First: WARNING! This Post is an intentionally and unashamedly Light Hearted one - and in my best effort to link some Daft Humour to the PMR GCA Journey. If you find my Ramblings too Off Topic, Obscure or Lengthly: to be honest, I don’t blame you for moving swiftly-on. As they say: 'Life is too short'.
But if any of You Lot are Bored, Pred-Addled, Brain Fogged, suffering from Insomnia or Curious enough to read-on, all I will say is ‘Gawd ‘Elp You’. You have been warned…
INSTRUCTIONS: to get the best from this Silly Post: the first part is better sung in a rhythmic, joyful style - if you can raise the energy. After that, you are on your own. Sorry..
Here goes...
“Sixty-Two today, Sixty-Two today!
I’ve got the key of the door!
Never been Sixty-Two before!
WOT? YIKES! SIXTY-TWO?!!
AND WITH PMR / DF / PRED HEAD / BRAIN FOG.
WHAT THE [deleted expletive]…..?!!!”
Ok, Yep. It’s my Birthday again. Strange - it happens every year on about the same date whether I plan it or not. And.. having ‘celebrated’ my 3rd year of PMR. Hummpphh, but I suppose things could be worse?
But hang on a minute. SIXTY-TWO? What, ME? And 3-ish years into PMR with no Instructions on the packet? OMG! If someone had warned me that I would live this long I’d have looked after myself better. Worse still, a third of my Life is over already. Oh well, I can’t escape Reality - although I always try my best.
Either way, I have realised that a Sense of Denial can be a positive thing, despite what my Therapist tells me. That’s my Theory and I’m sticking to it.
For better or worse, here’s ‘Uncle’ MB’s 10-Point BIG (62nd) PMR Birthday Plan:
1.Embark in the Limo from MB Mansions in WSM to my retired Twister’s place in Coastal Dorset. Avoid getting caught by 17 speed cameras en route* courtesy of James Bond-style false number plates (*only joking: Slower is always Safer - especially with PMR / GCA / the Meds and on our busy UK roads - ‘You know it makes Sense’ etc).
2.Arrive at Twister’s place. Open Red Relaxing Stuff (note: never before 7 p.m.). Eat. Eat again later. Watch the, er, enthralling UK Bre*it news on the BBC. Yawn a lot. Get Brain Fog. Yawn some more. Lose the will. Turn-in.
3.Awake at 03.45 wondering where I am, and who I am (as usual). Blame the Preds.
4.Repeat above process at 30 minute intervals with a series of Surreal / Existential / Illusory / Crazy dreams in between*.
(*For me, the usual PMR / Pred related dream stuff, e.g: Samba dancing with 27 giant Nuns whilst cunningly disguised as a Chocolate Biscuit, walking on Mars upside down using Lego and sticky tape, playing Squash with HM The Queen (‘Herself’ has a lightening backhand volley!), winning the Artichoke Olympics and generally letting my PMR / Pred addled Mind do some quiet, sub-conscious, er, ‘work’ in the background. Professor Carl Jung would be proud…
5.Finally GET-UP at 08.30-ish to the soothing sounds of the latest Bre*it News on BBC Radio 4.
6.Put best Big Birthday clothes-on back to front and upside down. Blame the Preds and Bre*it for ‘Wardrobe Malfunction’. (Note: not a pretty sight - and not advised to imagine for those of you with a nervous disposition).
7.Re-align clothing before appearing for breakfast (Twister is confused enough already).
8.Gulp-down current, obligatory 2mg Pred whilst cursing under breath (nothing new).
9.Get busy doing BIG (62-year-old - Ha!) BOYS’ Stuff including semi re-building Twister’s house, impersonating a Police Officer and diverting the local traffic, and staring menacingly at nosey neighbours. Nice work if you can get it..
10.Enjoy Big Birthday evening with Family and Friends (yes, I have a few, believe it or not). Laugh, Relax, Chill, and look forward to a more Positive year ahead - despite my Life Changing PMR Journey.
Conclusion? (the more seriously On Topic bit):
Yep, PMR and GCA are Life Changing illnesses: but they don’t necessarily mean that Life has to stop completely. To Survive, we just have to ration our physical and mental energy, do our best in Lifestyle terms, focus on what gives us Pleasure (as opposed to Stress), and try to adopt a coping Philosophy (Strategy?) of Rolling With It during the tough bits. Beyond that, we are probably in the hands of Destiny as much as the Vagaries of our types of illnesses. Oh well…
So, Folks: you might guess that I’ll be tied-up this weekend and not on the Airwaves so much (‘Good news!’, I hear some of you saying). On the downside: I’ll be (or at least hope to be) back for Business as Usual next week (I can hear the groans of disappointment already).
Either way: enjoy your weekend, try to keep smiling on the PMR GCA Journey, and remember: ‘This, too, will Pass’.
Best start packing for the BIG (62nd) BIRTHDAY weekend away. I’ve allowed 10 hours including a few (dozen) Naps in between. Now THAT’s what I call Pacing - I think I'm getting the hang of it after 3 years. Hey Ho! 
‘Uncle’ MB
