Columns Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor Reflections from the front line: Awakening to the new dawn Reflections from the front line: Awakening to the new dawn When MS, COVID-19, and UTIs meet, the encounter is anything but pleasant by John Connor | April 21, 2023 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link COVID-19 had finally left me. Its only trace was a pair of slimy hands. For a month, I requested a towel in bed to wipe them dry. My wife, Jane, told me my hands were fine; my phoneās screen, however, didnāt agree. As my companion in the hospital was now my phone, I took its side. I, of course, never told Jane that. But itās perfectly safe to reveal it here, as Jane rarely reads my column. I remember very little, if any, of last December. The delirium that my intense case of urinary tract infection ā which landed me in the hospital in the first place ā conferred upon me was then heightened by COVID-19. Days passed in a haze of orderlies placing food in front of me and nurses dealing with the output from the other end. There was an upside: I could happily watch films again and again. So there really was the endless entertainment promised by the streaming services ā you just had to be put through the medical ringer first. Recommended Reading March 30, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister There’s no point in playing the blame game after the disease is diagnosed Just one shower My brain was now aware enough to realize that it was no longer working properly. And only the top left quarter of my body still functioned. I referred to myself as “triplegic.” The first doctorās round that I remember was not a good one. I asked the somewhat fateful question, “Will I stay like this?” To which the only sensible reply was, “Illness can affect your multiple sclerosis, so yes.” I put up a spirited argument to counter this statement. But then, as my brain continued to improve, by the following week I was deeply apologetic for my attitude. Of course my MS may well have been seriously affected. Lying in bed now seemed the only thing I could do. It was the easiest of skills ā and one I easily mastered. Despair didnāt engulf me. I just didnāt have the energy to sustain it. What I really wanted was a shower. A stink was now emanating from me that no amount of bed baths could eliminate. The only way I was allowed to have one is if the physiotherapist approved it, and then they would also have to supervise it. After eight weeks, I finally got one. My wish was granted. Was I wobbly? Yes, but ensconced in a shower chair, I was perfectly safe. Ah, the sheer exuberance of it. Amazing! Then, suddenly, it all went gangbusters. I had to dry and pack. Obviously, I was in no condition to do it myself, so a nurse kindly helped. Within hours, I was picked up by an ambulance and was on my way to the rehab clinic that I’d been waiting for. The days of my bed-blocking ā which in the U.K. refers to when youāre in a hospital bed that you no longer need for clinical purposes, but you can’t leave until other safe facilities are available ā were over. It was humorous that I finally got a shower on the day I was whisked off to someplace where I could have one every morning. Hey-ho. Note:Ā Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice,Ā diagnosis, orĀ treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice,Ā diagnosis, orĀ treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those ofĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ or its parent company, BioNews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis. Print This Page About the Author John Connor In the ā80s, John Connor created the first regular column about the burgeoning London stand-up scene. In 1990 he wrote a book about its effect on the Edinburgh Festival: āComics: A Decade of Comedy at the Assembly Rooms.ā That year he also devised and ran a live topical stand-up team show at The London Comedy Store, The Edge (It was destroyed in 2020!). In 2009 John was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, which cut short his main job as a TV casting director for āBlack Books,ā āMy Family,ā et al. Now, John writes āFall Down Get Up Again,ā an irreverent journey with MS. Tags COVID-19, urinary tract infection Comments Broughton You have been very sick. I am so sorry. Glad to hear you are on the mend. Now the hard part. I hope you will recover your abilities in rehab. My thoughts and best wishes are with you. Reply Wendy Roe Hovey MS hasn't taken away your irreverence. So there, damned disease! Reply Leave a comment Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published. Your Name Your Email Your Comment Post Comment
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