In short, not very much at all. My walking is a little worse than before the transplant but I can now use my bike on its indoor training stand which I couldn't do before hand. I enjoy cycling but in truth you can't get very far on a stationary bike so really walking would be more useful. I splash around in the pool and call it swimming equally as well (badly actually but I'm trying to be optimistic) as I did way back when. I do though have a realistic timescale as to when I can expect improvement... Autumn 2017! That's seems like a long time away and in my more despondent frame of mind I think it's longer than I can manage. But as I say, I'm trying to be optimistic and I know a year isn't really that long and the improvements will be life changing.
Realising that I have another year of dossing about I've been trying to think of ways to occupy myself. I did consider online dating but decided that probably wouldn't work. I'd use my Facebook profile picture of me balancing a bottle of water on my head to demonstrate how talented I am and my profile would just say, 'Hi, I'm Patrick and I am pretty class.' (I know what you're thinking and I agree, I am actually really class but I've heard modesty is attractive to some girls.) I imagine that would get any girl with a heterosexual cell in her body instantly interested but at some point I would have to tell her about what I'll call the relationship shutdown trilogy: I'm unemployed, I live with my parents and I have MS. (The kindhearted readers will be thinking, 'Any girl would be lucky to have you.' The less kind, by which I mean most lads, will be thinking, 'Man up.') So that put an end to my ideas of online dating.
Onwards and upwards and so I've decided to try and get into volunteering again. I have looked into this before but my unique mix of poor walking, horrendous tremors and impaired vision combined with no means of transport means I am of very little use to anybody for anything. (Apart from balancing bottles of water on my head of course. And really anybody could be a civil engineer for example, as Danny, Matt, Ben and Tom have proved, so who's the talented one really?)
Incredibly though I have found something I can get involved in and it is centred around something I am genuinely passionate about: the city of Sunderland. (On a scale of things I am passionate about Sunderland sits somewhere between Percy Pigs from M&S which are amazing and the NHS which as per my previous blog I think is magnificent.) Sunderland is bidding to be the UK City of Culture 2021. I love the place and there are numerous ways I can get involved so I'm really pleased to have found this. I will no doubt be advertising various events taking place across the city in future blogs but if you would like to find out more now visit http://www.sunderland2021.com/. It's at a very early stage in the bidding process so raising awareness is the key at the moment. I will be at the airshow this weekend helping out in the Sunderland 2021 gazebo. (Quick warning, we'll be handing out leaflets and badges so if anyone takes one from me and ends up getting a paper cut or stabbed with the pin from the badge then I'm sorry, I'm nice but my tremors aren't.)
A very quick shout out to Victoria and Jonny, soon to be husband and wife (irrespectively obviously). Their wedding is on Monday and I am really looking forward to it. I'll look dapper in my three piece suit and get really drunk. But of course the day is about then, lifetime of happiness etc.
So that's the story. And the morning glory? Work in progress.
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