Living with multiple sclerosis and disabled. Trying to improve my walking by swallowing bravely, then getting myself and my trusty old Zimmer frame (known to me and all who love him as Zim) out of the house for short walks. The blog also covers the trees and nature that I enjoy looking at whenever I go on these walks. One of the few - very few - good things about being disabled is not having any choice about going slowly and pausing often, it’s the only way I can walk even a few metres, so I’m trying to make the best I can of the illness. My type of MS should - fingers crossed - mean that some further, though still modest recovery is possible. I’m hoping so, anyway.
I’m making progress on my walking. Even made it as far as the end of the street yesterday before half-collapsing onto Zim’s saddle for a rest, holding onto his handles with sweaty hands. Zim came through for me, same as usual. And I’m finally – a mere eight years after diagnosis – understanding that more … More To the Himalayas?
The wind is howling and whispering, rustling and roaring through the leaves as it storms across the valley of Edinburgh spread out between hill and sea. The ridge of undulating Pentland dips down towards its destination in the North Sea, making me think of all the people who must have felt so relieved to be … More MS not so bad?
Victim of lock-down hair? My tree identification course is finally bearing fruit. The beginnings weren’t that promising, scrutinising lots of twigs at weekly evening classes one winter, more than ten years ago now, at the local Botanical Gardens. But gazing at the sticks eventually taught me to tell the differences between aspen, wych elm, hazel, … More Finding pleasure in the detail
For a long, long time, I couldn’t tell one tree from another, not even on walks in the English countryside where I came of age, and I’m afraid the confusion in my life didn’t stop there. It was all uncomfortably like that poor guy in Hamlet, the prince who was having so much trouble with … More Knowledge is power when it comes to MS
When Zim and I are stuck in our cabins back home, Mr Mark takes pictures (like this one, above) on his travels for us.
They’re all so sleek and clean and shiny, these new feller-me-lads in my life, and they’re using it to lure me in, seduce me, make me fall for them and their glossy good looks. Even just joking about falls feels wrong, the dratted MS has already had me crash-landing inelegantly onto quite enough stony pavements, … More Falling for someone else
Is it just me, or is birdsong more jubilant post lockdown?Maybe it’s because I haven’t been outdoors much, any birdsong at all feels jubilant, almost triumphant, after surviving the winter. … More About the great railings cull…
How can you make friends with a piece of dirty old metal, covered with grubby fabric and webbing? … More Me and Mr Zimm
I’m limping and staggering even before reaching the front gate, scared of falling and breaking something – again. So try to cheer myself up with thoughts of how the trees are getting ready for summer. Glad rags There’s blossom already decorating their limbs; it makes me think of putting on mascara to meet my husband … More Nightwalking
Actually, this should really have been Day Three. Except I overdid things yesterday and spent the day drinking tea and eating slices of bread and jam. Watery Scottish sunshine Today dawned afresh. Lots of birdsong and watery Scottish sunshine. Thoughts of The Proclaimers but in the wrong part of the city. The odd car surprising … More Day two
Helen Fowler Writer 