A specialist care centre for the treatment of Motor Neuron Disease opens at Bristol's Frenchay Hospital.
A New Zealand professor is leading a team of scientists which has made a breakthrough in a global project to cure motor neuron disease.
I fell and broke my arm last Thursday, June 7. A rather unusual present for my mother-in-law, Claudia, who was celebrating her birthday that day.
Amanda had left for work, and I thought a quick dip in the hot tub was needed before I set about my work day.
I enjoyed a good soak in the hot tub, and climbed out. In the process of climbing out I lost my balance, my foot slipped off the step, and I fell. My shoulder bore the brunt of the fall.
It took me a few moments to gather my thoughts, sit up, and make my way to my cell phone. Jake, whom I left in the house, looked at me as if to say, "I could help you if you hadn't locked me inside."
I called Amanda, and she came rushing home.
The doctor at the hospital thought I'd dislocated my shoulder, and x-rays would confirm his diagnosis. Unfortunately, the x-rays showed a spectacular break at the top of my humerus bone.
It took the hospital a little while to locate an orthopedic surgeon. When he arrived, Dr. Hemphill suggested that a pin was needed to realign the bone.
I had surgery that Thursday afternoon, only a few hours after I broke my arm. The healing process seems to be going well. While I do have a fair amount of swelling in my arm, I have a minimal amount of pain.
Last Thursday brought a couple of emotional low points. For a brief moment immediately after I broke my arm, I wondered if I would be able to sit upright and get to my phone. That feeling of near helplessness didn't sit well.
Later that morning, between phone calls with friends and family, Amanda let down her guard and knowledged that it had all been a little overwhelming. Seeing her run down was more than I could bear, so I insisted that Amanda go out for lunch and catch her breath.
As low as those moments had been, returning home that evening brought new highs. Our home was packed with friends and family who embodied the phrase, "all hands on deck." My brother arrived a few moments after I got back from the hospital, and brought a pervasive sense of calm to the house.
To receive such overwhelming support on such short notice was amazing.
My brother left the following morning, and my parents arrived that afternoon. What followed was a whirlwind of activity similar to that of Thursday evening: my Dad and Renata landscaped of the area around the hot tub, and my mum offered invaluable help with the girls.
Given the emotional lows of the previous morning, the way in which our entire family (and friends) banded together gave me the distinct feeling that we could handle anything with their support.
My recovery from the accident has been tranquil so far. The stitches in my incision were removed on Thursday afternoon, and I was back in the hot tub that night!
My sincere thanks to everyone for their help.
ScienceDaily (June 5, 2012) — In an early study, UCLA researchers found that the immune cells of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, may play a role in damaging the neurons in the spinal cord.