My Salient Symptoms - as of 2007
Listed below are the symptoms I suffer from
    1) Ability to Express Apropriate Emotions
    2) Depression
    3) Dexterity
    4) Flexibility
    5) Incontinance
    6) Mental Agility
    7) Strength
    8) Tremor
    9) Speech
Some Explanation

I should say at this point that I donot think that any of these symptoms, however bad they have become so far has lead me to activly cdonsider suicide, although, believe me, I can understand people that do
    Ability to Express Apropriate Emotions (0-10; poor - good)
    This ia a weired one - I find it hard to laugh when I'm happy - often I cry - not because I suddenly feel sad but because I simply start crying. This happens to such an extent Lina often has to ask 'are you really crying - or are you ok?'

    Depression ( 0-10; good - poor)
    Here I am not talking about 'I'm really fed up' but total lack of joy, a lack of ability to comunicate with people important to me and a feeling that I cannot cope with the 'things that have to be done' - like renewing the tv license. A feeling that one is 'out of control' and a 'panic' ensues where one can only see the things that make it hard to complete the task in hand

    Dexterity ( 0-10; pooor - good)
     Such things as holding a spoon; tieing ones shoelaces; writing; undoing small screws and putting plugs in sockets become difficult and some times impossible. Always my left hand is better than my right

    Flexibility ( 0-10; poor - good)
     When I am getting dressed in the morning I sit on the bed - How far I can raise my feet off the ground in order to put them through the holes in my pants and likewise the legs on my trousers is a good indicator of how well my day will go. The morning is usually the worst and I sometimes have difficulty walking at all.
    The ability to raise my legs obviously impacts my ability to get up the stairs and mostly these days I can only go upstairs a stair at a time. It must be two years since I was able to ascend the stairs without hauling myself up using the banister rail as I do now.
    As with my dexterity my left side is better than my right meaning sometimes, when I do set off to go upstairs I go: left foot, together; left foot together and so on...

    Incontinance (0-10; good - poor)
     For some years now (5'ish)I have had difficulty expressing the last drops of my urine when I go to the toilet and I have noticed that I have to go, when I do, more urgently. The problem here is, without really planning to, I drink too little water - although I never have been thirsty -witness the day when I was about 21, when I walked about 10 miles; ascended about 1000m in a temp of about 28 degrees and drank 250ml of water!

    Mental Agility ( 0-10 poor - good)
     It is easier to say what I mean by lack of mental agility. Sometimes I get a feeling of being so overwhelmed by the necessity to make descisions that I simply stop talking. It becomes too much effort to say anything.

    Strength ( 0-10 poor - good)
     This is coupled to Flexability - If you have the flexability to raise your legfrom one stair to the next you then have to have enough strength to take your body weight onto the leg that is in front. To a greater or lesser degree this can be translated to how mugh you then 'haul' yourself up the stairs using the banister rail

    Tremor ( 0-10; good - poor)
     Although I do not suffer from 'essential tremor' that my friend and colleague Andy (now retired - as of 1st. April 2008) did I do suffer from my eyes trembleing which makes close work harder
    Speech ( 0-10; poor - good)
     When I am tired I cannot enuciate my words correctly - I do not know how I managed to forget this one - more a reflection of how little talking I do these days - Hi Ho :( but I added this Friday 23 05 2008
    An alternate, more succinct, table can be viewed here
    WEEK SELECTOR
    208-2009
    Wk1| WK9 | WK17 | Wk33| Wk39| Wk41|
    2009-2010
    Wk01|
    WK17| WK18| WK19| WK20| WK23| WK24| WK25| WK26| WK27| WK29| WK30| WK31| WK32 WK33

     
    ........Date........ Appropriate Emotions Depression Dexterity Flexability Incontanance Mental Agility Strength Tremor Speech ...............................Comment...............................
    Wk17 Sun 20 Jul, 2008 21.31
    50
    50
    60
    58
    30
    58
    55
    57
    58
    Started well;dressed with enough flexability to get my feet into pants; went to Dunsop Bridge again
    Tue 22 Jul, 2008 19.52
    54
    40
    50
    56
    30
    55
    50
    55
    58
    On Monday I bought and assembled a 24" wide screen Gateway Monitor and it's really good. At last I can SEE the mime sweeper guff and it displays 29 of 50 lines - so it is now at the tip. I took it there this morning - I could hardly walk the monitor had tired me so much - despite being a good boy and having a long sleep... expand your 'comfort zone' - I have been pleased with how I have coped, mentally , with Lia-Yen, Lina et al away in London
    Wk18 Sun 27 Jul, 2008
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    Wk19 Sun 03 Aug, 2008
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    Fri 8 Aug, 2008 18.28
    55
    35
    60
    55
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    58
    50
    57
    58
    Not sure how I feel - just learnt Mum has had a stroke - George (neibour) has bowl cancer and I will plug on although I feel OK
    Wk20 Sun 10 Aug, 2008 18.03
    55
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    54
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    58
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    59
    Prepared disk an floppy for peter - Defragged hd on 5 - Only just managed one stair ascent of stairs - had to help feet getting into pants - rang dad re mum's stroke - hi ho
    Tue 02 Sep, 2008 09:29
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    50
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    57
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    By Lilys (Hence mental agility score) and blog here
    wk24 Sun 7 Sep, 2008 10.27
    55
    60
    58
    45
    35
    55
    45
    57
    58
    Managed to face the journey back from Devon and appear to have gained some ability to hold my water I also looked after Lai-yen which did worry me but not the panic that I have felt. I am concerned about this winter, which has started eary (now!)and must make a trp to Dr. Hann to get my flu jab
    wk 25 Sun 14 Sep, 2008
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    Well this week has turned out to be truely horrendeous - on tuesday I went to bed at 12:00 ish and thereafter was unable to move until thursday 00:15 ish! I was rather weak getting started but now amslightly better in the 'flexability department' being able to climb two stairs yesterday and one today -two steps forward; one back
    Sun 14 Sep, 2008 21.19
    55
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    58
    52
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    55
    45
    57
    58
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    Thu 18 Sep, 2008 06.14
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    58
    Dressed on 'wake up' about 30 minutes ago and able to get both legs into pants. Then ascended stairs with aid of banister, 'two stairs'; with difficulty caused by slight lack of strength.
    Heared about a study on MS on the world service just before start of radio4 thet I willl try to add to the page I started about the 'salk institute'
    Sat 20 Sep, 2008 22.05
    55
    40
    55
    50
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    58
    50
    56
    56
    I have receaved my call to hospital - Profesor Mitchel said for speech therapy - actually it is for a EMG - CAN THIS BE RIGHT - I THINK NOT - I will ask - git
    wk26 Tue 23 Sep, 2008 07.11
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    I had a rather difficult weekend last weekend but after a good cry, improved. my flexability was down, not paralysed, but struggling to ascend the stairs yet this morning I dressed and although strength was down I was flexable enough to do two stairs.
    I saw Dr. Hann yesterday - thanks Lina - ad he gave me a pring of Proff. Mitchel's reasoning for speech therapy/EMG - I'll have a read sometime
    Wk27 Sun 28 Sep, 2008 21.22
    55
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    50
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    49
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    57
    I did not have a good week last week (fell over at work but fortunately did not hit anything) - I must get a four wheel walker because I will do some serious damage to myself.
    My ability to climb the stairs seems to be getting low too - despite my exercising in bed , although my right hand seems marginally better - I still struggle to feed myself though
    Wk29 Wed 15 Oct, 2008 07.02
    57
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    55
    55
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    59
    51
    57
    57
    Well this morning at time of writing I managed to dress nearly ok, as I used to, getting my pants on with more ease ( altough not quite without holding my legs up) than since the last ime of writing. had the EMG (NOT as bad as 20 years ago) and did a 'two stair' ascent to my study.
    Wed 15 Oct, 2008 23.28
    57
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    Well I got upstairs two at a time and did not wet myself with happiness did I not... :). I must try and find ribbleview surgery on the web
    Fri 17 Oct, 2008 02.17
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    One stair ascent to my study and off to bed after filling in this - I wanted to try to start towards keeping this page more up-to-date...
    Sat 18 Oct, 2008 12.02
    57
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    51
    28
    59
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    Got up this am and dressed ok - I could actually raise my feet ok to get into my pants. by the time I had had breakfast I felt a bit worse but was still able to ascend the stairs one at a time and now after some VLC I will knuckle down to do some 'spamming'. Last night and early this morning I also did some tagging for my blog
    Sat 18 Oct, 2008 18.28
    57
    33
    57
    55
    25
    59
    55
    57
    58
    Back from 'Rascals' where we went at 15:00 ascended the stairs 2x2; did 6 squats without holdiing anything and am going to sleep at 19:30 (dream on)
    Wk30 Sun 19 Oct, 2008 11.18
    57
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    50
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    Well dispite going to bed last night at 19:30 (asleep by 21:00)I was not able to dress in the morning; could not do any squats and could only ascend stairs left foot together left foot together....
    Sun 19 Oct, 2008 16.32
    57
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    53
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    Back from 'Rascals' did two squats, very tentativly,; one stair ascent to room and had Pooh - Yo.
    Before I went to ''Rascals' I reviewed my blog and found it was not possible to search for two tags combined - that would have been very nice - oh well - at least each entry can have more than one tag so not all bad.
    This one, for example is tagged extag1 and this one tagged 08p30
    Mon 20 Oct, 2008 06.54
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    Did not manage a squat; did not manage to get my legs into pants; one by one ascent of stairs.
    Mon 20 Oct, 2008 16.19
    57
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    Dr Hann has refered me to the walton center - told him about the drug trials...
    Tue 21 Oct, 2008 19.43
    57
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    Spoke to dad this evening and struggled with speech; ascended stairs left togeher left - just. I spent the afternoon in bed resting and deteriorated from 2pm to now
    Thu 23 Oct, 2008 20.40
    58
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    .YESTERDAY AT THIS TIME TWO STAIRS AT A TIME - TWO AT A TIME TONIGHT - AND PUT PANTS ON!...Speech too mutch improved - helens comment and last night at 5pm talked to dad and steve -mum died! for two hours
    Fri 24 Oct, 2008 18.42
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    After a tedious day at work (till 13:30) I had hot pasties and so on and surprise surprise slep till 17:00 and now I must do some work. Ascended stairs 1x1
    Sat 25 Oct, 2008 11.16
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    Woke up this morning at 07:30; went fo a poo at 09:30 and back to bed after a shower. Did not move then to about 10:00 and had a nice time with lai-yen eating the cinammon cereal, which he likes, now to work... 1x1 stair ascent...
    Wk31 Mon 27 Oct, 2008 06.49
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    Got up stairs 45mins ago 1x1 (just).Could not dress without manhandeling legs into pants but just did one sqwuat...and have done all the spam - Lia-yen has started saying Yo! baby! :) and does a good "Cinamon"
    Tue 28 Oct, 2008 18.23
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    From this morning it has been a 1x1 stair day and now to rest....
    Thu 30 Oct, 2008 05.57
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    1X1 stairs now and last night; had to use hands to asist legs getting into pants; dexterity now better than last night - see what today brings....
    Sat 1 Nov, 2008 01:44
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    2x2 ascent of stairs but in dressing gown so did not try to dress....
    Sat 1 Nov, 2008 12.09
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    Well 1x1 stair ascent; feeling tired and hard to walk; phoned steve and had a hard time keeping going . . . What a difference a few hours can make! And if I was not keeping this log I would certainly forget the bad (now) and the good (last night).
    Wk32
    Sun 2 Nov, 2008 12.50
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    After a sslow start this morning (did not try to dress) - just went downstairs;upstairs 2x2; downstairs;got dressed (no hands!) and came 2x2 upstairs - COOL!....
    Sun 2 Nov, 2008 19.58
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    Have just been to sleep since 16:00 and as if to prove a point am NOT firing on all cylinders - hopefully will improve as I work but 1x1 (just)ascent of stairs....
    Mon 3 Nov, 2008
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    Reasonable day - poo this am....
    Tue 4 Nov, 2008 08.08
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    Good sleep and woke and was not too stiff - nearly but not quite managing to get legs into pants. Managed a 1x1 ascent of stairs easily ( tried 2 but right leg said "NO") Now I'll log onto work...
    Wed 5 Nov, 2008 11.00
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    Just prior to adding this entry I did a squat; went downstairs; up at 2x2; and then phoned citrone (Mark Parts 768222) regarding my key - which has NOT been ordered and proceeded to have a long conversation with him (it is now 11.41) without a problem. HO ho - give it a week during which time mark will order it then ring me to say when to go in. Bearing in mind this morning at 08:00 I could bearly get upstairs 1x1, with hands assisting feet this is OKI am going, also to write some blog...
    Thu 6 Nov, 2008 17.49
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    Struggled in Manchester with speech; struggled in work to talk; came home and have just managed two trips upstairs with bags then unincumbered 1x1 so cannot nbe that bad but an early night is called for after doing some more work...
    Fri 7 Nov, 2008 20.11
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    Woke up this am and could not quite dress 'no handed' went upstairs with a few steps 'hand assisted'then improved a bit in time to go to hospital for a throat/swallowing x-ray and finished the day goiing to pick up Lina and lai-yen. my right hand felt a bit tired but not very severly so and have just come upstairs 1x1
    Wk33
    Mon 10 Nov, 2008
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    a 'one stair day all round - moring went to the walton centre and sspent too long
    a) in wheel chair and
    b) in the taxi/ambulance
    as the walton centre and taxi were too hot. I never really recovered and at 1:00 on tuesday I set about working feeling better but still 1x1 stair....
    Tue 11 Nov, 2008 22.06
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    really the end of a much better day (and went for a poo in Manchester)....
    Fri 14 Nov, 2008 19.54
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    I went for a poo today at about 15:00 and from the time it is taking to load this page I think it is time for a new one
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    from
    © Richard Cornford 2004