There was no other choice
Guided by Rachel's
Accurate voice

With white stick
Stuck right out
With fear in throat
I expected shouts

But luckily
A kindly driver
Saw me there
Helped my travel

And somehow
We got into
Reading uni
As we planned to do

In the campus
Access was
Pretty good
With places to cross

So the issue here
Clearly is
No joined up thinking
About bus use

Brilliant bus
Great uni site
But at pepper lane
Disabled can't alight

My advice
To bus drivers
Is warm disabled
Passengers

If they'd told me
To stay on one stop
I'd have got off
At uni main stop

And there is great
No access problems
So that indeed
Is one solution

But better still
Would be Reading council
Adjusting the road
To keep us all mobile

MRI #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a scanning technique that produces images of slices through the body.

Lie on this table
Careful not to move
This massive tunnel
Will see inside your head

A little claustrophobic
Actually a huge amount
I don't care what it shows
I can't do it more than once

So much vibration
So little space to breathe
Raises my stress levels
Which triggers MS pain

I know it tracks progress
But unless it's an open one
I can't go in those machines
I'll have to stay at home

In multiple sclerosis it is used in the diagnosis of the condition 
and also for monitoring people during research studies. 


Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

Lhermitte's sign #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

Lhermitte's sign
Lhermitte's sign (pronounced Ler-meets) is a sudden sensation resembling an electric shock that passes down the back of your neck and into your spine and may then radiate out into your arms and legs.

Look down to the floor
Careful how you go
If you're not careful
You'll get a shock

A real shock
Coming from your head
Shooting down your back
And into both your legs

At least that's my body
Everyone is different
That's the thing with MS
No standard presentation

Lhermitte's sign is usually triggered by bending your head forward towards your chest.  The feeling is not easily mistaken and yet I thought it was something everyone had since I don't remember not having it.

Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

Kale #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

Kale 
Kale is a great source of Vitamins A, C, and K.

Green and leafy
Not my usual tipple
But if it's going to work
I'll give it a good go

Put it in my smoothie
Every single morning
Along with lots of berries
And my rice milk

Full of vitamins
Minerals too
Can be a bit smelly
But I've got used to it

Kale is also a source of Folate, a B vitamin that's key for brain development and Alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid which are all beneficial for reducing the symptoms of MS.  
I put kale in a smoothie every day. 

Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

#TreasuredMoments Spring Linky

Welcome to the #TreasuredMoments link-up.
The place to share treasured moments in poems and blog posts.

What wonderful Treasured Moments
We've seen linked this last week
I bet you didn't see all of them
So here's my favourite, please take a peak

Chocolate Day

This week I'd especially love to see your posts about Spring.

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Just keep Keeping on #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

Just Keep Keeping On
My main MS Mantra.

Get up
Come what may
I will fight
Another day

Find the joy
even for a second
Every day
happiness beckons

Take a challenge
Stretch yourself
Don't limit you life
Get off the shelf

No one knows
What's coming up
I'm keeping on
Not giving up




It can be easy to sink into a depression about the future when we are diagnosed with MS or having a hard time. But when we keep on living the best life we can, full of positive thoughts and experiences then it's amazing how much we can surprise ourselves and everyone else.


Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

Immune System #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry

Immune System
The immune system is the body's main defence against infections or other foreign substances.


Every day
In many different ways
I feel unwell

Go down with a cold
I'm brought to my knees
Bed please

Immune system
STOPS
No more to give

No lightweight
This is life with MS
Must rest

If you have a
Virus, then let me know
I must stay clear



The immune responses cause inflammation which is fine in most people,
but not for those with MS.  Inflammation causes yet more damage of tissue which makes MS symptoms even worse.


Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016 

Heat Sensitivity #AtoZofMS #AtoZChallenge #poetry #haiku

Heat Sensitivity
Many people with MS find that heat can cause their symptoms to worsen.


In the bath
Must not be too warm
Might pass out

At the spa
Lovely and warm, but careful
Could keal over

In the sun
Not too long in the heat
Find shade



This might involve a build up offatigue, blurred vision, loss of balance or a worsening of cognitive symptoms such as concentration or memory. The effect of temperature changes on visual symptoms is known as Uhthoff's phenomenon.


Find out more about MS at
MS Trust A to Z

Donate to MS Trust

I'm also writing an
A to Z of Blessings at LLM Calling

Find other blogs posting their A to Z this April 2016