Monday, July 21, 2014

MS and being a Grandmother in a broken State

Some time ago, I got out of bed and could not walk. We called an ambulance, and I was taken to Princess Alexandra hospital, in Brisbane. There, after a few days and a lot of tests (so  many that the thought of tests still causes me to feel unwell) I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This is an illness in which the brain is attacked, by the immune system. I would be surprised by this, were neurological disease not visible through my Father's family line (he had Parkinson's disease) and before that there were cases of rheumatoid arthritis and earlier, some odd  thing that the sufferer bought to Melbourne (from New Zealand) and was healed of. 

In hospital I was taught how to walk with a 'wheelie walker'. I came home, my Grandson grumbled about my being able to still walk faster than he could despite my using an aid and my walker briefly became the most fun thing for young members of the family to ride on ... and I stopped using  it. It was not believable. From that I moved to a walking stick, which is useful as far as balance goes but not as far as threatening the family cats with (they know I'm lying, you see). I could not type, or hand write. I was/am often tired, and not often able to take notice of political things. 

Political things in Australia are fairly silly at the moment, so perhaps it's a good time to take a break. Which is what I will continue to do. I look forward to writing about the abuse of asylum seekers, and about the use of other State's misbehaviour to cloak one's own ... maybe the punitive choice of making convicted Bikies wear pink clothing in prison (yes, as I said, it has become silly) and the use of the poor, aged, unemployed and disabled to pay down a national debt that is the envy of most of the world (because it's so low.) A 'debt and deficit disaster' that is non existent. I could go on but weariness is hitting. Time for a break. Thanks to those who have read this Blog. Thanks for your encouragement! Take care.

Ruth