Cognition in multiple sclerosis within the modern diagnostic and treatment era

[agate]

You've tried these? How do they taste?

[Prot]

I've tried some of the frozen breakfasts. They're probably TV dinner quality.

[agate]

That doesn't sound too appetizing but maybe TV dinners are a lot better now than years ago.

Haven't had one in many years though I did go through many Weight Watchers Smart Ones frozen meals about 15 years ago. There were a few meatless items that weren't too bad.

[Prot]

It's at least 58 years since I had a USA TV dinner.My father was British Consul in San Francisco from 1965-1968. He finished his career and took early retirement,after serving as British Consul general in Atlanta. Whether through choice or other reasons he went from being a political officer, during his early career, to working on the commercial side of things.

I don't know why but I've had a very itchy back for nearly 2 weeks now. So itchy that I've got scratch marks from trying to ease it. My daughter got me some antihistamines, to see if that will help. It's a bit better.

It's dawned on me that gradually,over several years,I've reduced the number of forums I use regularly. I'm still trying to get further in tracing my ancestry. I get really frustrated some days, with the lack of progress.

[agate]

It's at least 58 years since I had a USA TV dinner.

Consider yourself fortunate not to have been subjected to one. The vast majority of them are bland and not very appealing--but maybe I'm too choosy.

Yesterday was much too busy a day. I try not to do two physically demanding tasks in one day but yesterday I thought I could get away with having a grocery delivery to put away as well as doing a load of laundry.

I would have managed that, actually, but at the end of the day there was a fire alarm and everyone had to sprint out of the building. We were all out there wondering where the fire was for a while. Luckily the fire department showed up within 5 minutes and apparently there was no fire. We were able to go back in about 20 minutes, and the weather was beautiful. No harm done but just having to do that can be very unsettlng.

I overslept today, something I hardly ever do. And I'm hoping that I'll find out what alarm got pulled accidentally so I don't make that mistake.

[Prot]

Supermarket ready meals here in the UK are overwhelmingly chicken based and tend to have very few vegetables I sometimes get meals from Wiltshire farm foods. They cater for the disabled and/or elderly. They're more expensive but are better quality,have fair sized portion of veg,and there's more variety.

For me something like putting the grocery shopping(delivery) away can trigger several hours of level 6-7 pain. I'm getting nowhere fast trying to get someone with my surname to do a DNA test. For genealogy. That's with my saying I'll pay for it. Sadly I'd say that people are generally significantly less altruistic than they used to be.

[agate]

Could you find candidates for the DNA test on craigslist, I wonder?

[Prot]

I'd never thought of that- thanks. They say it's going to be hot here today. Hot enough for warnings about medication and the heat. Today I'm going to try and reduce the amount of genealogy related paperwork that I have. The product of an intelligent, but rather disorganised mind!

I'm trying not to worry about the appointment at Oxford re the Barrett's oesophagus on Thursday. Trying but struggling to do so. Health anxiety + being a catastrophiser. How's your day going?

[agate]

My sister had Barrett's esophagus. This was many years ago but what she was told at the time seems to be true now too--that it only very rarely becomes cancerous. I don't know if that helps any to ease your nerves but I don't know much about it otherwise. Maybe you can find some distractions to take your mind off the upcoming appointment?

The weather here has been perfect for several days, and the sunshine is really welcome. I've been busy adjusting to a new glucose meter--as well as still trying to squeeze the new exercises into each day somehow. It's all too easy to forget about them until the day is almost over.

Just been doing laundry, fighting ants, tinkering with a few plants, seeing to a couple of birthday gifts for relatives, and doing some crocheting.

There was a monthly residents' meeting the other day, and I went to that. It was a day after a fire alarm when everyone had to leave the building.There was no fire as it happened--someone had pulled the alarm, maybe because smoke was thought to be present (though if that was true, why weren't smoke alarms sounding? Or maybe they were and I wasn't aware of it because this alarm was pulled on another floor). Or maybe someone's visiting child was playing around.

So the meeting was given over mainly to a discussion about how to conduct ourselves when there is a fire alarm. Looks as if we will be having more serious fire drills in the future.

Does your building have fire drills?

[Prot]

I've been here nearly 4 years, and there's never been a fire drill .

I'd heard that re Barrett's, but if catastrophising was an Olympic sport - I'd be a gold medal contender ! You're a lot more active/busier than I am. They say the temperature will reach 35C. My daughter has stressed that I must drink plenty. The woman in the next flat is moving. She has dementia. It was mild cognitive impairment when I moved here.

We don't have a residents' meeting. There isn't anywhere to have one. The man in the flat above me is heavy footed, but I am too.

I'm still trying to find someone to do the DNA test.

[agate]

The man above me is still a drum enthusiast. But the noise is more muffled these days, as if he might have put carpeting in. I still hear it but it's not quite as bad.

Too bad about your neighbor with dementia. I've watched two women neighbors sink into dementia recently, and it's been incredibly sad, particularly the last one, who lived across from me and I'd known her for years. Those two had to move to assisted living or a nursing home, and now there is yet another here. a nice, pleasant person, but the other day she asked me what apartment she lives in.

She's lived in that apartment for about 10 years but was here on the first floor rather late at night waiting for someone to come along who could tell her her apartment number.

I don't think she's very aware of how seriously affected she is, either.

[Prot]

I think after a short while not being aware is par for the course. My daughter has mentioned noticing things about her mother that I never noticed. The first sign that something serious was going on was my wife in the early hours of the morning(not unusual its with her OA) rather angrily saying 'What are all these lemonade bottles doing here?' There were no bottles there! It went quite rapidly downhill from there. She had had a stroke in her mid 50s and it seems additional mini strokes after that, which went under the radar detection wise. It's hard to believe she passed away over 20 years ago.

Unfortunately there are large parts of the mass media that have turned dementia into a clickbait topic- '