Martin Baum

“Live life not MS” has long been my mantra. It predated coronavirus before I morphed the chant into “Live life not COVID”. That, as much as anything, helped to sustain me during those long months of self-confinement.

What does Father’s Day mean to me? Once upon a time it was quite a sanguine affair which has long-since evolved and bonded a relationship between myself and my son.

World MS Day takes place on 30 May every year. It’s an annual opportunity to share stories and raise awareness for everyone affected by MS. As an MSer for almost 40 years, I wanted to share a part of my day with other MSers and non MSers alike.

In 2019 I wrote a blog about how disposable and convenient it was to introduce my MS illness of almost 40 years into a made-for-tv storyline...

A defining moment in my early years trying to establish a relationship with MS came right out of left field.

This year, as I write, I realise what an undertaking it is to round up 2020 in an end of year blog.

Depending on which side of the superstition divide you stand, there is a rule of thought that says either good or bad things come in threes.

At the age of 60 I wasted what feels like a lifetime inside a bubble of my own making. I burst it only a couple of years ago when I worked it out that it really was better to live life and not MS.

Thinking of others does make a difference, not least because it distracts us from our own troubles. Try it - it works.

Being the cockeyed optimist that I am has helped me to not only live life positively with MS but also (hopefully) survive the coronavirus lockdown.