View allAll Photos Tagged multiplesclerosis
10 Years Full Circle At Circles With Circle Of Friends & Loved Ones - IMRAN™
It was exactly 10 years ago in April 2012 that I had first found and made an offer on what became my blessed home in Apollo Beach for the last decade. I did not know Jaci Stone or her amazing husband Mark at the time.
During my homes search Jaci's name was one of the random three realtors that Zillows showed with the listing. I recall typing a short message expressing an interest in the houses in that area, and asking Jaci to be the realtor to show me around.
During the early round of homes-exploring, Jaci had brought me to lunch at this place called Circles Waterfront, in Apollo Beach, right on the water. She told me I woiuld love coming here once I lived here. She was right.
Over the next many months of seeing homes in addition to the really complicated ups and downs of negotiating the deal on my home, she brought me there twice again. I also met an interesting friend here Dene when she and her friend were sitting on the table next to us at lunch.
During one home-buying trip Mark and I realized we both enjoyed Taco Bell too. But I do not plan to do a Taco Bell dinner wiith them. LOL. By that time later in 2012, even though the home deal was not finalized, Jaci and Mark became more like family friends than realtors to me.
Jaci is an amazing realtor. I am so glad I connected with her. She relentlessly pursued closing the deal until it was done. By the grace of God, the purchase completed successfully and I am blessed to call my Symphony Isles place home for a decade now.
We have remained in touch over the last decade. My beautiful darling Shannon, who is an amazing school teacher, also happens to be a realtor.
I told her I wanted to take Jaci and Mark to dinner at Circles to go full circle on ten years of their being in my circle of friends.
Shannon, looking fabulous as usual in whatever she wears, loved meeting them. She too was amazed by their incredible positive and full-of-life attitudes. The genuine smiles and joy despite some severe health challenges they had both faced are so inspiring. They have continued to enjoy the adventure of life - with Jaci also adding being a fire-walker to her life experiences. That is one walk I am not planning to do.
We loved our dinner, and loved their company. Until we meet again, at Circles, stay smiling Jaci and Mark.
© 2022 IMRAN™
30th May 2022
Palazzo Montecitorio, in Rome and the seat of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.
World MS Day which takes place every May 30 in 70 countries around the world,
saw AISM with its Foundation protagonist in the Chamber of Deputies in a morning that saw together all the main actors involved in Multiple Sclerosis, from the institutions to the members of the AISM movement.
You can follow me also on:
thank you! ;-)
©Angela Lobefaro 2022
ALL Rights Reserved
La Giornata Mondiale della SM che si svolge ogni 30 maggio in 70 Paesi in tutto il mondo,
ha visto AISM con la sua Fondazione protagonista alla Camera dei Deputati in una mattinata che ha visto insieme tutti i principali attori coinvolti nella Sclerosi Multipla, dalle istituzioni, ai componenti del movimento AISM.
... vulnerable and not always as strong or courageous as people may believe.
To be honest ... this has been a tough month and more emotionally challenging than I anticipated at the onset of this campaign. I normally do not try to spend so much time thinking about multiple sclerosis or try to dwell on the impact the disease has had on me. I could have taken on this project superficially, but it was an opportunity to reflect, to dig deep. In that process, I have discovered some things about my life, relationships and my own coping strategies that have been confronting and uncomfortable. It will take some time to digest those truths and to decide how I move forward from here.
On the flip side, the support from you all has been equally overwhelming and I sincerely thank you all for engaging in this project.
Every view, fave and comment adds to my pledge to the KGTOMS campaign. The current tally is $618.50
Only 5 days left to share an image with the pledge to kiss goodbye group to help raise awareness about MS. Thank you to everyone that has contributed so far.
I also have a fund raising page, Palo's Pledge, that accepts donations on behalf of MS Australia to further research into this disease.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
Finally, in this short series from 1965 – it’s time to say something about Martin, who’s appeared in four of the previous six images.
I met Martin Maclean at school in Banstead, Surrey, when he was 14 and I was 15. We rapidly hit it off and over the years forged a friendship that was to last a lifetime.
After leaving school, we enjoyed two camping holidays in Europe – this one in 1965, and another the following year. We were both working, making a bit of money (though not much) and enjoying life to the full. In due course Martin met and fell in love with his girlfriend Sue, and in 1968 they married. I was best man. And as time progressed, they had three children, to whom I was honoured to be godfather.
But towards the end of the 1960s, Martin was diagnosed with a particularly vicious strain of multiple sclerosis, and it wasn’t long before he was unable to walk. In his mid-twenties he was condemned (the only word) to a wheelchair and his promising career as a quantity surveyor was over.
The years went by and this most pernicious of diseases continued unrelentingly to play havoc with Martin’s nervous and immune systems until it eventually reaped its final horror. In June 2000, this good and decent man died at the age of 55 – far too young.
From the age of 15 right through to the end, Martin was my closest friend. I still miss him, of course I do; just as Sue misses him as a husband and his children miss him as a father (and now, indeed, a grandfather). But thankfully the memories live on, as do scores of photographs documenting his life.
Here he is on a campsite in Bled, Yugoslavia, during that wonderful holiday in 1965. This became his mother’s favourite photo of him; it’s probably mine, too.
A few other photos from that memorable holiday are here.
It is ironic that the Kiss Goodbye to MS campaign asks us to smile for today's photo challenge.
With your comments, faves and views, my current pledge is $481.15 - now that is something to smile about. Although the new format for flickr is not :)
Only 10 days left to share and image with the pledge to kiss goodbye group. Every person that signs up to the pledge and posts a photo to help raise awareness about MS contributes to my pledge to MS Australia at the end of this month.
If you are able, please make a donation to my fund raiser's page Palo's Pledge. All funds go directly to MS Australia to further research and to provide service to those affected by MS.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
29 June 2005. I lived, thinking that I was alive. Within 24-hours I would realise that I had not been really living at all – that mentally, emotionally and spiritually I was already half dead.
We all have the gift of imagination in order to believe in a different reality, a better future.
Inspiration is the light we see in the darkness, even if we have to create the source of that light in an alternate reality deep within our psyche.
12 May 2013. If I had never been so sick, I would not be the better person I am today – spiritually, emotionally and mentally.
The fuller version to explain what Mario has to do with any of this is in the comments.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
This one was captured across the Sailbridge , Swansea SA1 in between a fundraising meeting and our MS Support Group meeting.
www.mssociety.org.uk/care-and-support/local-support/local...
If anyone knows of someone in South Wales diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis , then please direct them here . Thanks. :)
In support of the Kiss Goodbye to MS campaign, I am making the following pledge for the month of May. I will personally donate to the campaign 5c for every view, 10c for every fave, and 25c for every comment that is left on my posts dedicated to this campaign during this month.
If you would like to support the raising awareness of MS, I invite you to join Pledge to Kiss Goodbye which I have set up. There are 31 themes based on the clues from the official MS Australia campaign. For every person that joins the group and posts at least one photo that relates to one of the themes and raises the awareness of MS in their description, I will donate 50c to MS research. If you post at least 4 images during the month of May relating to the themes and raising awareness, my personal donation will increase to $1.00.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
This image is part of a private collection from Dragon Papillon Photography and is protected under Australian and International copyright laws. Copying, duplicating, sharing or saving as a digital file, printing, manipulating, transmitting or reproducing this image without written permission from Dragon Papillon Photography is strictly forbidden and would constitute a breach of copyright.
Website: www.dragonpapillon.com or follow us on facebook
So there we were yesterday, doing what we do- Huw gardening and me photoing, when news broke that we we were featured in this you tube video 😳
If you can , then listen to it - it's very moving
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACno0VSul7g&feature=youtu.be
I couldn't figure the other day why I was approached for a photo of both of us - I'd prefer to be behind the camera and Huw by nature is camera shy. We appear about 3/4 of the way through the youtube vid, but instead of forcing anyone anyone to watch it, I've brazenly put it in comments, one of the group that I captured last year and finally the lady who inspired the song.
I keep asking myself, how did I get here apart from the obvious when I prefer wildlife and the great outdoors ?
MS hug gave me the uncomfortable sensation of tightness or compression around the torso or chest. Other times it was like a sharp pain in my heart area that made me think I was having a heart attack. When I felt MS Hug the first time I was having the last relapse before my diagnosis. By that time it was like I was trying to stand before a giant wave of turbulence. On the inside I felt like I was suffocating. Like It was taking my breath away, compressing my muscles, squeezing me tight, crushing my ribs. Sometimes I wanted to scream but there was no room enough for this. On the outside I looked perfectly fine. It's a misleading name, but I can say that It is an "unforgettable" hug.
1967 Ford Mustang convertible owned by Mr. B. Healey who is a staunch supporter of MS Australia (MS stands for Multiple Sclerosis).
Mr. Healey has two 1967 Mustang convertibles, Divine 1 is white in colour and this Divine 2 is red.
To see how you can support MS Astralia, visit www.kissgoodbyetoms.org.
Wynyard, Sydney, Australia (Tuesday 30 Apr 2013 @ 11:16am)
My photostream displayed in black background with FlickeFlu
Alternatively try FLUIDR which includes useful posting details
.
the red door
i had not seen before
diagnosis
physical, emotional, mental barriers
I can find alternative ways
social, economic, political barriers
a collective responsibility
to gain access through
the red door.
with your support, my personal pledge is $267.30 - thank you.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
Even in the darkest hours, I see your light beckoning me home. I know of no greater happiness than that feeling of finding my way home.
The penultimate post for the Kiss Goodbye to Multiple Sclerosis campaign is "someone who makes me happy".
Only a couple of days left to help raise awareness about MS by sharing a post with the pledge to kiss goodbye group. Or if you are able you can make a donation to Palo's Pledge, where the funds go directly to MS Australia to further research into this disease. Thank you.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
Vision problems have always been a symptom that struck me the most. I used to have a blank spot in the upper part of my right eye. I had it for several weeks in different times for too long. The worst part was the doctor saying, "There's nothing wrong with you." I needed help to go to the doctor. I couldn't get there by myself but "there's nothing wrong with me?" Sometimes I used to pretend that everything was ok, going through the day as if I wasn't feeling anything until it was all I could feel. It drove me crazy. It was almost like a white blindness. I felt desperate, hopeless and mad. It was a daily battle of my broken eyes against a perfectly beautiful world.
I have read so many personal stories this past couple of weeks, and each one has touched me. One of the recurring themes that has come out of these stories is that each of us, at different times in our lives, need hope and validation in order to live life well.
Some illnesses like multiple sclerosis, crohn's disease, fibromyalgia, lyme disease are difficult to diagnose as the symptoms can be mistaken for so many illnesses or it is so difficult to accurately describe what the symptoms are like that often those symptoms are dismissed by ourselves and the medical profession. While waiting for diagnosis we may lose hope and begin to doubt ourselves ... and before long a negative spiral of emotional and mental distress compounds our ability to cope. All we need is hope and validation.
My current pledge is $419.50 Each of your comments, views and faves are contributing to that pledge.
Share an image with the pledge to kiss goodbye group. You will help to raise awareness while boosting my personal donation to MS Australia at the end of this month.
Donate to my fund raiser's page Palo's Pledge. All funds go directly to MS Australia to further research and to provide service to those affected by MS.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
When R entered my life, she did so with the gift of friendship.
With an open heart, open mind and open arms, I can share with her the good, the bad and the ugly.
I can tell her things I do not have the courage to tell others without reservation.
She knows me better than most.
My current pledge is $372.80
Share an image with the pledge to kiss goodbye group. You will help to raise awareness while boosting my personal donation to MS Australia at the end of this month.
Donate to my fund raiser's page Palo's Pledge. All funds go directly to MS Australia to further research and to provide service to those affected by MS.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
Today's clue for the KGTOMS campaign is red, red, red. So I thought I would have a bit of fun.
If you can correctly guess how many visible items were used to set up for this shoot, I will send you a photo of your choice from my KGTOMS set. Guessing competition will close at the end of the Kiss Goodbye to MS campaign. You can have up to three guesses.
My current pledge has increased to $461.75 based on your comments, views and fave.
Join the other 63 people that have signed up to the pledge to kiss goodbye group. Share a photo with that group and you will boost the pledge. Thank you for the 297 photos currently posted to the group.
You can make a donation to my fund raiser's page Palo's Pledge. All funds go directly to MS Australia to further research and to provide service to those affected by MS.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
The Naked Clown Calendar benefits Multiple Sclerosis. It features students from the San Francisco School for Circus Arts. It's on sale now. There are some really attractive clowns also. I thought this one was hilarious.
Why are so many male clowns redheaded?
copyright 2008 Beaulux Productions LLC
This young harpist brought those words to life this afternoon in Swansea's Mansion House this afternoon at a Tea with Fizz, Friends and Music' charity function. Monies raised will go to MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Research via MS Society Cymru.
One of the things that was very important to me was the tour of Puebla that we patients got, in between the chemo treatments which was provided by our very cool drivers. Even though we had to stay in the van, due to COVID, it was still important for our mental health to be out and about. And a great reminder that we are all connected to this world.
Copyright © 2020 Vic Bonilla All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce this image without expressed permission from the photographer.
Listen: Damaged by Queensrÿche
There's nail in my head.
Copyright © 2020 Vic Bonilla All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce this image without expressed permission from the photographer.
Despite a summertime flare-up of her multiple sclerosis symptoms, Janice was determined to walk to the top of a hill in one of our favorite parks. She made it! Perhaps it's determination that helps keep her well.
This weekend we had a helluva storm with brought in a very low pressure system. I used to like storms, even though they bothered my arthritis a little.
Now… not so much.
All of me is hurting with my MS.
Copyright © 2019 Vic Bonilla All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce this image without expressed permission from the photographer.
“All hope abandon, ye who enter here!”
Dante’s Inferno
One of the things that I did not expect from my MS was the psychological trauma one of my unexpected symptoms gave me: apathy. The apathy had been growing inside me.
One night, last summer, I received an email that my flight to get HSCT, was cancelled (a few days earlier, I had painstakingly arranged my flight). The news of the flight cancellation hit me like a baseball bat to the head…
and I felt nothing.
I stopped caring about everything and everyone.
I didn’t care if I lived.
I didn’t care if I died.
I didn’t care about my MS.
I didn’t care about my family.
I didn’t care about my friends.
There was only complete and utter nothingness.
A perfect void.
The next day I woke and felt white hot rage.
“Oh fucking hell no!” were the first words out of my mouth and I knew the moment of emptiness had passed. I was making new plans to get to my treatment. Little did I know that my flight would be cancelled three more times. The apathy did not return.
I’d go though the flight cancellations and the anger again, though, if I had to. So long as I'd never to go back to that place of emptiness.
Ever.
Copyright © 2021 Vic Bonilla All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce this image without expressed permission from the photographer.
MS Awareness Week. I decided on this shot of BOB (Multiple Sclerosis Trusts mascot) to promote MS awareness week 11-17 March in America and 29 April to 5 May in UK. Just want to say thankyou to my two kids who ran round the house to find lots of blue things to make this picture.
MS Awareness Week is about encouraging people like me and you to give people with multiple sclerosis a chance. So what is it exactly?
In short: a progressive disease affecting the brain and spinal chord. The effects can vary from person to person, so to understand more about the different levels and symptoms take a look at these MS facts. In 2012 the campaign slogan urged you to 'Be bold in blue!' That meant anything from blue-themed parties or cake sales to ... dyeing your hair blue! It didn't look good on me before, but for charity ...
There are plenty of other options too. Why not give a talk in your local community? Or if public speaking isn't your thing write a letter to your local newspaper - or even skydive to raise money!
It will be a challenge but worth it if we can draw attention to the cause and help suffers at the same time.
And don't forget to get on facebook or twitter and post facts to raise awareness or make your picture blue. Online networking campaigns are usually so successful because information is delivered so fast between everyone. And the sooner the better!
For more details about MS Awareness Week go to the official website.
Giovanni - my son in law. Sydney, Au.
From Sydney - to Wolonlong, 90 km.
copyright::
www.fallscreekphotos.com.au/gallery/index.php?module=medi... to 11am/10.20am-10.24am/10.21&start=36
There are many ... The obvious ones:
I was diagnosed with MS in 2005. It just makes sense to show my support for organisations like MS Australia that work tirelessly to further research and provide a range of services to those directly and indirectly affected by the disease.
An opportunity to raise awareness about this disease with a daily photo challenge is "so me", hence my commitment to personally donate an amount of money at the end of this month to MS Australia based on the views on my Flickr posts supporting this cause. At the time of this post - my pledge to date is $169.05.
The real reason though comes from a strong inner belief. I believe that small actions of positive intent can have a widespread impact on the world we live in. With small actions we can change the world, because we have initiated a change within ourselves. The true nature of that impact may not be necessarily known to the person who took the action and that is OK.
You too can take a small action by sharing a photo to my Pledge to Kiss Goodbye group. Not only will this action increase my personal donation to MS Australia at the end of this month, but it will have a positive effect in raising awareness, and awareness supports knowledge and knowledge helps us make conscious life choices.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
This image is part of a private collection from Dragon Papillon Photography and is protected under Australian and International copyright laws. Copying, duplicating, sharing or saving as a digital file, printing, manipulating, transmitting or reproducing this image without written permission from Dragon Papillon Photography is strictly forbidden and would constitute a breach of copyright.
Website: www.dragonpapillon.com or follow us on facebook
One morning, when I was with my wife during her chemo cost, I went and got coffee. I was able to take 6 steps without my cane! I’ve been using my cane more for balance lately and not putting as much weight on it as I used to. This is a huge deal for me! ^_^
© 2023 Vic Bonilla All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce this image without expressed permission from the photographer.
During May, MS Australia is raising awareness about Multiple Sclerosis through a special Kiss Goodbye to MS campaign.
In Australia, Multiple Sclerosis affects more than 23,000 Australian, with 75% of those inflicted with the disease being women. The cause of MS is not known. There is no cure. The progression and impact of the disease on each individual is unpredictable and presents differently on a case by case basis.
I am fortunate not to be dependent on my walking stick, yet it is a constant reminder that, that may not always be the case. This month, I plan to participate in the Kiss Goodbye to Multiple Sclerosis campaign through my images.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
This image is part of a private collection from Dragon Papillon Photography and is protected under Australian and International copyright laws. Copying, duplicating, sharing or saving as a digital file, printing, manipulating, transmitting or reproducing this image without written permission from Dragon Papillon Photography is strictly forbidden and would constitute a breach of copyright.
Website: www.dragonpapillon.com or follow us on facebook
Today's Kiss Goodbye to Multiple Sclerosis theme is brain. I decided to repost this image from 2010 and some of the words that accompanied the original post ...
I tell myself that in hating this disease, I have learned to love myself, at least a little.
I tell myself that I truly mourn for what I have lost, but am grateful for what I have gained.
I tell myself that this illness will not define me, yet it cries out for attention,
but how can that be in a world filled with so much pain,
for I know I am one of the lucky ones.
I tell myself that I will be strong, yet I am frightened.
I tell myself that this is meant to be, yet I scream with anger and frustration.
I tell myself that in posting this picture, I have taken another step towards acceptance and healing.
MS and me are still getting to know each other and we both keep changing and we will do so for life.
... for whatever I learn, and feel, and lose and gain along the way, you will forever live inside my head.
By sharing a photo to my Pledge to Kiss Goodbye group, you will boost my personal pledge to MS Australia this month. I will be adding $17.95 to that tally based on the view, comments and faves that this image received from it's original post date.
Current pledge tally : $122.99
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
This image is part of a private collection from Dragon Papillon Photography and is protected under Australian and International copyright laws. Copying, duplicating, sharing or saving as a digital file, printing, manipulating, transmitting or reproducing this image without written permission from Dragon Papillon Photography is strictly forbidden and would constitute a breach of copyright.
Website: www.dragonpapillon.com or follow us on facebook
After the recent walk for multiple sclerosis awareness, I decided I need a tee shirt with the important message. So, here it is, straight from Amazon! My wife, Janice, lives with MS.
In case you've never come across the word myelin, it refers to a fatty substance that coats our nerves, like the plastic cover on telephone wire. The immune system of a person with MS will attack the myelin, stripping away the insulation and preventing the electric signals we depend on from transmitting properly.
The good news is that our bodies will replace myelin that we lose. That's one of the basic things to know about multiple sclerosis. But, we need our own defense system to stop attacking us. Go after the bad guys instead!
My public service announcement for today. HSS, everyone!
Listen: One of These Mornings by Moby
Today is my last day as an art teacher. I need to retire from teaching due to my MS, so I can concentrate on healing.
I was very lucky to have worked with truly inspiring people these eight years. I was very lucky to have had such amazing students.
The previews are over.
Let the real show begin.
Copyright © 2021 Vic Bonilla All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce this image without expressed permission from the photographer.
The theme for today's photo challenge is "I wish I could kiss goodbye to ....". I wish I could kiss goodbye to the devastating effect that the words "NO CURE" can have on so many.
Autism, Bi-polar Disorder, Cystic Fibrosis, Dementia, Emphysema, Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, Galactosialidosis (Goldberg Syndrome), Hopeless Aatrocytoma (Brain Cancer), Infertility, Krabbe Disease, Lymphocytic Lymphoma, Multiple sclerosis (MS), Niemann-Pick, Types A and B, Osteoarthritis, Psoriasis, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), Schindler Disease, Tay-Sachs Disease, Wolman Disease and so many more.
My hope is that researchers continue to be creative in their search for cause and cure and that doctors are inspired by empathy to give a true sense of hope as they deliver the words "no cure".
My current pledge is $352.35
Share an image with the pledge to kiss goodbye group. You will help to raise awareness while boosting my personal donation to MS Australia at the end of this month.
Donate to my fund raiser's page Palo's Pledge. All funds go directly to MS Australia to further research and to provide service to those affected by MS.
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
This is Swansea's Singleton Hospital as seen from a balcony of Swansea University's Institute of Life Science. I along with many others including the Mayor of Neath/Port Talbot had been invited here on a tour of the MS Research labs, research which which is funded by MS Society UK. A fascinating insight into the current research going on in my hometown and a particularly moving talk by a PhD student whose aim in life ever since her childhood after seeing and chatting with an aunt who was affected by MS is a life dedicated to this
I also took many others photos as the official photographer for the event which are destined elsewhere, not for Flickr.
This is the “Walk MS” I participated in last Saturday, which is a benefit walk for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
I ran up head trying to get to a park bench to stand on to get a shot of the depth of the people but, didn’t make it before the highlanders pipeband marched to the side to let everyone pass. Glad I turned around when I did to take this shot. The pipe band sounded great, especially being that close and looked like a nice turnout of participants for Walk MS.
April 18, 2009 / Eugene, Oregon USA
© All rights reserved. You need my permission to use any photo.
Subtitled: Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye....
This is because tomorrow I leave for Cardiff to photo the biggest event ever that I've photo'd for MS Society Cymru. It's the launch of the Stop MS Appeal in Wales at The Clubhouse , The Principality Stadium.
Re the photo itself I tried my best to get the Lego figure to stand up but she kept falling over. I'm so nervous about this that I hope its not an omen because I've been living with MS myself for all my adult life and due to it's fickle nature, I'm just so thankful that I'm (just about) still standing unlike many I meet whose lives are devastated by it.
Disclaimer: I'm not a professional photographer, never have I wished to be - if I'd the time in the past week, I'd have written a Blog Entry about why I do this.
Some mobility equipment was installed, this morning, for Janice. We live in a three-story house that presents challenges for someone who lives with multiple sclerosis. Thanks to a generous donation, Janice can now get to her bed, or retrieve an object on another floor, whenever she wants.
And, i won't be running as many errands! ;)
It is almost the end of the day for the 31 May around the world and the official end to my Kiss Goodbye to Multiple Sclerosis campaign.
Based on all the views comments and faves for my KGTOMS images : $796.40
Contributions to the pledge to kiss goodbye group with 71 members and 404 photos: $200.30
Bringing my total donation to MS Australia to $996.70
In addition my fund raising page received $1000 in donations from around the world.
... and before I forget ... there were two winners of the guessing competition. I would have accepted either 46 or 47 as the answer depending on whether you counted the knight and horse as one item or two separate items. Congratulations to Keith and Mark.
... I am going to take a short break from flickr but will be back soon ... I promise :)
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
MS is difficult to diagnose. There is no single test to identify MS. It shares symptoms with many other chronic and neurological diseases.
Prognosis and the progression of MS is difficult to predict. MS symptoms vary from individual to individual and can fluctuate within an individual over the course of the disease. There is not always an overt progression of the disease in that lesions may be developing without any noticeable physical symptoms.
MS is the most cause of non-traumatic disability among young and middle-aged people. MS may lead to permanent physical disability. Within 15 years of onset, more than 80% of sufferers have some physical limitation, more that 50% will require help to walk, 70% will have limited or inability to perform daily activities, 75% will be unemployed.
The cause of MS is unknown. Currently there are no overly effective treatments to halt progression of the disease. There is no cure. Current medications have significant side effects, and on average have less than a 30% probability in reducing the progression of the disease. Many find the medications not an acceptable option to manage the disease.
As with many chronic illnesses, clinical depression is common amongst those with MS. It has been estimated that the suicide rate amongst MS sufferers is 7.5 times greater than the general population. It is estimated that over 30% of those diagnosed with MS suffer from social anxiety.
Up to 65% of MS patients report cognitive dysfunction. There may be a reduction in abstract and reasoning skills, verbal fluency, attention deficits, impaired visual spatial judgment and short term memory.
Any number of symptoms may present during the course of the disease including dysarthia, paralysis, paresis, spasms, spasticity, spastic paralysis, tremors, seizures, dysethesia, fatigue, hold and cold sensations, pruritis, numbness, tingling, pain, dysphagia, double vision, optic atrophy, loss of sight, abnormal sensitivity, coordination and balance issues, gait ataxia, bowel and bladder problems, cognitive dysfunction, optic neuritis, anxiety, depression, extreme emotional and mood swings. It is an overwhelming list.
My current pledge is $685.90 (excluding the contributions by those made to the pledge to kiss goodbye group)
I have received $830 in donations. Thank you to everyone for their generosity.
Tomorrow - 29 MAY - is WORLD MS DAY
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
My son was 5 years old when I had my first MS episode. The onset was sudden and dramatic. I completely lost all awareness of the left hand side of my body from head to toe - it felt I had been sliced in half. Half of me was alive, the other half no longer existed. I could not stand without falling over like a drunken sailor, I was unable to walk. Although I still had the physical capability to do so, my brain simply could not send or receive the neurological impulses to or from my body and make sense of them as a call to action. I was given access to a wheelchair during my rehabilitation, but it was like sitting in a boat with only one paddle - all I could do was go around in circles.
With the energetic enthusiasm that only a 5 year old can harness, M8 would "frog march" me down the hospital corridors intoning the commands - "Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right". Somehow his words helped my brain to interpret the words into action, my brain was simply too tired to even form the thought of words for itself. My gait may have been shuffled and uncoordinated and without a walking frame I may not have gotten very far, but a few metres of walking gave me hope that one day I would be able to walk again unaided. I had Captain Support walking beside me.
Every time my balance is poor or my ability to walk is compromised, I hear my son's 5 year old voice in my head - Left, Right, Left .... from time to time we all need support, sometimes we are too proud or stubborn to accept it, sometimes we just need a different source of inspiration to get us through.
How you can help to Kiss Goodbye to Multiple Sclerosis
You can make a donation directly to MS Australia on my fund raiser's page Palo's Pledge.
You can post an image showing support to my pledge to kiss goodbye group. In doing so you help to raise awareness while boosting my personal donation to MS Australia at the end of this month.
By simply viewing this image you are making a contribution. My personal pledge to MS Australia is currently $194.90
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COPYRIGHT © Dragon Papillon Photography. 2013. All rights reserved.
Taken through a sheet of ice lifted from a bird bath and manipulated in Photoshop. See also, part 1: www.flickr.com/photos/pnoom/7982279335/in/photostream/
Listen: Come Undone by Duran Duran
I'll never be 100% again.
Will do the best I can.
Copyright © 2022 Vic Bonilla All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce this image without expressed permission from the photographer.