Hi to all

[Sheldon]

Hi all.
Thanks I will make contact with the people down here in Dorset.Its great to be talking to outhers with MDS, especialy as I will only be seing my consultant again in January.It gives me comfort to be able to chat.

Anyway, what is all this talk abought christmas. That word is banned in my home until after 10th Dec, as my wife is fanatical about celebrating her birthday first. No way is christmas allowed to get in the way, so all our shopping is done on the 1st Saturday after the 10th. Thats a lot of presure as nephews, nieces, siblings spread across half the globe and need to rely on an overworked postal system to get them to their destinations.
Great to chat
Sheldon

[janetstanford]

Hello
Oooops hope we did not hi-jack your post sorry but us girls have to talk and i can understand your wife 1 of my sisters was born on xmas eve so you can imagine her problem and yes she did get combined presents for both mind as she got older she wised up
good luck with your requests with those that live in dorset and that you get to talk to and maybe meet them

take care Janet

[Sheldon]

No absolutely happy. topic is hello and general stuff, so if we have a genneral chat going on then that is what we should encourage.
My toppic of the moment is my garden. our garden slopes down at an incredable angle, and i began building an retaining wall in April, should have been done within a month, but only just finished the wall and need to get the decking and lawn done befoe the bitter cold bites. Suspect it is going to be a case of could only manage an hour today, need to rest, and will be lucky if my progect is done by the spring. yep, we need to keep living, kep up our progects, but i am accepting tiredness will add months to what should normaly only take a few weaks. Posotive note is that I am not going to give in and call in a man that can.
Chat to you all soon
Sheldon

[janetstanford]

Good
i like to have chats in general with other members it is a change to those about MDS which is what we all have in common and which takes over our life

i do hope you get the wall finished before the cold bites i do hear the weather is to warm up for a couple of days later in the week which may help you are quite right things now do take so long to complete esp the days leading up a transfusion i write lists and some days i happy even to get a letter posted ....

Chris is a garden lover and seems to be very good at it spend a lot of time there and also Maggie i believe so you will have lots in common /to talk about with them

Take Care Janet

[Jayne]

My husband looks after our garden to be honest, but I do all the 'pretty' things. I am the one who buys bushes, plants etc....he plants them. I dont really know why that is because I love to garden, but I also love to cook and bake, so I tend to be in the kitchen cooking something up that we can enjoy, whilst he keeps our garden looking lovely.

My birthday is 22nd December. I dont mind it being around Christmas, it just means all the celebrations start then!! I have the added bonus that my best friend since school, who moved to New Zealand 3 years ago, is home and she and her family are spending the day and night with me. I couldnt have wished for anything better so we are all booked into the local italian with my Mum and Dad as well. I am seriously looking forward to seeing her. She has been a rock to me since being diagnosed and put me in touch with lots of 'positive thinking' dvd's and books. I think if it wasn't for her I would not be as happy and positive as I am.

Have a good day all, it's a bit miserable and grey here today.

Jayne x

[chris]

Hi All

Sheldon - garden on a huge slope, eh? Better finish off that wall before it all slides away downhill!! Take your time and enjoy it - no need to get a man what does in just yet I'm sure and "managed exercise" is good for you. Just don't do too much on a day when you have the energy as you will pay for it later!! Two of the Forums I have attended had an Occupational Therapist talking about managing fatigue so see what you can find about that. Cleared my kitchen garden today - took out last of the beetroot before the frosts hit and planted some self-sown rocket to give us some salad stuff through the winter. Covered the rest up to prevent assault by cats/foxes/squirrels/magpies - found quite a few beech nuts buried in there so - sorry - have disturbed somebody's winter store!!!

Jayne - deffo not talking to you now that you fessed up to making the Christmas cake too!! Can see why you need to be ahead though with a birthday so close and NZ firiends coming over. You must miss your friend so much.

Janet - sorry - don't do postal puddings despite your heavy hints so you'll have to see Mr Sainsbury!!!

Best to all
Chris

[Sheldon]

Hi all.
Thanks to Chris for the Dorset contact info. Unfortunately, I spent my week of work and my weekend hibbernating and have not realy had the oomph to follow up on those contacts (also reason for belated reply)

I decided there must be info out there on dealing with fatigue,and found a booklet distributed by Macmillan (I bet if I had asked any one of you would have pointed me in the right direction). Anyway that poped through the post box on Sat, but it is quite a thick booklet so have put of reading it for now. I feel a bit chirpier today so may takle it this evening.

It is time for me to go and put in my shift at work, so bye for now
Sheldon

[Jayne]

Hi All

Since being diagnosed with MDS I have only read 2 books of the fictional type, I just dont seem to feel like it. I have read a few about how the mind can heal the body and other such types, but all in all reading isn't 'floating my boat' at the moment.

I think you may find that your oomph may come and go.

Jayne

[chris]

Hi All

Sheldon - glad you have something to read on managing fatigue. There have been 2 presentations about this at the MDS Forums - one in Cambridge and the other in London this year and lots of helpful tips were given. I think the main thing is that you should think of it as a pot which can get emptied rather quickly if you over-do it when you feel you have the energy and that sleep is what tops the pot back up again each day! Better to do managed activities every day than go bonkers one day and then be spaced out for a week!

Do I take it that you work nights too? I'm sure that puts additional strain on your energy resources? Quite ironic that you don't have the energy to read a booklet on managing fatigue!!!

Jayne - bet you don't have much time to read anyway with your busy life! Only so much you can fit in. I think your oomph has been holding up really well. I got a Kindle for my birthday and have ordered a range of easy reads and more challenging stuff so I can pick and choose according to moods. Just finished a trilogy aimed at Young Adults ( ha!ha!) which were real page turners but quite an easy read. (Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins). Currently reading Home by Bill Bryson which is a fascinating account of the origins of all the rooms in a house. Need this as light relief from MDS!!

Take care all

Chris

[Jayne]

Ooh, I am getting a kindle for Christmas. We thought it would be a good idea and a 'clean' way of me reading when I go into hospital.

I'm all for reading books aimed a young adults!!!! I read all of the Twilight books and thoroughly loved them/became a bit obsessed! I've already booked to go and see Breaking Dawn at the cinema on Sunday. I have also read all the Harry Potter books. One of my most favorite books (aimed at adults) is Memoirs of a Geisha, a beautiful and intriguing book. I think some of the reason I have gone off reading is because of all the 'heavy' stuff I have read and now when I would normally choose to read I am choosing to do stuff to 'switch off' my thoughts.