Hello, I hope everyone's doing okay, I hope you've had a good week. I'm going to start
this week very very simply by talking about my nice new chair that I'm sitting in. I've
got to be honest, it is absolutely fantastic, it is so comfortable, it's unreal. It's given
me the opportunity to do things a little bit differently in terms of how I set myself up.
I'm actually holding my microphone for once rather than having it on its stand because
I can sit a bit more comfortably doing it like this. I'm sat, relaxed, chilled, it is
really nice, very very comfortable and yeah, I'll be fair, I'm going to tell a little story
about my chair. We went to one of our local stores and as we was walking around I had
no intention of picking up a new chair but I'd been speaking to Lisa recently quite a
bit saying all this stuff I'm doing, I'm sat in my chair. My old chair was my office chair
from when I was at work, 12 hours a day, 4 days a week, the thing had probably, I had
the life taken out of it, I'm going to be honest with you. So as we were walking around
the shop I started looking at them and I'm thinking I probably should replace my current
one, I'm going to be honest, I probably should and I found one that I really liked, so comfortable,
absolutely lovely it is and I kind of convinced myself to buy it and I'm going to be straight,
it was £259 in the shop, this chair. As we was walking around I sort of talked myself
into it, spoke to Lisa and yeah, it was all good, it was all good, I'm going to buy my
chair and when I went and spoke to the member of staff, bless him, really nice, polite chap,
explained that I can order it, it's not a problem but their ordering system was down
and I couldn't guarantee how long it was going to take for me to actually get my purchase
delivered. So I thanked him and walked away without buying and dad then gave me the advice
to have a look online, so I did, while we were still driving away, again I will say
I wasn't playing on my phone while I'm driving, I don't drive, but as we're going through
I found it online, significantly cheaper and when I say significantly cheaper, it was £205,
what a result, honestly what a result, so before we'd even got home, the order had been
placed and my chair was coming, couple of days, bosh, job done, I'm now sat on it and
yeah it's comfortable and I'm going to be honest, one of the things I've mentioned and
I'm going to mention it again, from my point of view, I can't go out to work anymore so
what I'm looking at doing, spending a lot of time streaming computer games and just
keeping myself ticking over, so I've started doing that, it's begun, I'm doing it, I'm
spending a lot of time out here and I'm going to call it my studio now because it is as
good as, so yeah I mean I needed a comfortable chair to be sat down because let's be honest,
I'm going to be out here a long time, so yeah in all fairness, I'm now sat on it and it's
so nice, it's just so nice, I could probably fall asleep in this chair I'm going to be
honest but I don't want you all to hear me snoring and actually it's been proven now
I do snore, yeah I know, I know but when there's proof, there's proof, you can't deny it at
that point, you've just got to accept it, it is what it is, I snore. I don't think I'm
like a wounded rhino but there might be a little bit of extra shall we say but even
so it is what it is, we all get there don't we, let's be totally honest. Now as far as
the week's gone in terms of MS type stuff, the issues that I was having, the new one,
it's kind of dissipated, it's gone, I'm doing okay now, not so much of an issue but for
some reason I've gone deaf in my left ear, not completely, I've got a bit of hearing
on there but not much, not much at all and I'm going to be honest, it's very very awkward.
I'm going out currently Sunday so nowhere's going to be open but I am and I've got every
intention tomorrow I'm going to contact someone and try and get me looked at because I really
am struggling, I'm going to be honest, I'm really struggling with not being out of here
so again I'm going to get that looked into and it's going to be a lot better hopefully.
I can't guarantee that's going to be an MS issue, I really don't think it is, I have
to say that, I think it's probably just a bit of summer and nothing but you just never
know. I kind of had a bit of an issue the other day actually where we went shopping,
now when we went shopping I had my FES machine on and I had it clipped on to my pocket and
my jeans which is where I always have it but I hadn't realised it had got tangled around
the seatbelt in the car so trying to get out of the car what then happened was the FES
machine went flying, immediately I panicked that I'd probably broke the machine itself,
I'm going to be honest I really did panic because as I've said I rely on that thing
massively it really does help me so much it's unreal but thankfully got picked up and there
was no obvious damage. I plugged it back in, nothing, nothing happened at all, it was very
very worrying so I then had to walk from the car park to the toilet in the shop to try
and figure out what had gone on. Now I got in there and one of the wires, it had come
out so I'd managed to reconnect it, plugged it all back in, absolutely nothing, still
nothing at all. Walking back to go and meet everyone, go and do the shopping, I noticed
in that very short walk from the car to the toilet, foot drop had taken another trainer,
yep, yep my right trainer, nice big hole. I've not had them trainers long, really not
had them long at all so when I looked at that I was a little bit gutted, I'm going to be
honest I was really gutted because they weren't cheap, I can say they weren't cheap at all,
quite a pricey pair of trainers but it's one of those things so I will have to replace
them thankfully. Once I got back in the car I did manage to figure out what had gone wrong
and I got the machine working again. Yes I was actually very very pleased because in
all truth like I've just said I rely on that thing massively, my foot drop on the right
hand side is awful, it really is bad, it's dangerous so actually it's a real good thing
and going forward I need to remember to keep it unplugged and off my belt, off my pocket,
wherever I've got it, I just need to keep it off while I'm in the car because I don't
want to take that risk again I'm going to be honest, it's something I don't fancy trying
because it just, yeah it worried me. On a good note, we got together on Saturday yesterday
we had a family barbecue which was really good, really really good, thoroughly enjoyed
it, it was good to see everyone, a bit of decent food, you can't beat food cooked on
the barbecue, I've got to say that, I'm just such a big fan it's unreal, we've had a nice
bit of weather the last few days so it was kind of rude not to take advantage I think,
so yeah we got together and we sat, finished the evening actually, it was really nice,
we've got some garden furniture and part of that garden furniture is, it's like a gas
fire and plugged in, so Richard and Dad they plugged it in and yeah it was lovely, sat
there, had a coffee, chatting away with the fire going, it was beautiful, really lovely,
thoroughly enjoyed it, so yeah it was nice to be able to get together and do that, I've
got to be honest, really did, really did enjoy that. But yeah I mean apart from that, MS
wise, not really been that bad this week I'm going to be honest, not been that bad at all,
tiredness is giving me a real good kick in and yeah I've felt a bit ropey I'm going to
be honest, but at the same time it's not been terrible, it's not been unmanageable, it's
actually been something that I can cope with quite well and yeah I've been okay, not been
bad at all. What I am noticing and this is sort of coming away from the MS side of things,
what I am noticing with regards to this show, we're starting to get picked up literally
all over the world now, I mean don't get me wrong and it's been worldwide since day one
but we're sort of plodding along, we really are plodding along and it's so good to see
all these new places that show up and whatever else, I just can't believe it, little old
me sitting talking about things I'm going through and whatever else and people are actually
listening and as far as I can tell, enjoying, by all means tell me if I'm wrong there, I've
got no problem with that, but yeah it's so good to see, it really is and yeah I must
admit it puts a smile on my face. But yeah sort of going back to talking about the bits
I'm doing to keep ticking over, what I'm saying, I'm sat, I've got my camera there, I've got
my laptop and each week at the moment I'm sort of figuring out new things and new ways
of doing stuff and again I mean I'd never really thought about sitting how I'm sat now
with the microphone in my hand rather than on the stand and it is genuinely more comfortable,
it really is, I've sort of got to remember that I'm not looking at the laptop, I'm supposed
to be looking at the camera because I've got the camera slightly offset from the laptop
and when I did this the other day I did it a different place and whatever else, but actually
it's so much easier and it's giving me that, a bit more confidence, I'm going to be honest,
it's giving me a bit more confidence being able to sit more comfortably rather than sort
of leaning forward and whatever else. Yeah so in all fairness I hope that comes across
actually because I do feel better, I feel a bit more relaxed rather than uptight. In
terms of the streaming stuff, again as I've said and all joking aside on this one, with
regards to what MS has caused in terms of taking away my ability to go out to work,
in terms of my ability to go out without sticks and whatever else or my mobility scooter,
wheelchair, all of that stuff. Doing these other bits and pieces that I've got, I've
talked about it before, you've got the social media, you've got the streaming that I'm now
doing and again I've purchased all the bits to do the streaming properly, I've not spent
massive amounts of money, I'm going to be totally fair, I've bought the basic equipment,
maybe one day if that starts taking off maybe I will then improve on things. But again you've
got all of the sort of stuff, the social media, in this podcast I'm trying to improve each
and everything but actually again it's all keeping me ticking over, it's all keeping
my brain fresh, it's all keeping me able to have things to focus on and it is such a good
thing, it's a piece of advice that I would give anyone in this situation, I really would
and that piece of advice is just try and keep yourself going, it's not hard, it's one of
those things where if you can think of something, even if you're not able to get up and get
out, even if you could hold a piece of paper and a pen or whatever else, try writing things
down, if you've got your mobile phone try talking into your mobile phone, play a game,
whatever do a puzzle, anything like that, try and keep your brain going and again it
will not work for everyone, I will never say things I suggest would work for anyone but
if they work for one person it's been successful and in all truth for my point of view keeping
myself available to do things, keeping myself able to find things to do and again not everyone
is going to want to sit and play computer games, I get that, writing, reading, absolutely
anything, absolutely anything that can keep your brain ticking over is worth doing, it
really is worth doing and I know that might sound a bit very simplistic but honestly if
you're able to give it a try please do and just see how you get on and maybe at some
point you will find that one thing that will make you click and go yeah okay this keeps
me going, this keeps my brain ticking over, it gives me something to look forward to,
to enjoy because if we're able to enjoy things it might just help, I'm not sure I'd never
say get rid of because it won't but it might just help slightly suppress some of the negativity
because with this condition negativity is so easy to feel because it is nothing but
negative, it's as simple as that, it is nothing but negative, you can't say anything positive
about this condition but if you can find some good have a look for it, see if you can find
it and grab it with both hands and try and try to find a way to keep that going for you,
just my piece of advice, that's all I can say to that, it's just my piece of advice
and if it works great, if it doesn't not so good but worth having a try.
I managed to do something on my website that I'd been struggling with, in a few weeks
and again I've mentioned it myself, my dad, my brother, we're going down to London for
the MS Societies walk, we're doing the 5k, let's be honest, I probably won't even do
500 yards but I'll be in my wheelchair and the 5k will get done with me in the wheels.
But if you are able to sponsor, what I have managed to do is actually managed to get the
link to Just Giving on my website, that's Mike's MS Journey.com and there is a section
there called Fundraising for MS, if you've got any ability at all to donate to that cause,
please feel free to do so, it doesn't matter how much, just the smallest little amount,
massively, massively grateful if you can because again from my point of view, I turned to the
MS Society right at the very start when I was first told about MS and I got nothing
but incredible help. I mean I was probably talking utter rubbish at times to them, I
really was, they listened and they were just there, they did not rush to get off the phone,
nothing at all, they were just there to try and support and I'll be honest with you, without
that support and the family support I would not be where I am now, that's cold hard fact,
I would not be where I am now. So from my point of view, anything I can do to help any
of these fundraising events, I'm prepared to do, anyone that's watching on YouTube
will see that one of the things I've done in the studio on the door, I've started putting
medals up and I've got three medals sat there currently, two from the MS Society, one from
last year's walk and one from the walk in February and also my winners medal from when
I was playing six aside football but again the more medals I get, the more will go up
there because that's going to be my sort of, my bit of pride, having a bit of pride in
what I've done to try and help and go from there. But yeah if you are able as a sub,
be internally grateful, I really would and I know the charity would be grateful, by all
means onto my website, Mike's MS Journey dot com, fundraising for MS and there is just
a little button, there's no link as such, it's just a little button that says just giving,
if you click that it will take you through and then you just follow through the instructions.
Well I want to thank you all for listening, again I mean I've recorded this podcast quite
late actually, it is now five past eleven at night and I'm still sat out in the studio,
I've now got the work to do to get this all set up ready to go and then I've got some
streaming to do, I'm going to do some streaming into the early hours, not massively because
I'll be half asleep, I'm going to be honest I will be as good as out. But that's what
we got to do, that's what I'm trying to do, this is what's keeping me going and I'm going
to enjoy it. Well again thank you very much, massively appreciate you listening and I will
speak to you all really soon. Have a good one, bye bye.