The Teenager was on his way back from London in the aftermath of the storm on Monday.
It was touch and go whether he would get back on time and during the journey he sent me a long string of texts, keeping me updated minute by minute. Bless him;
Train not moving. Train moved for a minute. Train stopped. No idea where I am. Got off train. Got on another. What’s for tea?
His last text was more enigmatic – Brilliant news!!! Something amazing just happened!!
He refused to elaborate until he was safely back home, an hour late, but beaming from ear to ear. Finally, he said, ‘It was great, I was speaking to a medical student on the train and I was telling him all about MS and all about that funny treatment you had and how much better it had made you, and we had such a great conversation and I actually know an awful lot about MS, don’t I?’
Just like me, The Teenager has had a long way to go from shock to acceptance throughout the whole MS drama. He was 11 when it all started and I worried about the long-lasting impact witnessing a parent in rapidly declining health would have on him. I stood by helplessly as he cried in the bathroom or slammed his bedroom door in anger. He did not want to be consoled, he just wanted it all to stop.
At the recent MS Society awards ceremony in The Dorchester, he moved with ease through the crowd, chatting to anyone and everyone. He experienced a positive side to MS and realised that he was not alone in his new environment.
Thanks largely to Alemtuzumab treatment and a great support network, MS has not been as devastating for us as it could have been. If anything, having MS enter his life at a relatively young age has made The Teenager far more compassionate and acutely aware of the multifaceted issues surrounding disability.
However, he is still a teenager. I don’t confide my fears in him (why would I?), his life continues as normal as possible and although MS may have weakened me, I still retain my strength as a parent. And I am still more than able to nag him about the state of his bedroom, not doing his homework on time and not closing the fridge properly. Some things will never change…
Hi I can tell you are 1 proud mom, shows no matter their age we still amazed by them.
i take it you had a good time last night tripping & tweeting and bobbing or not, plenty of chocolate.
thanks for another good blog, don’t suppose you’ve been to see D Cameron in Cardiff? Silly question. I think the daily mail should employ women with MS as they would make informative , interesting & intellectual reports. So have a nice day as they say in the U.S.A.
Hi there!
thank you so much – I sure am. He continues to amaze me. I adore him to pieces and I think I’m bringing up a really lovely kid. Don’t get me wrong, he can still be an annoying Teenager, but aren’t they all!
We had a lovely catch-up breakfast this morning and had a good old chat. Love those times we spend together.
Sadly, haven’t seen Cameron – you’d have seen it on the news if I had, lol. I would LOVE to write for the Daily Mail – balance out some of their usual nonsense. Nasty column in it today bashing the blogger, A Girl Called Jack.
You have a nice day too! Still recovering from the excesses of Hallowe’en and finding sweetie wrappers all over the house, meh.
x
The Teenager is TOO sweet; what a nice post! So glad he’s made the best out of things. Shows, too, what a fab mom you are!
Children and especially teenagers frighten me a bit, but I think I would quite like your son!
p.s. LOVE the picture
Aw, thank you! He’s a sweetheart. And don’t worry, I find kids scary too, especially when a whole pack of them descend on the house!
Took that photo in Glasgow last year. Can’t believe how much he’s grown since then!
x
Awww The Teenager is an awesome teenager! So sweet. 🙂
He really is turning into a lovely kid! Well, he always was but you know what I mean. Compassionate and caring. And he’s beyond excited to be going to NYC next year!
x
Would that be The Ubiquitous Chip the teenager is pictured in front of? Love that restaurant. No matter how much we worry about the kids and the effect our ms has on them they prove to be amazingly adaptable and considerate (sometimes
It surely is!! I adore the U B Chip. Spent many a happy day there as a kid, messing about with the fountain and thought it only fair to introduce the Teenager to its delights. And the pub upstairs is sublime!
But yes, you’re right, the kids are alright. Much more than we think.
Ashton Lane is amazing. Used to love the cinema. Think I saw Back To The Future there, lol.
X