Olympic Legacy (And thanks to friends!)

I want to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to all of you who enquired after me and/ or sent me your kind wishes during my recent absence from Blip.

You may have heard on today's news about the little boy who died as a result of his optometrist missing clear and crucial signs of his worsening brain condition. I have exactly the same condition - hydrocephalus - and it was (fortunately) diagnosed in exactly the same circumstances (ie a routine eye test at a High Street opticians.) The build -up of fluid around the brain creates increasing pressure and the specific part(s) of the brain being pressured determine each patient's particular symptoms or deficits. (eg balance/ co-ordination/ speech/ sight/ memory, etc.) Work and student life are challenging enough already, yet this condition can complicate things tremendously so I've been grateful for the support I've had from SHINE

In my case, the pressure on the brain area leading to my optic nerves affected the sight in one eye,  leading to searing headaches, memory loss & fatigue, amongst other things. 

This is a fabulous community. You will never know how much seeing your pictures & reading your Journals lifts and inspires me. Where so many other forums can be harsh, rude and grating, Blip stands out for its encouragement, humour and warmth. You are a Super group and I want you to know how much I appreciate each of you, your comments, hearts and stars!! Big Love to each of you.

Today, I was glad to support my cousin Claudette's rowing race for charity today. Her fellow rowers were colleagues of hers from work. The ladies did fantastically well and raised a good sum for their chosen charity.  .  . I wonder if Kathleen Grainger is free for the next one!