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Today I want to share three positive boosts. They are three very different things, but each has given me a lift.
Firstly, for the first time in a fortnight, I feel better.
After two weeks of considerable pain, discomfort, and frustration, I finally feel I am beginning to get a hold on my stomach problems. By balancing the medication and learning what works and what doesn’t, I seem to be making progress. I pray I am not speaking prematurely!
It has been an education on a subject I never wanted to learn about and, frankly, would rather never have had to think about. But the relief of feeling even a little more in control is immense.
I’m sure this isn’t the last time I’ll have to deal with this problem, but I now feel better equipped to manage it. And that in itself is a huge step forward.
Secondly, a message from a reader gave me a real sense of purpose.
It came from someone I have been corresponding with for months. She has lived through many of the same difficult transitions with PSP in her own family, and she is a rock star, always there to help me through tough times. Her words meant a great deal to me.
To respect her privacy, I have kept her anonymous and slightly shortened her messages. She wrote, in part:
“You reflect the truth of PSP, sharing your experiences whilst reminding us of the joys that life still brings.
Your journey reflects that of so many others living with PSP. It is the brutal truth.
We have also had to make difficult adjustments to our home and our lives. Accepting these changes brought profound sadness and many tears. Yet, with time, the practical benefits have helped lift our spirits.
Thank you for your honesty. If you weren’t honest, you would be doing people with PSP, their families, friends, and carers a disservice.
Always be true.”
She followed this with another lovely message:
“For so many people, your words and your life resonate. We are so grateful to you. Our hearts are with you also.”
I want her, and all my readers, to understand something important. The feedback I receive gives me as much momentum to continue as the writing itself.
Writing helps me make sense of my life with PSP. But knowing that something I have written has helped someone else, or simply made them feel less alone, gives that writing a purpose beyond myself.
And the kindness I receive in return helps me more than I can say. It really is a two-way relationship. I hope my readers understand just how much they give back to me.
Thirdly, my massage gun is back!
Now, this might sound like a rather strange reason to celebrate, but hear me out.
Last week, my massage gun broke. It is a particularly powerful one, which helps enormously with self-massage and also allows my carer to work on my painful and rigid muscles.
I got it back this morning, fully repaired, and was genuinely delighted to use it again.
It’s a small thing, perhaps, but when you’re living with PSP, anything that gives you a little more comfort and relief is worth celebrating. My muscles certainly celebrated, even if the rest of me was too relaxed to join in.
So there we have it. Some relief from a debilitating problem, some wonderful encouragement from a reader, and the return of a much-missed massage gun.
After the last couple of weeks, I appreciate every one of them.
