An article in The Herald written by Gordon

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Gordon's Article in The Herald

Life with MND - March 2014

Although spasticity has progressively crept on and created all sorts of concerns it’s amazing how quick my year is flying in. On 24^th I heard my first blackbird at 0500hrs proudly pronouncing, I suspect, it’s nesting area in our garden.

My mind, I feel is slowly accepting the dire changes that there’s been since the being of the year - it certainly helps in coming to terms with my sense of frustration. What’s also a huge bonus is other than a slight discomfort in bed - to date I’ve no pain, mind I still do supple exercise, and feel that’s been the saviour in keeping me free from skin sores in bed or chair.

MND progressively destroys motor neuron messages between the brain and muscles, slowly weakening them to the point of uselessness - this has been my journey with motor neuron - a slow grinding down process. With MND, certainly in my case, one never gets back functions when lost and of course there is no cure for this ‘hellish’ disease.

So it is hard to believe that in 2oo2, I was very active and involved in running my one man business of ‘jobbing gardening’. It was my intention then to reduce my workload to about 4/5hrs for 5days a week until I was 70. And now, for the remainder of life I will be totally reliant on others, even for the most trivial, basic and personal needs.

To let reader’s understand, no way I’m feeling sorry for myself, but for the tremendous care and constant dedication of Jean 24/7, she keeps me in a state of life that is still worth living!! Carers, although very efficient, impact little on the overall time Jean puts in.

Relinquishing my lifetime style of a ‘control freak’ has been so hard for both of us - but I’d say to Jean - I’m slowly accepting the situation, as the effort now involved is just to great to fight it.

Jean has always managed to put me to bed and get me up on her own, but on the 6^th, for safety reasons, we decided to get a carer into assist her to get me up at 0700hrs. She still manages with putting me to bed though.