Thrift Shop

 "I wear your granddad's clothes
I look incredible
I’m in this big ass coat
from that thrift shop down the road"

-Thrift Shop by Macklemore feat. Ryan Lewis -

OK. This title and song have absolutely NO connection, not even a tenuous one, to this blog post today. I just LOVE it to a ridiculous level and LOVE the video clip more. And I LOVE CAPS LOCK. More about the song laters...

Update on the saga that I like to call 'My Life', or 'Dr Strange Walsh: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Hospital'. A week after I had the infusion reaction to the Rituximab (which turns out to have been possible start to Stevens-Johnson Syndrome - a very unexciting name for a very exciting way to DIE) I finished up in my Government job. I took a redundancy and after 10 days at home was going completely loco from boredom. I decided spontaneously to book a holiday overseas. My amazing and hairy (thanks to Movember) partner was so cool about it because, well, it was a solo holiday. I didn't ditch him, it was just too difficult for him to get time off and organise our time with the kiddos for him to join me on my really unnecessarily short timeframe. I just had to get away and the sooner the better. I was all, 'I'm bored! I don't have a job! I'm sad! Boo frigging hoo. Me, me,me!' I secretly think he said, 'yes', to get rid of me and my whingeing for a couple of weeks. JK, Wolfgang! But, for reals...kind of.

I started looking for cheap flights et al, until I stumbled across the Intrepid website. They had heavily discounted trips due to last minute vacancies. YES! The only downside for me was that I would have to meet up with some possibly strange, smelly strangers and drive in a car with them. I considered Turkey, because it has always been a dream destination for me, but it was arse-scorchingly hot. On a side note: I also dream of eating turkey. It's delicious. Then I saw a road trip across California, Nevada and Arizona. Cha-ching. I was sold. Within two days it was booked and then I got all worried and regretsy. After flipping back and forth from worried to over-excited I realised that this was possibly the last chance I may get to flit off somewhere on the spur of the moment. It also helped that I was starting the trip with a few days alone to explore San Francisco...OH YEAH. So, I wandered the streets of San Fran trying my best to not look like a tourist, taking covert photographs and strutting like I owned the place. I met several lovely locals, had beer with friendly weirdos and Irish coffees with Colgate models. I was living the dream. I found myself in Haight-Ashbury (I mean, I FOUND myself, man), op-shopping, avoiding crackheads, gazing whistfully at the trees and pretty houses. It was pretty spesh. I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge. After that, I called Wolfgang and informed him that we HAD to live there because it was SO ME. It was love. Just like the times I went to France, Spain, Italy etc. I said the same of the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Williams Arizona and Yosemite. I did not, however, dig Las Vegas. I mean, the place is weird and smelly. And depressing. The only highlight was seeing Elton John play at Caesar's Palace. Oh, and a taco salad I ate and have since replicated at home, much to Wolfgang's dismay. JK Wolfgang! Hollywood sucked. But driving on the 504 between Santa Monica and Hollywood was like taking a cocktail of uppers and downers and trying to keep your eyeballs in their sockets. 

As for the Intrepid experience, I turned out to be the smelly, weird stranger and I even made some friends. Special mentions/Snaps go to: Melissa, a very attractive Yanky Doodle Dandy who drove us across three states safely; Jazzy J (my new partner in crime and the only human who makes yoga gear look good) and Christina, a deceptively shy and unassuming Swiss, who suddenly (and for one night only) breaks out the sequins and turns into a Sex BaBomb. Razzy Award goes to a couple from Australia, who shall remain nameless, for embarrassing everyone at every meal by arguing over tipping. But they were kind of cute, I guess, if you squinted. Ooh, I'm being mean.

I returned home with an extra suitcase packed to the brim with American chocolate, peanut butter and clothes galore. So Christmas shopping is mostly sorted for me. In your face, Santa! While I was away, and especially on my return, I realised that I can't be away from Wolfgang, the kids and my silly dogs for that long ever again. They missed me far too much. ANNNNND I missed them.

Now I am back in the real World seeking gainful employment and anticipating my appointment with Walshie next week to discuss my tingling legs and mouth. I'm expecting some tough treatment decisions coming up. Served cold. Wahh! I'll just go bang my singing bowl....oh, sweet relief.

Hey! I've just worked out a way to link this post to today's song! Now that I am broke, after my holiday and excessive Xmas shopping, I can only afford to go thrift shopping until I get a real job. There you go. I'm a frickin genius. I can't say much about the song and video except, that if you don't like it (Wolfgang, I am looking at you) then your brain, ears and sense of fun are broken.

PS. Mum, if you read this, I am mad at you. I dreamt we had an argument last night and you were MEAN. Let's just say that I won't be borrowing your hair curler any time soon. Call me! xo

Here you go. And, you're welcome:

 

The Nips Are Getting Bigger

Sometimes I wonder
What all these chemicals
Are doin' to my brain
Doesn't worry me enough
To stop me from doin' it agai-ai-ain
Wipin' out brain cells
By the millions but I don't care
It doesn't worry me
Even though
I ain't got a lot to spare

- The Nips Are Getting Bigger, Mental As Anything - 

 Woah-oh-ohh. What another insane week I've had. I tell you, if I was well enough I'd be drinking and the nips'd be getting bigger! The morning after my last post I wound up in hospital setting the doctors all a-flutter with excitement and trepidation by presenting with a constellation of crazy symptoms. In my last post I spoke of a weird infection in my lymph nodes that developed a week after the last Rituximab infusion. Well, I called the hospital to let them know about it and to cancel my next infusion because I was unwell. They hit the big red panic button and told me to get my arse into hospital pronto. So, I did. I spent the next 3 days there getting poked and prodded and CUT! I had the neurologists, immunologists, dermatologists, rheumatologists and just about every other 'ologist' you could imagine working overtime to diagnose me. I even got interrogated by a nice fellow from infectious diseases. I was starting to think I had Ebola or something. It was really exciting¡¡¡

At first it was a delayed reaction to the Ritux. Then it wasn't. Then it was. Then it wasn't. Then, after taking 2 biopsies [read: hole-punched in the head and leg with a torture device then stitched up] of a rash I developed, it was a drug reaction. They took what felt like a litre of my blood, stuck things down my throat, poked my groin (not in the nice way) and made me feel like some mysterious creature from the Loch Ness or The Never Ending Story, except I would be the un-luck dragon. Or something. They didn't want to treat me, they just wanted to observe me and see if I would die, heal or just stay all messed up. The upshot of all of this drama is that now they are freaking out about my next infusion. I know I am freaking out about it! The problem is there aren't many options to choose from for disease modifying drugs. And I am so so so not going to take Tysabri.Tysabri has helped a lot of people but it has a higher fatality and complication rate and I am just like, NOOOOO. Even the doctors are reticent about it. My 'medical team' (I have a medical team! Go team!) are working with other hospitals and specialists to work out what to do next. Apparently I am a medical first for this type of reaction. I always knew I was unique, I just wish I could express that uniqueness differently. Anyhoozle. I have 3 different appointments at the hospital next week to discuss their plans. There is talk of doing some desensitizing techniques (probably more prodding) and they plan to admit me to hospital for a few days during and after my infusion. I don't know if they think it is reassuring to tell me this (they seemed quite enthusiastic about it) but they reckon if I have another reaction it will be swift and severe. PHEW, I'm glad to know this. BUT I WILL be in hospital and they WILL have a really good action plan for every possible outcome. Fricking hell. I'm sure it's patently obvious I am very underwhelmed by the reassurances. That's not to say I don't believe my doctors are very skilled; I am in the best hands in the absolute worst possible position to be in. It's a rock and a hard place. A catch 22. A quandry. A quagmire. Freddy's nightmare on Elm Street. It's what Multiple Sclerosis brings into my life almost every day: uncertainty.

So, when I am better, and when I get over this next hurdle and have the perspicacity with which to better articulate myself about this mess, I will update you. I'm not a big drinker but I might make an exception then...and drink a few nips of a delicious and belly-warming libation. Will you take a nip with me when I get through it?

This is from Count Down - a much loved show from my childhood.
Post script: Wilbur is back! It's a long story...

Galvanize

Dont hold back...

 If you think about it too much, you may stumble, trip up, fall on your face...
Don't hold back...
You think its time you get up, crunch time, like a sit up, come on keep pace...
Don't hold back...
Put apprehension on the back burner, let it sit, dont even get it lit...
Don't hold back...
Get involved with the jam, don't be a prick, hot chick, be a dick....
Don't hold back...

 - Galvanize, The Chemical Brothers - 

The last couple of weeks have been utter madness! My Rituximab infusion did not got exactly as planned after I started to show signs of an allergic reaction about an hour into the treatment. My beautiful nana died a few days after that. My pet sheep, Wilbur has gone missing and I now have some bizarre infection in my lymph nodes. Seriously?! I nearly chose a song with a bit of a potty mouth title just to express my complete and utter frustration at the shit flying everywhere right now! I returned from my nana's funeral in Yeppoon yesterday feeling pretty unwell. I went to bed last night with a swollen neck and feeling hideous only to awake and find that Wilbur has gone AWOL. We have spent a large portion of the day driving around looking for him but we can't hear fim respond (as he usually does) so we are worried he is long gone. It sounds like I have trivialised the loss of my nana, GG, but I assure you it's just that I don't know where to start or how to reconcile the last couple of weeks.

GG was the closest grandma of mine and she was a brilliant woman. She was a talented artist of many mediums. She was warm and fuzzy and she had fantastic skin until the day she died. There are many platitudes I could trot out here, that people always say to make you feel better, about how she is no longer suffering and blah blah blah, but it is true and she will be greatly missed.

I am sitting in bed as I type having myself a little pity party and feeling  further from well than I would like. Wolfgang's lovely sister, who is incidentally a GP, checked me out today at a family brunch and said I have some kind of infection that is expressing itself in an unusual way due to the immunosuppressant. Have you ever asked someone for their professional time off the clock, on a Sunday, pro bono? It feels awkward and intrusive but she is so lovely and I really needed some medical advice pronto. So I have to get blood work done tomorrow and I have to delay the next Ritux infusion in 3 days AGAIN. After the reaction I had a couple of weeks ago I have been...umm...less than enthusiastic about this upcoming one. They can't administer treatment when I am unwell so it's off to the docs again to sort out this infection. BLAHHHHH. Ok, this is starting to read like an online diary. Are you bored? I'm not. I could bitch ALL night about this! So I don't alienate my few readers I will abridge the rest of this post. And they all lived happily ever after, The End. OMG. That just reminded me of this:

Anyway. So the question is: do I take the day off work tomorrow getting tests and then banging my latest, and by far, greatest investment, my Tibetan singing bowl? I think we all know the answer now. I realised I really do not manage my stress levels well and that's really not good for my health. I've had trouble with yoga and meditation lately so I got this amazeballs singing bowl and it totally steals my attention from everything when I use it. Internal and external chatter just stops so I'm 5 days in and I'm hooked. For me stress just causes this incessant chatter in my mind and I tend to overthink everything and every adversity just about breaks my back. So I'm banging that bowl A LOT and it works!

So. Galvanize. I heart the Chemical Brothers. Although this song is not my favourite it's got some interesting sounds. The Chemical Brothers just do this crazy thing where they build up and up and up and then it comes crashing down around you. That's what I love about them anyway. Like building a giant leggo tower and then knocking it down. I dig it. They have one song in particular (the title escapes me right now) but it's a perfect example of that analogy. Okay. Just listen to the song.

Good night GG and Wilbur, wherever you are.

 

Army of Me

"You're alright
There's nothing wrong
Self sufficience please!
And get to work"
- Army of Me, Bjork -

Oh hai! It's been a while since I've checked in, hasn't it? I have been a busy little bee of late, although I still feel rather slack for not updating sooner. My fundraising event was an absolute killer success - we raised over $3000 for MS Australia and the MSRA. With no small thanks to my amazing family and friends, I might add. The sausage sizzle was a sea of red, with most people wearing head-to-toe red, some even getting their hair sprayed red to get into the fun. It was really a hoot and we caught up with lots of friends we don't get to see very often.  A dozen or so local businesses got involved donating over $2000 worth of goods for the sausage sizzle and the huge raffle. In short it was a day of laughs and lots of warm fuzzy feelings. I'm not sure how my family feels about it but I haven't ruled out doing it again next year!

I returned to work after having about 6 months off only to be made redundant by the irrepressible Can-Do Campbell Newman (our new Premier). What a massive dickhead. There will be about 15,000 other Queenslanders in my position very soon unfortunately. Anyhoo, I'm over that but I have about 4 weeks until I will be unemployed for the first time since I was a teenager. Eeek! I admit I am a little freaked out but I am trying to remain positive about new prospects and the opportunity to get more creative. Besides, work isn't everything...and I am having more chemo in a couple of days so my focus is on that right now.

My most recent MRI resulted in the best health news I've had since my diagnosis. Two of the scary lesions have completely disappeared! The remaining lesions have diminished significantly in size and Walshie, my neuro, was stoked. I didn't even know he had teeth until that day when he smiled at the good news. I guess he probably doesn't get to deliver as much good news as he does bad. Anyway. I nearly jumped on him, I was so excited. Instead, I gave him some of my favourite chewing gum and some rude post-it notes. Ours is a complex and deep relationship, you see.

I also had my first meeting with my immunologist. We will call him The Hulk. Not because he is huge or green, or even angry. On the contrary, he was quite happy. His name just reminds me of The Hulk. But, I digress. We talked about the latest findings about Rituximab and whether or not we can continue to use it to treat me. After the next two infusions I will be apparently quite immuno-suppressed and therefore even more susceptible to opportunistic infections. I'm nervous about this and frustrated at the thought of having even more frequent checkups and bloodtests. I may have to go on a long term course of antibiotic prophylaxis to avoid a strain of pneumonia that has been a problem for long term Ritux patients too. But the options are few so I'm not feeling too sure about anything and I feel a bit powerless. It's a frustrating time. Having whinged about this I should also say that I am extremely lucky to have access to these life saving drugs. Without them I daresay I would be in a wheelchair or worse today. I just would love to know if anyone else out there has had a similar experience and has some words of wisdom for me.

Regardless of all this, I will be having the Ritux in 2 days and again in a fortnight. I like to imagine the different cells that comprise my immune system as little soldiers. The Rituximab kills half of my immune system and changes some functions of the other half, but somehow my body keeps working to stay alive and well. What an amazing thing that is. Sometimes it blows my mind completely. To me it's like trying to grasp the immensity of our universe - it's just so complex and mysterious that it's hard to fathom. Our bodies are incredibly adaptive and smart so I have to trust that mine will keep doing its best to maintain stasis. My little army of me will do its best I'm sure!

I'm feeling positive about the whole MS thing at the moment. It's been nearly 12 months since my minor relapse and 20 months since I was really sick. The longer I go without getting sick the more it feels possible that I won't. That is something I aspire to without any qualification.

On a completely unrelated matter, my gorgeous little family got me a PET SHEEP for my birthday! OMG! WTF?! We named him Wilbur. He is about 9 months old and is very cute, although he also looks really tasty. JK! I'm sure there will be a story or two to tell about him in the future. A sheep!  My menagerie is slowing coming together...hehehe.

My song for today's blog is Army of Me by Bjork. I've always loved this one and I think it's a salient choice. The clip is really fun too, I think. Blogger is being a shit and won't let me upload the video to this song so here is the link instead! Enjoy.

 Army of Me

Kiss off

"I take one, one, one 'cause you left me
And two, two, two for my family
And three, three, three for my heartache
And four, four, four for my headaches..."

Kiss Off by The Violent Femmes 

I am officially blowing my cover in the name of research! Well, fundraising for research... The month of May is MS awareness month and this year I joined the campaign to "Kiss Goodbye to MS". I am hosting a sausage sizzle "Kiss Off MS with Kirsty" on Sunday 20th May at Kenmore in Brisbane, where folks will be dared to wear RED (the campaign colour), buy a snag and make a donation to a great cause! All proceeds go to MS Australia and MS Research Australia. 

The details of the event can be found at this link:

 http://www.kissgoodbyetoms.org/events/kiss-ms-kirsty

My official fundraising page where you can make a donation (!) is at this link:

 http://www.kissgoodbyetoms.org/community/individuals/kirsty-stewart

My goal is a modest $2000, but I need everyone's help to get there! 

Today's song speaks for itself, and it's an oldy but a goody. Please help me give MS the KISS OFF!

Love and air kisses, Kirsty xo

Protection

I stand in front of you
I'll take the force of the blow

Protection

Protection by Massive Attack

I've been a bit slack with my blog posting of late so there is much to tell you. First, an update on my health...

MS-wise I have been really great. I have re-started the monthly testing of my B cells for the next round of Rituximab so I'm preparing myself for the mental and physical challenge of the impending chemo. Thankfully it's nowhere near as intensive as what a cancer patient would have to endure so I'm reminding myself of that when I start to freak out about it. The biggest thing I worry about is the odds of contracting PML (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy). PML is caused by the JC virus (which most people have) that is kept under control by the immune system. Immunosuppressive drugs like Rituximab prevent the immune system from controlling the virus and it can develop into something I would describe as MS on 'roids. Basically the myelin that protects nerves in your brain rapidly deteriorates and this can lead to severe brain damage and death. The odds are small but it's always in the back of my mind. Leading up to my infusions it becomes this irrational fear that I find hard to control. I try to focus on the fact I have access to this incredible drug, and that it's the only thing that arrested the aggressive onset of MS I went through. I just need to MAN-UP!

I have recently become aware that the lower part of both of my calves don't have 'normal' feeling. I love a good soak in a hot bath, but it's not a good idea to stay in for too long for those folks with MS. As we are getting into the cooler months (hallelujah!) a hot bath is becoming more enticing at the end of the day. In the olden-days (circa 2010) I could stay in a hot tub indefinitely as long as I had a good book and a glass of wine! The last couple of times, however, I have gotten intense tingling and discomfort in my lower legs and they seem to have a mind of their own until my body temperature drops. It's hard to describe but when I connect the dots I can see that this may be the reason I have found jogging such a challenge in the last couple of years. I saw my Neuro, Walshie a couple of weeks ago and he is convinced I had a relapse in October last year and that the lesions found in my spinal column were newbies. Bugger. Maybe this is linked to my crazy legs...maybe it's not. Ahh, the beautiful uncertainty that is MS. Needless to say, I have found these recent events to be somewhat distressing. My partner, Wolfgang, says I have a distinct pattern of going into major funks after seeing Walshie. Any weird twinges or tingles after seeing him sends me into a panic and I become the antithesis of happy-go-lucky-little-ray-of-sunshine. I was nearly over this funk until I had a bath last night. Boo. But if I am truly fair and reasonable, the fact is that my health hasn't been this good since well before my diagnosis. So I can't have long hot baths or run 10kms anymore. Meh. But I can run/walk 5 kms (when it's cool enough)! I've started losing all the 'sick' weight I gained and I've been learning a lot about nutrition and MS. I've also started planning a fundraising event for MS research in my local area next month. I looked in the mirror this morning and said, 'you are rocking the shit out of everything right now, don't be a bloody sook!' BAM. Happy KPow is back, baby!

My brilliant Chiropractor, Lisa, recently sent me the link to a TEDx talk about protecting the mitochondria in your brain and a lightbulb exploded in my fuddled little mind.  Since then I have tripled my intake of fruit and vegies and I feel fantastic for it. For those with MS this video is a must. For everyone else this is a 'should'. You have to invest 17 minutes in it but the speaker's story is quite incredible and it all makes perfect sense, I think, so please share it with others. Dr Terry Wahls - Minding Your Mitochondria:

My choice of song today is not meant to be esoteric! When thinking about 'minding your mitochondria' this song just popped into my head immediately. We all need a bit of protection (from stuff life throws at you) from time to time. Not talking prophylactics, people! Although, that is important. Ahem. Massive Attack has always been a bit hit-and-miss for my taste, but they have a few tunes that I dig. This song is one of them:

I will post more fundraising details soon but until then here is a link to my page where you can donate as much or as little as you choose. Thanks for reading x

http://www.kissgoodbyetoms.org/community/individuals/kirsty-stewart

Hotel Yorba

"I been thinking of a little place down by the lake

They got a dirty little road leading up to the house

I wonder how long it will take

Til we're alone  

Sitting on the front porch of that home

Stomping our feet on the wooden boards  

Never gonna worry about locking the door" 
Hotel Yorba - The White Stripes

Anyone who knows me knows that I love The White Stripes whole-heartedly. We moved house a few weeks ago and this song comes into my head almost every time I step out the back door. We have gone from a small-ish 3 bedroom house in suburbia to a large 5 bedroom home on acreage...with trees, birds, kangaroos and a little creek! I am IN LOVE with this place and may never leave. This place inspires you to open all the windows and doors and sit outside under the trees. It's beautiful! We can play loud music whenever we choose and don't have to worry about pissing off the neighbours. In fact, our neighbours are pretty cool. The first thing they said when we moved in was, "use our pool whenever you want". They didn't need to tell me twice! So we like to imagine that their massive, deep, gorgeous pool is ours too. Life is pretty good right now.

The pins and needles in my hands cleared up as soon as I got a higher pillow, so that is a major win. I was starting to fret about that a bit. I have recently started the blood tests to check my B Cell levels for the next chemo round, which will hopefully not be for a few months yet. I had a couple of worrying days when my vision went a bit weird and not long after calling the hospital everything returned to normal. Murphy's Law. I'm fine with Murphy's Law as long as it works in my favour! Even though my chemo is one year down with 2 more to go, I admit I still struggle with the concept daily. It's a weird mix of feelings - grateful that I can access the treatment but sad and worried about the long term implications. I've rattled on about this before on my blog but it's one thing I have a hard time dealing with. I frequently ask my loved ones if I should do it for 3 years, or take the risk of stopping to conceive a baby. We always come to the same conclusion: just finish the chemo and worry about babies when I am well. Boring! But probably the safest option. It doesn't help that almost every woman I know seems to be pregnant, like, ALL the time. In the meantime I will continue to shower my step kids and niece and nephew with all the maternal love I have to share.

So... back to the song! Hotel Yorba reminds me of a really different time in my life, when I was younger, carefree and a total party fiend. I listened to a lot of White Stripes, The Hives, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, BRMC, Magic Dirt, and had a brief love affair with the music of Bob Log III (my friends and I played starring roles in his Brisbane gig at the Zoo). I love the sheer rock'n'roll noise the White Stripes manage to produce, but I agree with most critics that Meg is not a great drummer, or singer. At the Big Day Out (maybe 2005?) Meg sang a couple of ditties and it was embarrassingly bad. But then there's Jack. He can do no wrong in my eyes. Together they make it work. Hotel Yorba reminds me of the grass roots and blues I grew up listening to and makes me want to slap my thigh and stomp my feet. I dig it...

Until next time...see you round like a record!

Needles and Pins

"But still they begin
Needles and pins
Because of all my pride
The tears I gotta hide..."

by The Searchers

This song is so very appropriate (well the title anyway) at the moment. I am very familiar with the old needles and pins and I get them randomly and often enough for it to be pretty annoying. The MS variety of the pins and needles is not quite the same (for me anyway) as when you sit awkwardly for too long: your leg goes to sleep and your first step makes you yelp. It's a strange sensation and it's very intense sometimes. During the onset of MS I experienced the ol' P&Ns (or N&Ps, whichever you fancy) pretty much everywhere and it was always the precursor to worsening symptoms. For some time now, however, I have been woken many times during the night with intense P&N in my hands. It used to happen sporadically but it is happening every night lately and it's waking me up every couple of hours. It's a frigging pain in the arse! I need sleep, people! Argggh F&*$##*)@

***Intermission for technical repairs ***

Sorry about that, folks. Must remember to count to 10. Where was I? Oh yeah. So it's really easy to blame every twitch I ever have on MS but I know that there is always the chance it's something else. My neck is a bit of a mess after several whiplash injuries in my teens so I asked my Chiropractor about it today. Of course, nothing is that simple or black and white, and he agrees it's hard to know for sure what is causing it. So we discussed my pillow height and sleeping positions and he adjusted my spine. I always feel brighter after an adjustment, like a dusty lightbulb that's been wiped clean. BING! A friend of mine, who also sees my chiro, agrees that as well as being a great chiro, he is very easy on the eyes (Sassy Buttlick, I am looking at you). In fact she always jokes about how he touched her bum or hugged her during her adjustment and giggles like a teenager. It's pretty funny. But, I digress. The long and short of it is that I may never know what the cause is.

MS has given me a great deal of paranoia and uncertainty when it comes to my health and my future. It's not good or bad, it just is. So I'll just take it as it comes and "get down on my knees and pray that they'd go away" and probably try the pillow thing too as I'm not into god and stuff. You get the idea. Anyway...I am starting to annoy myself so you are probably OVER IT. Poor thing.

THE SONG...

The likes of Joan Jett and The Ramones (both of whom I love) have attempted covers of this song but they are appallingly bad. Do yourself a favour and have a listen to the original, it's a cracker:

The times, they are a-changin'

"Come gather 'round people, Wherever you roam, And admit that the waters, Around you have grown, And accept it that soon, You'll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you, Is worth savin', Then you better start swimmin', Or you'll sink like a stone, For the times they are a-changin'" Bob Dylan

So if you have been following my blog you will notice a lot of changes. I've been thinking of a better way to express myself through this blog and last night, around a scrumptious Thai meal with my loved ones, we brainstormed a makeover for my blog site. It's hard to tell my stories without sounding a bit depressing. Let's face it, MS is bloody depressing - but there is so much good to tell too! We agreed that my blog name should be changed to something a bit more irreverent and more creative: MS! The Musical was born. From this point on, all of my posts will be based on a relevant song that helps my readers better understand my message and provide them with some more context. I also get to revisit some of my favourite tracks in the process!

This week, being the anniversary of two major life-changing events I immediately thought of this Bob Dylan classic. You see, this week is one year since I was formally diagnosed with MS, and that same week my brand-new family home was inundated with flood waters in Brisbane. My life was literally and metaphorically being drowned by tragic events. But I had a choice: sink, or swim. Together, my family and I swam out, dried ourselves off and started rebuilding a new life, in more ways than one. Sounds pretty epic, huh? Well it was!

Today I am happy to report that despite feeling a twinge of melancholy and sentimentality over the year's events, my life has never been better. I have my health (relatively speaking) and the love of a wonderful man. I have four beautiful step kids and amazing family and friends. MS is a new house guest, and the times are a-changing for us, but the outlook is sunny today!