24 February 2010
In the event, the Daily Telegraph were true to their word and reproduced precisely what we had agreed to. So hopefully that is the end of the media frenzy. As a result of that article and the previous ones appearing in the Cambridge News and the Daily Mail, my e-mail box has been red hot with messages from all over the world, all of which, I’m glad to say, were complimentary and though some came from people with MND themselves and others from their carers, some from individuals who were just inspired by the blog which I found particularly encouraging. One, example, read as follows:
“Hi professor. i am a young guy in China, reading your blog is really help me a lot.
I awlays complaint when I am in some bad situation before, but now you make me know how to face trouble, how to have a positive attitude to our life. i really appreciate.
Now, I am definately sure nothing can beat me.
Anyway, we celebrate the Chinese new year (the tiger of the year) in our country. i wish you professor a good health like tiger, all the best in the new year.”
I have reproduced this precisely as it came to me, warts and all, but before anyone sniggers at this spelling and grammar, ask yourself how good is your Mandarin? What a wonderfully inspirational response this is. To think that this young man is not sick, dying or depressed but just inspired by the blog. It makes me feel very humble and certainly inspires me to go on writing it.
As a result of the two falls downstairs and being absolutely prohibited by ‘my lovely’ to make any further attempts to go upstairs, I have now slept in the sitting room for the last two nights. A strange sensation after the best part of 50 years in my beautiful four poster upstairs. However it was not as weird as I thought. The good thing is that I can still manage to get out of bed by swinging round and clutching onto an adjacent heavy armchair, If I need to go and have a pee in the middle of the night. This, instead of yelling for help from ‘ my lovely’. I’m spoiling her beauty sleep.