Remission is a word I had not considered much - before I acquired this TN thing.I think about it a lot now and have, for the past year.Dictionary definition? : a period of time when an illness is less severe or is not affecting someone But context is all. In the world of cancer, remission … Continue reading December 2019 : On Remission and Superstition.
November 15th: The Beast is Back
I've been thinking of the novel, "The Exorcist", quite a lot in the past week. It is a superb book made into a superb movie. I don't think William Peter Blatty, who wrote the book, ever surpassed it - before or after. And yes, I am a fan of the horror genre. But this book … Continue reading November 15th: The Beast is Back
An Unnerving Start to my Medical Journey with TN.
... and the pun is intended... Isn't it a bummer to develop a condition that is (seemingly) unknown to 80% of the medical profession and ignored by the other 20%? When I went to see my GP (Note: that's a "general practitioner " in Oz, the UK and probably across the Commonwealth. I guess in the US … Continue reading An Unnerving Start to my Medical Journey with TN.
How are you?…
"How are you?" ... is a question I've been having heaps of trouble handling. How does one respond? For a few weeks I tried replying to this casual question in detail - and wound up getting myself in trouble or misunderstood, which made me rethink my human interactions. So here's what I'm staying with for … Continue reading How are you?…
July 8, 2018
It's a month since a searing series of spikes announced that my life had just careened round a corner into Painland, initiating my my visit to Emergency and my learning that I'm probably headed towards TN. And I say "probably headed towards" because my neurology appointment is still a month away. And a definite diagnosis? … Continue reading July 8, 2018
Music as Pain insulation.
I've been formulating this post for a few days. It stayed nebulous in my mind - and then a few mornings ago I carried a couple to Melbourne airport in my Uber. Andrew and Jo, (both!) play bassoon and were off to Vienna to take part in a music festival with an orchestral group from … Continue reading Music as Pain insulation.
Spike
Meet Spike, the Pit Bull who has adopted me. No, he's not the slavering, teeth-baring beast that the media loves to portray. I guess I love dogs too much to buy into that. He is the quintessential Pit: Silent, watchful and deadly. Single-minded in his role in my new life, to keep me in line, … Continue reading Spike
Fatigue
About a week ago - which was a couple of weeks into my current series (I'm still trying to find right nomenclature for this thing and its aspects/forms) I realised around one midday that I was absolutely wasted. I barely made it to the couch before crashing. It was unusual: Sure, I am a bad … Continue reading Fatigue
What it’s like…
A couple of YouTube videos. And I don't know which one is the more scary. #1: MSNBC made this video piece on Amanda Young, a TN sufferer, seven years into her developing the condition. This is bravery and endurance beyond the pale, because if you are a fitness instructor with TN, here's a (weak) analogy: … Continue reading What it’s like…
Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature)
I can see why this piece of art was adopted by one of the TN organisations as its motif. It's apparently out of copyright now. It's iconic, probably among the best known artworks of the modern age... but there's more... I've obviously seen this countless times, but a few days ago, browsing around the art … Continue reading Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature)
Not Only When I Laugh... 