Columns Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor Despite the Nerves, I Attended My First Family Gathering in 2 Years Despite the Nerves, I Attended My First Family Gathering in 2 Years by John Connor | September 24, 2021 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link I know that here in England, COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted for about two months. But trepidation has now been instilled in me. It doesnāt help that the vast number of people catching the virus are still a daily news item, nearly two years after the start of the pandemic. Iām surprised that no TV company here has come up with a regular weather-style presenter standing in front of the requisite map. That would be, er, sick! “Itās hot COVID-19 variant territory out there, folks. Itās particularly high in the northeast and likely to be sweeping across the whole region. Please wear your face masks. For the unvaccinated, best to stay indoors until further notice!” I was facing a dilemma about whether or not to attend a family gathering at my sister-in-law’s house. It didnāt help that the wife of one of my many, many nephews got COVID-19 only a couple weeks ago. While I had my second AstraZeneca vaccine jab in April, its efficacy likely will have dropped to 67% by now, experts say. That percentage may seem high to some, but I certainly donāt trust my immune system, which has been ravaged by disease-modifying therapies. As my wife, Jane, somewhat gleefully pointed out, I had been willing to sit in a marquee full of strangers during a comedy festival only a couple weeks ago. “That was sort of outside,” I mumbled uncomfortably as she left the room. Thankfully, I managed to say it just quietly enough that she didn’t hear me, which is very unusual for moi! Still, I felt I’d maintained my self-respect. Recommended Reading September 20, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS Patients in UK Now Offered COVID-19 Booster Shots The second problem is that I couldnāt go in my powered wheelchair, which wouldnāt fit in my sister-in-lawās house. So, my old manual one would have to come out, and weād have to take a large, steel ramp with us to get in. The third problem was that although weāre lucky here in London that every black cab is wheelchair friendly, booking one in the deep outer suburbs of our enormous capital is next to impossible. Of my two previous regular cabbies, one was busy and the other didnāt reply. (I hope he made it through the pandemic!) After discussing it, Jane said she would be willing to drive, and therefore not drink. Weāve never tried to get me into my specially adapted van in my manual chair. It turned out to be tricky. Luckily, my usually useless right arm decided to be helpful for once and enabled us to get me over the centimeter hump between the wheelchair lift and the van itself. When we got to the party, a mob of my strapping male nephews gathered to help. I was humped over all the awkward steps into the house, then slowly pulled through the extremely narrow, freshly decorated hall, and whizzed out the kitchen and onto the new patio deck. Well, at least it’s new to me. I think the last time I was in their house I could still walk a bit. At the end of the now fully redesigned garden was a sturdy shed, replete with a highly enticing built-in bar. It all looked fantastic, and there were myriad offers to help me get there. I knew my relatives, and I especially knew myself. The thought of getting a lot of drunk partygoers to get me back up from the sunken garden afterward was extremely stupid ā even if they are family! I was tempted. The photographer is photographed at a recent family gathering of columnist John Connor’s relatives and in-laws. (Photo by John Connor) So, I sat in state ā not in a state! ā on the patio. Usually, I feel trapped at a party when I canāt move. I often find myself becoming an observer rather than a participant. But not this time. Suddenly, it was 1 a.m., yet it felt like weād just arrived! This sensation was aided by a constant stream of cocktails being placed into my good left hand. I was right about all of our alcohol intake. Slapstick routines followed while getting me back out of the house and into the van. Everyone thinks itās easy to push a wheelchair. But maneuvering one takes a bit of practice, and the supreme overconfidence of a drunken novice is scary. Well, that sobered me up. Which was handy! *** Note:Ā Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or 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, COVID-19 vaccines, family, London, pandemic Comments Wendy Hovey John, this is you at your best! I laughed my way through it with you. And felt so happy that you got to be there and actually enjoy this event. 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
March 28, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Multiple sclerosis awareness is for people with MS, too
March 28, 2024 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Restoring ‘lost’ pathway of neuroprotection benefits MS mice