The funniest of things....: I... - Multiple System A...

Multiple System Atrophy Trust

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The funniest of things....

Boyyo profile image
13 Replies

I appreciate I'm a bit of a 'Johnny come lately' having hardly seen a horse let alone gained my spurs, but just wondered if, amongst all the fantastic advice sharing and stories of challenges faced and challenges to come, that there might also be a place for a few laughs?

So, here's something that happened only yesterday...

After a normal night of ups ' n' downs with J's multiple loo breaks, I awoke to the normal routine of making breakfast for us both. Porridge for J and toast for me.

Obviously porridge needs to be made edible through garnishing with various fruits etc, and J's current favourite being stewed apple & pear, sultanas and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Freshly zapped in the microwave, we sit listening to what misery is unfolding in the big wide world, for the moment to be broken my a scream of sorts and J forcefully exhaling her breakfast.... "what the bl**dy hell is that?"...

My dumfounded look and obvious response being "breakfast"...was met by as quick as response of "I need water please...quickly".

After a few seconds of flustered activity I decided to try some porridge, despite my distrust of something with a consistency of wet cement, and found the experience a bit strange.

Back in the kitchen I went to the ingredients used to make said porridge and discovered an amazing likeness...Ground Cinnamon looks exactly like Cayenne pepper!!

You know that sometimes gaunt look that an MSA partner can have....well that wasn't a problem for the rest of breakfast.

There must be many other stories, even if slightly insensitive....because MSA isn't a delicate flower of a condition ....

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Boyyo profile image
Boyyo
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13 Replies
FredaE profile image
FredaE

Porridge is fraught with difficulty. If you microwave it in too small a dish it blows up like a big bubble and explodes all over the microwave in a series of stringy blobs.

Yanno profile image
Yanno

I love the story, will Jane be double checking all her food from now on? You're absolutely right about this being a place to have a laugh, to be positive and not just to concentrate on bladders and bowels.

Pre-MSA I didn't do much cooking as Jax was such a good cook and so I've had to learn quickly. Jackie always teases me that she managed for years with odd Tupperware bowls and margarine containers and yet I soon moved to matching lock-tight containers where one doesn't have to fumble around to find a matching lid! My argument is that when one is as bad a cook as I am, at least I have to be organised!

Hellebelle profile image
Hellebelle

It's so important I think to try not to lose your sense of humour. Dad had such a great sense of humour and my favourite times were when we managed to raise a laugh. My brother in law quite often had my dad in stitches. It's then that you realise what is truly important in life.

Happy porridge making!

Derkie54 profile image
Derkie54

Humour is a good relief valve at times.

We always go early for a hospital visit so we can find a parking space.

One visit we were very early and went for a coffee first.

I put L by a table and went to the back of the queue for the drinks.

She started waving at me and I thought that's unusual she doesn't normally wave, but I waved back anyway.

A while later she waved again but a bit more animated, so again I waved back.

Then a kind gentleman got up from his seat and put the brake on L's wheelchair, she was rolling out of the coffee shop.

Ah....that's what the waving was for then.

We smile about it now but L was not happy with me at the time.

Boyyo profile image
Boyyo in reply to Derkie54

Brilliant!!

I've been at Tesco's self service scanning various things when one wouldn't scan, so the young lad walked over to see if he could help.

He scanned a few times...no good... then got on his walkie talkie.

"need a price on"...turned to me...."what are these?"

I reply ...."Tena pads"..

"What?....T Bags?"

"Yes, very large T Bags".......I couldn't resist :-)

Then I said "No, Tena Pads"

"What are they for?"...he asked

I explained, and he went quiet...asked his female colleague to take over, and as she'd heard the entire conversation came over with a huge grin on her face. ;-)

Hellebelle profile image
Hellebelle in reply to Boyyo

Enjoying all your experiences boyyo. This really cheered me up today. I will never think of those pads in the same way again!

Debbie5 profile image
Debbie5 in reply to Boyyo

Thank you for sharing these stories - so funny !

Niknak74 profile image
Niknak74

Keep the good posts coming Boyyo it's lovely light relief, no pun intended ;)

Courgettegrower profile image
Courgettegrower

Wonderful

ChocolatePot profile image
ChocolatePot

Hubby done a classic last night.

We got ready to go upstairs and I plonked him in the stairlift. He positioned himself, put his feet on the footrest and pressed the button. Nothing! So he wriggled around and pressed button again. Nothing! I looked over and said lean more the the right. As his habit is of leaning to the left, and we know the chair likes him to be sitting just so, alas hubby was leaning extreme to the right and pressed and still nothing! He looked at me with a big question mark in his eyes and shrug of shoulders. And I was thinking how on earth am I getting him upstairs?

So came closer, made sure he sat proper and told him to try again! Nothing, then I looked at his hands and he pressed the going down button! No wonder it would not get him up the stairs!

We both laughed and he finally went on his way upstairs with one hand over his eyes and looking kind of sheepish. Still makes us smile this morning and I am sure many mornings to come.

Boyyo profile image
Boyyo

Great...that's technology for you!!

I once had a bod from IT rush to my aid after I'd tried everything to get my PC working...the little power light was glowing, but nothing was happening.

After 5 minutes of frustrated phone support, the frustration coming from me :-( and me pressuring him to be at my desk with another PC pronto, he arrived.

He looked at my PC, pressed the power button a few times and the power LED remained illuminated, but nothing else was happening, then he moved the PC and the light went out.

Apparently the sun was shining through the window from behind me and made the light look like it was on...I hadn't plugged the PC into the mains though.....ooops.

Hopefully I'm allowed to add a link here....this made us laugh till we almost wet ourselves, which for one of us is not so hard ;-)

m.facebook.com/story.php?st...

Boyyo profile image
Boyyo

Love is....allowing your shaky better half with MSA spot a number of grey eyebrows, then allow them to remove them using tweezers.....the good news is that lockdown means my eyebrows have time to recover :-)

Boyyo profile image
Boyyo

Last night on hearing the 'service' bell from the bathroom, I went to see if J needed some help only to find her sat bent forward on the loo.

I asked if she wanted help and waited for a reply, which is sometimes slow, but when it did I couldn't understand it, so I asked again.

This happened a few times until I was on my knees with my ear to Js face, intently listening...

I asked again if she wanted help getting up, and if she could give me her hands....after a couple of murmers a clear sentence came...

"I'm sat on my thumbs...I can't give you my hands!"

So she was, pinned by her thumbs like a Christmas turkey🙂.

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