Hello and welcome to episode 23. On the show today there's a few bits and pieces I want
to discuss. Towards the back end of the show, on the last thing, there's a bit of a personal
thing that I really want to put out. So bear with me on that one. It's going to be somewhat
a bit different, but something I need to get said. What I would like to do is once again
say a massive thank you to you all joining me, whether you're new listeners or whether
you've been with me for a while. I'll say it again, I appreciate each and every one
of you, thank you. So yeah, on the show today I'm going to give an update on myself, like
I always do. There's a little bit to update, I'll be honest with you. I want to talk a
little bit about the sort of things I'm currently doing to try and keep myself going. So yeah,
we'll get to that very, very shortly. And as I say, the last thing today for me to discuss
is a bit of a personal thing. So yeah, please just bear with me on that one. There is a
reason for it. Okay, all right. Well, I hope you've all had a good week up to this point.
For me, it's actually been a bit of a rough week, I have to say it. I know I mentioned
it on the last podcast that I was getting the sort of water drop feelings on the top
of my head, which was quite odd. I did email that across to the MS nurse. What I've also
had in this last few days, Wednesday evening, I sat at the table having dinner, I had this
almighty electric shock type feeling in my right shin. Now, I've had electric shock type
feelings previously. This one was actually, it felt a bit different. I've got to say it
really did feel incredibly different. So the point a little bit after that, probably just
a couple of minutes tops, all over my body. I was getting electric shock type feelings.
And I've got to say it, they were absolute agony. I mean, you know, I've had these sort
of pains on and off and everything like that for quite some time. But actually, this felt
a bit different. I've got to say that it just was unbelievable. And it wasn't a case of
they was just like a solid pain. In my left thigh and left calf. Yeah, it was the same
sort of pain I've got there all the time. But popping up all over my body was these
little sort of stabby electric shock type pains. And I couldn't quite work them out.
I couldn't work out what actually was going on. And the worst of all of the pains actually
came in the left side of my ribs. It was sort of quite widely round to the left. And it
genuinely felt like somebody was coming running up to me with a red hot knife and just sticking
the knife in, taking it out and running off. And then a few seconds, few minutes, there
was quite a few occasions it was happening. It just kept going on and on and on like that.
It was not a solid pain. And I'll be honest with you, it went on for probably 48 hours
all in. I did get in touch with the MS nurse again, in terms of those pains, because again,
it was all kind of new. I didn't really understand what was going on as such. My MS nurse, I
did manage to get her on the phone and she advised me to actually get in touch with my
GP, which I did. And I actually managed to get a face to face with my GP, which is quite
rare. I've got to say it's quite rare. And he said to me that he's very confident the
pains I'm feeling were MS based. As he said, it's nerve pain. So what he's actually done
is he's upped my painkillers. So I'm now, I was on 600 milligrams a day, I'm now on
900 milligrams a day, which I started taking yesterday. Again, I mean, still very, very
new to it. So in all fairness, it's probably one of those where over the next few days,
I need to sort of see how it goes. But it seemed to make a little bit of a difference
yesterday. I will say I slept fantastically well for the first time in a bit. My sleeping
isn't fantastic at all. But actually I did sleep last night. But yeah, I mean, it's very,
very strange. And so that pain in my rib cage area was actually quite scary. I'm going to
be honest with you, I've got to say that it wasn't very nice at all. And yeah, because
again, being on the left hand side, and I'm a qualified first aid, I'm thinking to myself,
I just need to be a little bit careful and a little bit mindful here just in case. But
yeah, no, thankfully, the GP has put it all down to MS based, which is good. If you can
class it as good, probably not the right way of thinking about it. But that's where we're
at where I currently am at the minute. I just sort of try to work out exactly what's what
and why things are happening. But yeah, I mean, it's getting steadily worse. I'm going
to be honest, I'm at a point I really, really am struggling. I do feel like I'm getting
steadily worse with a lot of different things. There's pains that honestly, I can't work
them out. I don't understand it. But again, it's one of them where, you know, I don't
understand. I just need to start accepting it and find ways to get through it. Which
is something I'm going to do one way or another, I'm going to find ways to get through. In
terms of the update on me, I think that's pretty much where we need to go for the time
being. What I will say is, I want to talk about some of the things I'm doing to try
and keep going to try and keep fighting and keep being me. And there is a few things that
I'm doing. I'm not going to list them all because I don't want to take up too much
of your time. But obviously, this time of year, there's not a great deal for me to
do in terms of the garden. A lot of the plants out in the garden now need to just relax and
get themselves all ready for the new year and the new growing seasons and what have
you. So I'm kind of taking a bit of my time to kind of get back into the guitar. As I
said previously on a different podcast, I was going to purchase and I did purchase a
guitar and I've been kind of sat at times just trying to slam out a few riffs and just
enjoy playing again. And actually, I'm loving it. I've got to say that. I really am enjoying
it. Again, I did not spend a massive amount of money on guitar or amp. I spent just a
little bit. But I'm enjoying it. I really am. It's good fun. I do feel for Lisa and
the kids because at times I am turning up probably a little bit too loud. I can't
help it. It's got to be done. If a riff sounds good, just let it go. Let your hands
go and enjoy it. And that is what I'm doing. Really, I'm actually thoroughly, thoroughly
enjoying being back on the guitar. Don't worry, I'm not going to subject you all to
that. I'm not that mean, honestly. Maybe one day. Just not yet. Anyway, on top of that,
I'm really keeping going with the website, which is something actually is keeping my
brain ticking over quite nicely. I go on there a fair bit. I'm going to keep trying
to blog along and keep things going because what I am noticing actually, there's a real
link between where this podcast is being listened to and where the website is being looked at.
So to any of you that are listening and then actually going across to the website, thank
you. Absolutely massive thank you. Because again, that just, it just shows me that there's
yourselves, you're sitting there and I'm talking to you all. And from my point of view,
I sit here and I'm sat in this room, I'm looking at my phone, I've got walls around me, I've
got my certificates around me, I've got the shirt for the MS Society there, I've got my
certificate from the walk. But actually knowing and understanding that there is people that
are enjoying listening to this is incredible. It is genuinely incredible and each and every
one of you, thank you. Honestly, thank you. And I do appreciate it in a really big way.
But yeah, I mean, on top of the website things, I'm trying to prep myself ready for the challenge
28, the MS Society challenge 28, which I'm doing in February. I mentioned that in the
last podcast. So again, that's the sort of thing that is keeping me ticking over, because
I'm really looking forward to actually doing that challenge. It's not going to be easy,
I'm going to enjoy it. Because I do and I've said it a million times, I am proud to raise
money for the MS Society. If anyone from the MS Society is listening, thank you. Thank
you for everything that you do to help people. Again, you probably don't get the thanks that
you deserve and you deserve massive thanks and massive gratitude. So thank you. Finally
today, what I'd like to do is something I know I've done a little bit from time to time.
But actually, there's things I'd like to say to certain people. Because there's certain
people in my life that are doing things for me that genuinely is unbelievable. The support
that I'm receiving is just a whole different level. It really is. It's a whole different
level. So forgive me if I've missed anyone out from this list. But I would like to say
a massive and I do mean massive thank you to my girls. Girls, all of you. You are like
my biggest cheerleaders, genuinely. I know I use the word appreciate a lot, but I really
do appreciate all of the help, the support, all of the just being there and just making
me laugh and telling me how good I'm doing with stuff. Girls, thank you. Absolute massive,
massive thank you. My boys, you're my brains. You come up with stuff and you advise me with
things. You're young lads, but your brains and your support is just unbelievable. It
really is. And again, same as the girls, I am massively grateful to all of you. And I'm
very proud to be dad to you girls and to you boys. Thank you. Really, really big thank
you. My dad and my brother, honestly, guys, what more can I say? You just, your support
is different class. It really is. It's appreciated in more ways than you realize. It's incredible.
Thank you. Yeah, just different class altogether, the pair here. Massive, massive thank you.
I want to say a big thank you to my mum, Matt and me not so little brother. Again, different
class, always there when needed. Thank you. Massive thank you. Nan and granddad. It's
just awesome. Absolutely awesome. Even Sheba. Sheba bless all of you. Absolutely fantastic.
And again, you're all massively, massively appreciated. Thank you. To my friends. Now
I don't say this very often to you lot. Appreciate you. Genuinely, really appreciate you. Thank
you. I don't know what else to say to you lot to be honest with you. Good on you. Thank
you. To all of you listening. And I do mean each and every one of you that sits weekly
listening to me chatting away, rabbiting on about my issues, my problems, all that sort
of stuff. It's just incredible. Each and every one of you is incredible. Thank you, everyone.
Genuinely, I can't explain to you just how much you are appreciated, but you really are.
Thank you. Oh look, there's one person I forgot. I'll never forget you. Lisa, my absolute
gorgeous wife. Do you know what? There's not a lot more I can say to you. I love you,
I pick it up. I really do. Thank you. Just thank you. All I can say left to that is together
as one big team, all of us, we've got this.
We absolutely have got this.
Hope you all have a great week.
I really look forward to speaking to you all soon.
Bye bye.