Time for celebration

This wonderful city in which I have the huge privilege of calling home has been named as the first ever UK City of Culture - and it's a title I feel we, as locals, richly deserve. Derry is steeped in culture - artists, writers, actors, singers, poets are in abundance - and with our past history seemingly overshadowing everything that is good about us lifting this title is a momentous day in which we can now move forward with a renewed sense of hope and expectation.

If you're still doubting our greatness then this fantastic video showcasing the city will surely make up your mind - and maybe encourage you to come and visit - if not in 2013 then sometime in the future. I guarantee you will be taken aback by the welcome and generosity of everyone who lives here.

Pregnancy and MS

Everyone has this perception that during pregnancy MS symptoms disappear. It was my hope that that would be the case but it hasn’t been my experience so far.

For starters, the second I found out I was expecting I had to come straight off my bladder regulating drugs – and it wasn’t something I relished. For a start, they had given me back some semblance of a normal life and I wasn’t delighted at the thought of giving that up – but, the baby comes first and there was no doubting that I had to stop taking them.

So, with the drugs out of my system and the baby playing havoc with my bladder as in most normal pregnancies it was no surprise to find myself frequenting the bathroom more often. For me, going during the day wasn’t the issue, it was losing so much sleep at night. There have been nights when I’ve been up 4-5 times and it has to be said that the lack of uninterrupted sleep definitely contributed to the meltdown I talked about last month. But, that said, I keep thinking it’s nature’s way of letting me know that a full night’s sleep is going to be the exception rather than the norm in the not too distant future!

Aside from the bladder issues my feet haven’t gotten any better either. There is still some residual numbness coupled with a burning sensation and intermittent pins and needles – which I recognise is leftover from my relapse last December – but which I hoped would disappear in some miracle pregnancy side effect. But it was wishful thinking.

However, in recent weeks there is no doubt that I have been feeling better - I have much more energy and there have been nights when I haven’t had to get up at all to go to the bathroom – so it looks as though I’m entering the phase everyone talks about. It’s only taken me 22 weeks to get here!

PS. I’m not one to bore people with baby scan pics but these ones are just too cute not to post – the top one shows our baby face on, it’s blowing bubbles in the second one and in the third it’s showing off its dexterity, holding its feet with its hands! Cannot quite believe we’re going to be parents soon - cannot wait!