All this seems to have come about rather quickly! As many of you know, I was recently diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis for which there is no treatment on the NHS, unfortunately. It seems that, around the world, this version of multiple sclerosis is the forgotten relative. 85% of sufferers have the Relapsing Remitting variety that receives an awful lot more attention and treatment options. HSCT, which is a form of stem cell treatment whereby your stem cells are harvested and then you’re given aggressive chemotherapy before being rebooted with your stem cells (this kills off your immune system and restarts it), is the only option available to me. As I’ve mentioned before, although it can be accessed on the NHS at one hospital in London, the eligibility criteria are so strict and the time frame (even if I did qualify) would be well past a year, my only real option is to take on this treatment privately abroad.
As you have no doubt seen from the bottom of my blog pieces and the occasional appeal I have made to you, I have been feverishly fundraising for the last few months to raise the £40,000 it costs the treatment in Moscow. Amazingly, and in no small thanks to people here, I have managed to raise that money in order to access this last-roll-of-the-dice treatment. I have been properly bowled over by peoples kindness, there fantastic generosity. Indeed, I have had my faith in humanity somewhat restored! I mean, it’s a work in progress, but my humanity respect-o-meter has certainly shot up…
I am booked in for this treatment in Moscow on March 12th – yes, on Tuesday this week! Therefore, I will be leaving the UK on Tuesday to embark on this rather important journey. I will be an inpatient for 30 days until April 10th, when I will return to the UK. In the meantime, I will be having a lot of time on my hands, I guess. Although sleeping may form a large part of my day due to fatigue from treatment, I’m hoping to continue blogging whilst I am out there. Yey to wifi. However, if there are longer periods of me not blogging than usual, I do apologise and I hope I will be back online rapidly.
I would say to pray for me, but that would fall on deaf ears. So keep your fingers crossed. No, that’s just as ridiculous. Keep in your thoughts. No, that doesn’t do anything either. I’ll tell you what, just have a good time over this 30 days and do what you normally do. Go to work, come home, crack open a beer or a bottle of wine or a cup of tea, sit back and continue to read my nonsense. It means a lot that you lot stick around here and comment and argue and provide such thought-provoking adages.
As ever, thanks and big love.
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