Despite MS: Career began August 10 and still writing 50 years on

Ian Franks is still writing 50 years after starting his first job as a journalist. And he has had to contend with MS, epilepsy, and having to use a wheelchair.

Inside looking out

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Amanda runs for Congress … in pain and wheelchair

Amanda Siebe, a woman who lives in chronic pain, is bidding to enter US congress – despite her disability and need of a wheelchair and Dobbie, her service dog.

Our trip to hell – part 4 – From cruise ship to hospital

Part 4 of 'Our trip to hell'. I am not blaming either the ship or its owner, Carnival, but fact is that, while healthy at the start of our week cruising to and from the Mexican Riviera, and by the end I was taken to hospital - too ill to fly home. By ‘healthy’, I mean besides multiple sclerosis that I live with all the time. This time I was tired, weak, off my food, and had a serious cough and a bad case of diarrhoea (British spelling).

Our trip to hell – part 3 – cruising the Mexican riviera

Some people are devoted to cruise holidays while to others they are a complete anathema – certainly not their dream vacation. Lisa and I love to sail away and had several wonderful experiences. We went to Norway with Princess, the western Mediterranean with MSC, Hawaii with Norwegian, and we crossed the Atlantic with Royal Caribbean. …

Our trip to hell – part 2 – Los Angeles

Our British Airways flight from Madrid to Heathrow was beset with problems. First, there was a ‘technical issue’ with the plane. At least, that was the official explanation but one of the staff at the boarding gate revealed that a bird had got on board and was being removed. Then, once we landed in London, …

Late night police visit to pick me up

Police on your doorstep late at night is never a good sign. If their business cannot wait until the morning, it must be serious, right? And, so, it happened. Just before midnight, a car pulled up and two uniformed officers came straight to our house. No, we had done nothing wrong – they didn’t want …

Some thoughts on making your home wheelchair-friendly

Wheelchairs remain a fear in the minds of many of us who have grown up hearing the phrase “confined to a wheelchair”. While that is not part of our current language about disabilities, a fear still remains about needing to use one. In truth, however, a wheelchair is a tool that can make our lives …

A helping hand so readily offered to wheelchair-users

I never cease to be surprised by the willingness of people to offer a helping hand. Regular readers will know that, because of mobility problems resulting from multiple sclerosis, I use a wheelchair. Several times recently when out and about in my wheelchair, while Lisa stayed at home, members of the public have been read …

MS: Don’t fear wheelchairs – users are not broken

Soon after I was given a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, I was told that only 25% of people with the disease end up in wheelchairs. Whether the figure is right or wrong is not what concerned me. The use of words ‘only’ and ‘end up’ had such negative connotations for me, and still do to …