Having hit 40, I felt minor acts of insanity were preferable to a full-blown mid-life crisis. I have therefore written 'run a marathon' on my list of things to do. I carefully chose what I hope will prove to be the flattest marathon available (albeit a ball-witheringly cold one), which is conveniently close to good friends who will accommodate me the night before and make sure I don't turn up with a hangover. I've coupled this with fund-raising for a charity that is close to the Willington heart. Apart from raising money for a good cause, they say they'll send me a t-shirt, so all in all I'm quids in.
 
Anyway to the meat of the issue.
 
My father was diagnosed with the muscle-wasting condition MG (Myasthenia Gravis) a couple of years ago. As it's a relatively rare condition (affecting 1 in 10,000) and is hard to diagnose, he had several mis-diagnosies before they finally worked out why he couldn't stand up, open his eyes or speak properly. When I asked him how it had affected him he said
 
In the period before the medication kicked in my major concern was could I get myself to Longroyd Bridge and would I have the courage to jump.
 
In the early days I essentially lost my sight. Before Sue (my mother) stopped me driving I used one eye held open with a finger holding up the eye lid. I had an assessment by NHS staff and was allocated attendance allowance and a blue badge. Our house was assessed and various hand rails were installed. We also installed a new wet room and bathroom in line with my physical needs.
 
How did Sue cope! Without her I certainly cannot.
 
The support I had from the MGA, especially the Brighouse branch was crucial in me coming to terms with MG during this initial phase and the ongoing reality that this was now a major feature for me and Sue for the rest of my life.
 
One feature that I am now aware of is that my ability to shrug off bugs etc is much reduced. My recent bout of pneumonia was just won but It took perhaps 2-3 months to get me back functioning. I love my grandchildren but am fearful of catching any of their bugs. My immune system is on the decline whilst theirs is being built
 
It took a little encouragement to get this out of him because
 
I was brought up to be rather stoical in line with my mother's Scots ancestry so this has been a bit hard to write.
 
You may have seen the 'Give us a Smile' posters around. These are put up by the MG association to highlight awareness of the issue. Because the condition affects all the muscles of the body, sufferers find they can't control their facial muscles, open their eyes or stand up. Without treatment, the condition is fatal in 80% of cases. There is currently no cure.
 
The MG Association supports ongoing research into the disease, provides a series of local associations who provide advice and support to sufferers, and fund specialist nurses who can advise on issues like compatability of mediactions for suffers with MG.
 
Thanks for your support