Hello and welcome to the 26th episode of Mike's MS Journey podcast. I hope everyone is doing
as well as they can possibly do. To those of you that are watching me on YouTube, you'll
see it's very very bright in the studio slash shed. I've got a window to my right hand side
and the sun is absolutely beating in. It's beautiful, I'm not going to lie, it's absolutely
gorgeous. So for those watching on YouTube, please bear with me, I know it's very very
bright but I'd rather that than have it pouring down outside. As I say, I hope everyone is
doing as best as they possibly can. This is the 26th episode. I must admit I'm really
surprised that we're getting as far as we are. I would like to say the fact that I'm
picking up so many new listeners, absolutely fantastic, incredible and I'd like to welcome
each and every one of you to the show. I hope I can keep all of you as entertained as possible.
On the show today, I'm going to talk about me pre-MS. I'm going to discuss my hobbies
and interests and that sort of stuff that was in my life pre-MS. So hopefully that comes
across okay. I'm not going to go into massive full details because I'll be honest with
you if I did that, I'd probably be sat here chatting to you for about three or four hours.
I know I'm 15-20 minutes of my voice. Yeah, you're all doing better than I'm doing. I'm
then going to just do a very quick talk about my thoughts on MS as a whole. It's a very
personal thoughts. These are not things that you're going to get off of any kind of website
or whatever else. It's my personal thoughts and I will try and keep it as brief as I can.
And also back end of the show today, I'd like to talk about the MS community online. That's
going to be a very positive thing, trust me. So bear with me as we get to that. I'm going
to start off today. As I say, I'm going to talk about me pre-MS and a pre-diagnosis
of MS anyway because some of this stuff actually I would have had in my life at the time that
MS actually kind of reared its ugly head in my life. Because as I say, we go back to 2012
when I was working down at the Olympics. That's where MS really sort of shown itself in my
life. But at that point, obviously, that really wasn't even thought about. I've discussed
that plenty so I'm not going to keep going into detail on that. But what I would like
to talk about is things that I just enjoyed. Hobbies. One of the biggest things in my life
for those that actually sort of know me on a day to day basis, you'll all know that I'm
a massive, massive football fan. Can't help that. I am a huge football fan. I'm a die
hard West Ham United supporter. Believe me, that's not necessarily the easiest thing in
the world to be. The last couple of seasons have been incredible. This one, it's been
more like classic West Ham. But yeah, I mean, things like going to games. I mean, I've only
been to the new stadium once. I wasn't overly impressed, I've got to be honest with you.
That was for the game we played against Juventus, pre-season friendly. I wasn't that impressed
stadium wise. I missed the bowling ground. I have to say that. It was one of the most
incredible things you could do. Go over, I mean, for a season, I was a season ticket
holder. I mean, I've been to no ender games there. It just was incredible, whether it
was going to the pub before the game, sinking a beer or two. Never any more than that, honestly.
You're honest. No, no, I'm being honest. Come on, give me some credit. Maybe it was more
important to. But anyway, yeah, I mean, just that sort of side of things. Thoroughly enjoyed
it, getting out and about, going to watch West Ham play, on the odd occasion seeing
us win, cheer, shout, holler, all that sort of stuff. Absolutely loved it. And yeah, I'll
be totally honest, I miss it big time. Thoroughly enjoyed going to games. Really, really did.
Golf. I actually used to really quite enjoy playing golf. I was terrible. Believe me,
when I say that, I was absolutely awful. I could have the odd half decent round here
or there. I mean, I'd probably go round in at very best. 95 shots, which is pretty awful.
Let's be honest, it's not great. I mean, on the whole, it was 100 plus. Off the tee,
I mean, I could hit the ball an absolute mile off the tee. Not a problem. But it would go
a mile to the right. I had the most incredible slice off my tee shots. It was unbelievable.
Yeah, it was, shall we say, difficult. If I was hitting the ball off the tee, more or
less, if there was people playing to the right hand side, I'd always be apologising because
my second shot would nine out of 10 times be played off the opposite fairway. But that's
one of those things. Around the green, I was not too bad, I must admit. I had a decent
touch around the green. Passing, yeah, OK. Pretty reasonable. I could pass OK. But yeah,
that tee shot wasn't good. It really wasn't good at all. We did actually, myself, Richard,
my brother, my dad, we actually did once play the Brabazon course at the Belfry. That was
quite an experience. Genuinely incredible experience. Beautiful course. Absolutely fantastic.
But it was not easy. Not easy at all. But yeah, great fun. Really, really great fun
to golf. Yeah, that's something that I used to love. Playing guitar was something that
was massive for me. I mean, I gave it up for a very long time. I've recently gone back
to it and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. So yeah, I mean, that's something that was all very,
very much in my life. I'm going to talk about Airsoft. Airsoft was brilliant. And I'll be
honest with you, I would have had EMS issues when I was getting into Airsoft. I remember
the first time we went and played and I went to run across this part of the field and literally
as soon as I went to sprint, my leg gave out and I ended up face planting. I was on the
floor. But yeah, Airsoft, great fun. Just running around the woods with some pals. Just having
a bit of fun. I used to love it. Really do miss that. I've got to be honest with you.
It was so much fun. It was unreal. But again, it's something that actually I used to really
enjoy. And at times I was actually half decent at. I've got to be honest with you. Again,
excuse to get out with some friends. Family barbecues. Again, that's something that still
happens obviously not in the current weather because it's winter. Albeit, as I say, it's
glorious sunshine out there today. It's beautiful. I've got to say that. It's absolutely gorgeous.
I do love a bit of sunshine. But yeah, family barbecues. I don't need to say any more than
that. Fantastic. Honestly, probably the highlight of summer for me when we do that sort of thing.
Sorry, just dropped my pen on my cup of tea. But yeah, highlighting my summer when we get
together for barbecues. I enjoy cooking. It's good fun. But yeah, I mean, some of these
sort of things that I've had taken away due to not being able to physically do them. Things
like the golf. Let's be honest, I'm never ever going to be able to play golf again.
I'm quite confident of that. Maybe over the driving range with a sand iron or something
in my hand. Just do a bit of chipping or a bit of putting. I could probably manage that.
I certainly couldn't manage trying to smash a ball 300 yards off a tee. That would be
quite amusing. I'll be honest with you. Maybe just maybe I might have to have a try, film
it and then put it online. It would be quite amusing. I've got to be honest. It's the sort
of thing, me personally, because it would happen to me. I would actually find it quite
amusing. So yeah, I mean, that's the sort of things that were very much in my life.
There's other bits and pieces. I mean, one of the biggest and I've mentioned it in my
Halloween show. I was once a paranormal investigator. Something I did enjoy. I've still got all
of the equipment that I used to use. And maybe, maybe one day should the need arise, I might
dust them off and have another go. But we'll see on that one. But yeah, I mean, that's
the sort of thing, the sort of things that was in my life, sort of things that I used
to really enjoy. Say there is other stuff as well, but I don't want to cram everything
all in. I'm quite mindful. We're already at 11 minutes of this show and I've still got
other bits to talk about. So I don't want to keep you too long. But yeah, at some point
I will discuss other bits and pieces that I used to enjoy. It's leading me on to the
second part of today's show. And it's just a few thoughts. I've got others, but just
a few thoughts I've got on MS. It really is just so individual. Now I know we all know
that MS is incredibly individual. No two people are the same. You know, you might have the
odd thing, issue, pain, whatever else in the same place as somebody else. Actually, you
will feel that pain differently to how the next person feels it. You will have feelings
that are totally different to how the person beside you with MS might, might feel things.
You have thought processes that are totally different. This condition, this condition
is incredibly personal. Now I am so new to all of this. Do not think for one second I
am thinking I'm the height of authority because I'm not. But I'm learning quite quickly. I
am genuinely learning quite quickly what, where this condition goes, what it does, all
that sort of stuff. And the word I would use for this condition is, it's insidious. Because
how many of you could be doing okay? You know, you're not brilliant, but you're doing okay.
All of a sudden, bam, it shows up again. Whether that be something new, whether it be something
old, it hits you. And it's almost like it's waving to you going, wait, don't forget me.
MS, my friend, we ain't never going to forget you. We know you're there. You don't need
to keep waving to us like that. Otherwise, believe me, we could wave back and it wouldn't
be the most polite wave. You know, I've written this script for today's show. One of the things
I've not written down, but I'm going to say it anyway, I'd love to be able to look MS
in the eye. It's a real shame you can't, isn't it? I'd love to look at it in the eye. I can't
guarantee, but I think I'd punch it on the chin. Yes, don't tell it that, but I think
I probably would because it is just the most insidious, evil and just horrible, horrible
thing. It really is. Now, I'll laugh, I'll joke. And I'll be honest with you, I am that
kind of person. I am a laughy, jokey, fun kind of person. I hope that comes across in
these podcasts. Okay, at times I do get a bit upset. Who wouldn't? We all do. It's perfectly
acceptable. Perfectly acceptable. But you know what? Most of the time I try and be happy
and cheerful and I will continue to do so. And I hope, like I said, I hope that does
come across because I am kind of a fun person. I am, honestly. You don't believe me, do you?
Okay. All right. All right. I'll have to try harder. I understand. It's fine. Yep. I'll
get you. I'll get you. No, okay. And breathe. I'm going to lead on to the third part of
today's show because again, I know time is sort of ticking away. This one is actually
quite a big shout out to the MS community online. And again, I am incredibly new to
all of this. But what I am seeing, ham, it's because I'm thinking about West Ham again.
See, I'm thinking about lunch, one of the two. I've got to say it, online the MS community,
you are absolutely incredible. Absolutely different class. Always, always there. And
again, I will say I am new to all of this. But I am learning quickly. And it is such
a beautiful thing to see people going online, asking questions that are new and newer to
it than I am. And they just get support. They get care. They get attention. You know, they're
just having other people that are going through the same thing that we're all going through
jump to be right beside them to give them all the support that they could possibly need.
So to the MS community online, you're incredible. Absolutely different class. And do you know
what? I'm going to give you, all of you, all of us, a massive round of applause. Because
it's the very, very least that I can offer. Honestly, thank you so much to everyone in
the MS community online. Because genuinely, the help that you offer, not just me, each
other, everyone, it's just different class. Again, thank you all. Together, we got this
fight. We got this fight as a team. Well, I think I've probably kept you all long enough.
Just to say, I wanted to sort of get the fun side back a little bit. And I hope that's
come across in parts of this show. I hope you all have a fantastic week. And I will
speak to you soon. Bye bye.