2018-01-04 – A few things to sort out.

I have a few things to sort out today, but I’m suffering the dreaded lack of motivation at the moment, and I’m struggling to make myself do even the most basic of tasks. The dog gets me out for a wet and muddy traipse around the field (which I definitely didn’t feel like doing) and … Continue reading “2018-01-04 – A few things to sort out.”

2017-12-29 – My normal routine has gone out of the window.

It’s Friday, so it’s vlog day.  I get up late, but my schedule for the day is already in tatters.  My wife is at home this week, so my normal routine has gone out of the window.   I committed to going to the Dunelm sale on the outskirts of Norwich today, so I know … Continue reading “2017-12-29 – My normal routine has gone out of the window.”

2017-12-17 – Flipping freezing.

It’s flipping freezing here this morning!  The road outside our cottage is icy and the doors to my car are frozen shut. We are going over to Hevingham this morning to give my wife’s eldest son’s fiancee her birthday presents, and then going on to Stalham to meet my younger brother on his boat, with … Continue reading “2017-12-17 – Flipping freezing.”

2017-12-10 – Forecast to snow.

It’s forecast to snow here today, and it certainly feels cold enough.  It doesn’t snow, but it does rain.  Heavily.  All day.  My wife ventures out with the dog in the morning, and I take her out in the afternoon (the dog, not my wife) when the rain is much lighter.  Apart from that, we … Continue reading “2017-12-10 – Forecast to snow.”

2017-12-06 – Babysitting.

Today my wife and I are babysitting our eldest granddaughter, so we decide to take her to Stompers (a soft play area) in North Walsham, to use up some of her (seemingly) boundless energy. I’m still suffering from the dreaded lurgy and am feeling extremely unwell, so it’s with a large serving of reluctance that … Continue reading “2017-12-06 – Babysitting.”

2017-11-29 – Babysitting.

My wife and I are babysitting our eldest granddaughter today, so my wife disappears off to Hevingham to collect her whilst I drink some tea, walk the dog and construct the huge child-proof fireguard around the woodburner. We take her to Stompers in North Walsham (a soft play area) both to entertain her and to … Continue reading “2017-11-29 – Babysitting.”

2017-11-26 – The first day of recuperation.

Today is the first day of recuperation.  I’m recuperating from a very late night last night, but also from an extremely stressful couple of weeks.  I’m not feeling inclined to do very much right now. My wife takes the dog for her morning walk, and then we drive out to Taverham to return the cake … Continue reading “2017-11-26 – The first day of recuperation.”

2017-11-24 – An appointment at the dental hospital.

I have an appointment at the dental hospital this morning, to let a dental surgeon have a look at a tooth that I broke whilst on holiday a year ago.  My own dentist was originally going to extract the broken stump, but I think he chickened out for couple of reasons.  Firstly, he thought that … Continue reading “2017-11-24 – An appointment at the dental hospital.”

2017-11-23 – I need to recharge my batteries.

I need to recharge my batteries a little.  I’m feeling drained after the events of the last few weeks.  Consequently, I’m lounging around and not doing a great deal today. My wife takes the dog for her morning walk, and then sets about making some edible roses with which to decorate her son and daughter-in-law’s … Continue reading “2017-11-23 – I need to recharge my batteries.”

2017-11-21 – Preparing for a wedding.

My wife and I keep ourselves busy today.   Yesterday, a funeral; tomorrow, a wedding. My wife’s youngest son and his fiancee are getting married in Dereham tomorrow.  My wife has made their wedding cake (three tiers), and has covered it in marzipan already.  Today she is covering it in icing in preparation for decorating it … Continue reading “2017-11-21 – Preparing for a wedding.”

2017-11-12 – Pointers for writing the eulogy.

Today my brother and I have a meeting with the lady who will be officiating at mum’s funeral.  So, after we have done all of the usual Sunday morning things, we drive over to my brother’s house in Stalham.   The meeting goes really well, and the lady gives us some excellent pointers for writing the … Continue reading “2017-11-12 – Pointers for writing the eulogy.”

2017-10-30 – Shaky and lethargic.

I’m feeling shaky and lethargic today.  I need to do something about the shaking (its driving me mad), so I change the settings on my neurostimulator to group “A”, which are the settings that I was using prior to my latest reprogramming session. Tremor is a little better on the old settings, but not a … Continue reading “2017-10-30 – Shaky and lethargic.”

2017-10-29 – A really late night.

We had a really late night last night, and didn’t get home from our friends’ house until almost 1am.  Luckily the clocks went back by an hour last night , so we got the opportunity to enjoy an extra hour asleep. We are researching wedding cakes today – my wife’s youngest son and his fiancee … Continue reading “2017-10-29 – A really late night.”

2017-10-21 – Thoroughly entertained.

My wife and I spend the day occupying our eldest granddaughter (who has just turned two years old).  It’s a great age, and she is coming out with new words all the time, forming sentences, questioning – my wife and I are thoroughly entertained. Our dog likes having her around as well – she is … Continue reading “2017-10-21 – Thoroughly entertained.”

2017-10-19 – Virtual inactivity.

Another early night, another good night’s sleep, another day of feeling completely exhausted.  I resign myself to another day of virtual inactivity. I received a text from my friend who had deep brain stimulation surgery on Tuesday, saying that all was well, which is very good news.  His neurostimulator is being switched on for the … Continue reading “2017-10-19 – Virtual inactivity.”

2017-10-16 – The other end of the see-saw.

Today I am on the other end of the see-saw that is Parkinson’s Disease (well, my manifestation of Parkinson’s Disease, at any rate).   I’m paying the price for a (relatively) active day yesterday, so today I am tired and aching and really don’t feel inclined to do very much at all. I respond to a … Continue reading “2017-10-16 – The other end of the see-saw.”

2017-10-13 – A typical Friday.

Today was a typical Friday.  It’s vlog day, so the whole of my day revolves around scripting, filming and editing my weekly vlog.  This week I’m vlogging about the Patients at Parliament protest for legal access to medicinal cannabis that my wife and I attended on Tuesday, so I have a lot of footage (taken … Continue reading “2017-10-13 – A typical Friday.”

2017-10-10 – Patients at Parliament

My wife and I are travelling to London today, to join the Patients at Parliament protest for legal access to medicinal cannabis, so we’re out of the house before 8.30am to catch the 8.45 train from Gunton. Our journey is a smooth one and we arrive at London Liverpool Street station on time.  We have … Continue reading “2017-10-10 – Patients at Parliament”

2017-10-01 – Feeling the effects.

Predictably, I am feeling the effects of my exertions yesterday.  I ache all over, and I’m pretty low on energy. My wife takes the dog for her morning walk while I sit on the sofa drinking my tea. I inspect the stained front wall of our cottage (limescale caused by an overflow, that I spent … Continue reading “2017-10-01 – Feeling the effects.”

2017-09-30 – Pressure washing.

The previous owner of our cottage allowed the cold water tank in the loft to overflow and run down the front wall of the house for so long that it stained the brickwork white with limescale.  I have previously tried to remove it using white vinegar and a wire brush (to no avail).   One of … Continue reading “2017-09-30 – Pressure washing.”

2017-09-12 – Going to the dentist.

I’m going to the dentist this morning.   I broke a tooth last November when we were on holiday, and today is the day that the broken stump is going to be removed (it’s too far gone to be crowned).  Because I have had Deep Brain Stimulation surgery, there are one or two precautions that are … Continue reading “2017-09-12 – Going to the dentist.”

2017-09-02 – So much for an early start!

I intended to get up early today, and post links to my latest vlog on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram before my wife gets up.  I’m awake at 6am, but that seems a little too early for a Saturday.  I’m awake again at 7.20am, and that seems a reasonable time to get up.  I fall back … Continue reading “2017-09-02 – So much for an early start!”

2017-08-19 – Working on our allotment.

It’s a sunny day in Southrepps and my wife and I are determined to spend some time working on our allotment today.   My wife wants to cut the grass and do some weeding, and I want to re-felt the shed roof – it got badly damaged by storm Doris a while back, and I have … Continue reading “2017-08-19 – Working on our allotment.”

2017-08-14 – Taking it easy.

I’m taking it easy (again) today.  I had a mildly disturbed night’s sleep last night, and I’m aching a little following my exertions at the allotment yesterday. I receive an email from the office of Norman Lamb this morning, suggesting a couple of dates for myself and the production company who are making the documentary … Continue reading “2017-08-14 – Taking it easy.”

2017-08-10 – A film crew in the house.

I’m expecting a film crew in the house today, so I have several hours of cleaning and tidying to do before they arrive this afternoon. First things first – a cup of tea, Nutriblast, dog walk and pay a couple of bills online before I forget.  Then I set about dusting and vacuuming the lounge, … Continue reading “2017-08-10 – A film crew in the house.”

2017-08-03 – Projecting my voice!

I’m definitely going to research, write a script and then film and edit my weekly vlog today.  Yesterday was a failed attempt due to excessive consumption of a rather potent CBD oil. Today I will put up with the tremor and muscular pain, and concentrate on projecting my voice and trying to enunciate clearly. My … Continue reading “2017-08-03 – Projecting my voice!”

2017-08-02 – A very relaxing afternoon.

My wife is babysitting our eldest granddaughter in Hevingham today, and I’m staying in Southrepps for the day to progress with this week’s vlog.  We want to spend a few days on our boat, and (currently) the weather forecast for Friday (my usual day for writing/filming/editing my vlog) isn’t looking too bad. I had a Twitter … Continue reading “2017-08-02 – A very relaxing afternoon.”

2017-07-30 – A little shopping expedition.

We have a little shopping expedition planned today – my wife’s father had his birthday a couple of days ago, and he’s coming over this evening for dinner and to receive his birthday present, and we haven’t yet purchased his present! So, once the breakfast formalities are out of the way and the dog has … Continue reading “2017-07-30 – A little shopping expedition.”

2017-07-11 – A huge improvement!

I had a really good nights sleep last night – 7 hours uninterrupted!  I’m still feeling very fatigued, but its a huge improvement on yesterday. I take the dog out for her morning walk before the weather changes – it’s fairly bright this morning, but rain is forecast for later on in the day.  By … Continue reading “2017-07-11 – A huge improvement!”

2017-06-30 – My next door neighbour.

Today is Friday, and Friday is a busy day for me.  I need to write a script for my weekly vlog, film myself, edit the footage, upload the finished video to my YouTube channel and publish it to the world.  I have already chosen the subject (cannabis as a medicine), so I just need to … Continue reading “2017-06-30 – My next door neighbour.”

2017-06-29 – Reviewing the videos.

It has stopped raining this morning, which is most welcome.  It’s a fairly dull, grey day, though, and I pass it in much the same way as I did yesterday – checking e-mail and social media messages (after the first dog walk of the day), and reading The Metro online for the day’s news. I … Continue reading “2017-06-29 – Reviewing the videos.”

2017-06-28 – Confined to the house.

I wake just after 5am to the sound of rain gently hammering on the bedroom window.  Joy!  I go back to sleep (fitfully) until the alarm goes off at 7am, and, even then, can’t be bothered to get up and get dressed until almost 7.30am.  It’s raining steadily and everything outside looks absolutely saturated – … Continue reading “2017-06-28 – Confined to the house.”

2017-06-27 – A grey day in Southrepps.

I slept well, thanks to the cannabis I had yesterday evening (we missed our target of being in bed by 10pm, but only by about 20 minutes). I still have significant tremor breaking through, particularly in my left leg, so I may have to make adjustments to my neurostimulator if it doesn’t improve by the … Continue reading “2017-06-27 – A grey day in Southrepps.”

2017-06-26 – A memorial service.

Awake at just after 6am again. I get up just before 7.30am, get dressed and go downstairs to feed the dog and put the kettle on. I’m going to a funeral today. One of the pillars of the Southrepps community died earlier this month, and today there is a memorial service at the local crematorium. … Continue reading “2017-06-26 – A memorial service.”

2017-06-11 – Allotment tasks.

We have a little bit of a lie-in this morning, following our late night of babysitting.  It’s another fine and sunny day, and we decide to spend some time down at the allotment, performing allotment tasks. So, after drinking tea/coffee, Nutriblasts and walking the dog, we wander down the road to the allotment, trays of … Continue reading “2017-06-11 – Allotment tasks.”

2017-05-28 – Visiting my mum

My daughter wants to do stuff while she is visiting my wife and I, so today we are going to be visiting my mum, who lives in Stalham, about 14 miles from Southrepps. First things first, though.  We have another cooked breakfast (bacon, sausages, fried eggs, toast) rustled up by my wife, and then we … Continue reading “2017-05-28 – Visiting my mum”

2017-05-27 – Another gorgeous day in Southrepps

I wake up early, but get up late.  It’s another gorgeous day in Southrepps – the heatwave continues (for the moment – heavy rain is expected tomorrow).  My daughter paid us a surprise visit last night, so we sat up relatively late, chatting, drinking and listening to music. This afternoon we are all going over … Continue reading “2017-05-27 – Another gorgeous day in Southrepps”

2017-05-23 – The proof of the pudding.

I slept reasonably well last night, only waking once (around 6.30am) but falling straight back to sleep.  I’m awake again just before the alarm goes off at 7am, and I hit the snooze button a couple of times before getting up at 7.20am.  I’m feeling well rested, but I don’t know if my motivation has returned … Continue reading “2017-05-23 – The proof of the pudding.”

2017-05-21 – Leftover party food.

I’m awake at 7am and up and dressed at 8am – well, it is Sunday!  I leave my wife sleeping and go downstairs to feed the dog and finish off clearing up after yesterday’s belated birthday party.  I’m feeling (slightly) more motivated this morning, and I find myself actively wanting to achieve something (anything!).  I … Continue reading “2017-05-21 – Leftover party food.”

2017-05-09 – Worn myself out.

I get dressed in my scruffy work gear for the second day in a row.  I didn’t really make any progress with the bathroom tiling yesterday, so… today’s the day! I get the usual morning activities out of the way (tea, Nutriblast, dog walk, PopMaster) and then assess the situation.  I have to cut some … Continue reading “2017-05-09 – Worn myself out.”

2017-05-03 – A video remake.

I am doing a video remake today.  I have been asked to remake my original (viral) video to show the effect of cannabis upon my Parkinson’s tremor in real time – i.e. showing my tremor gradually becoming calmer after I have taken the cannabis.  I have written most of the script already, I just need … Continue reading “2017-05-03 – A video remake.”

2017-04-26 – Questions and answers.

I have emails and tweets to respond to today.  I have received a tweet from a medical marijuana activist in Los Angeles, wanting to know if I would make a video for them to use on their website to demonstrate the effects of cannabis on my Parkinson’s Disease symptoms.  I had a bit of a … Continue reading “2017-04-26 – Questions and answers.”

2017-04-21 – Food for thought.

We watched the “Stoned” documentary on Viceland last night.  Whilst it took an intentionally humorous and lighthearted look at cannabis culture, I felt that the medicinal effects were obvious, and hopefully will serve to raise awareness in the age group that the program is intended for (and that’s at least 30 years younger than me!). … Continue reading “2017-04-21 – Food for thought.”

2017-04-20 – The documentary has aired!

The documentary (called “Stoned“) that was filmed in Amsterdam 2 weekends ago, has been broadcast on Viceland (Sky, channel 153, or Now TV).  I don’t have Sky or Now TV, so Vice.Com sent me a “one-time” link so that I can watch it online, which my wife and I will do this evening – I’ll … Continue reading “2017-04-20 – The documentary has aired!”

2017-04-19 – Happy 1st anniversary!

A year ago today I was having my Deep Brain Stimulation operation, so Happy 1st Anniversary!  I’ve stuck a bottle of bubbly in the fridge for when my wife gets home from work, and there’s always the possibility that a beer (or two) will be cracked open, too.  The operation took a little while to … Continue reading “2017-04-19 – Happy 1st anniversary!”

2017-04-17 – Tired, but making an effort!

I wake at 7.30am after a solid night’s sleep.  I consider getting up.  I blink,  and it’s 8.45am.  I want to make some more progress with the bathroom tiling today. so I get up and go downstairs to check my email and social  media before I get my hands dirty.  I also have a couple … Continue reading “2017-04-17 – Tired, but making an effort!”

2017-04-11 – A day of writing.

I have a message on Twitter this morning from online magazine ConsumerHealthDigest.com, reminding me about an article that I had offered to write for the website a week or so ago (and then conveniently forgot about it).   They want to know when the article will be ready, so I make some excuses about how … Continue reading “2017-04-11 – A day of writing.”

2017-04-10 – The dog’s going to be a star!

I slept well, even without cannabis assistance.  Hardly surprising, really, because I was completely exhausted after working down at our allotment yesterday.  I feel pretty stiff and creaky this morning, and it’s a fair bet that I won’t be doing very much today. A package arrives by courier this morning, addressed to me.  I wasn’t … Continue reading “2017-04-10 – The dog’s going to be a star!”

2017-04-07 – Vlogging about Amsterdam.

I slept well last night (cannabis assisted), waking up just a few minutes before my alarm went off at 7am.   I have my vlog to do today.  I had intended to start scripting it yesterday but didn’t get around to it, so I have a busy day ahead of me, vlogging about Amsterdam. I … Continue reading “2017-04-07 – Vlogging about Amsterdam.”

2017-04-06 – Busy making tea.

I am out of bed a little earlier than usual today (but only a little) – I’m expecting a plumber at 8.30am to remove our old cast iron bath, and replace it with a modern pressed steel one.  8.30am soon rolls around, and the plumber has arrived.  I’m impressed – a tradesman who turns up … Continue reading “2017-04-06 – Busy making tea.”

2017-04-04 – Just taking it easy.

We had an early night last night, and I slept really well so you would think that I would feel refreshed this morning.  I still have aching legs (self inflicted – I knew I was overdoing it when we were walking around Amsterdam on Sunday afternoon) and I still feel exhausted from the lack of … Continue reading “2017-04-04 – Just taking it easy.”

2017-04-03 – Recovering from walking.

I’m absolutely wiped out today.  I switch the 7am alarm off, and go back to sleep for another hour.  I get up just before my wife leaves for work.  I ache all over – especially my legs (from all of the walking I did in Amsterdam yesterday).  My tremor isn’t as bad as I expected … Continue reading “2017-04-03 – Recovering from walking.”

2017-04-01 – Travelling.

I have an email from Vice.com sitting in my inbox when I wake up this morning.   We will be travelling to Amsterdam this afternoon to shoot the cannabis/Parkinson’s documentary – so much for Barcelona!   I email them back requesting the flight tickets, and set about getting ready to leave.   My wife’s youngest son … Continue reading “2017-04-01 – Travelling.”

2017-03-31 – Still none the wiser.

Another 24 hours have passed and we’re still none the wiser as far as the filming of the Vice.com documentary about cannabis and Parkinson’s is concerned.  I waited until late morning before sending a slightly sarcastic email to my contact there, saying that I assumed we weren’t flying anywhere today (a fair assumption, given that … Continue reading “2017-03-31 – Still none the wiser.”

2017-03-30 – Messed around.

We re supposed to be travelling to Amsterdam from Norwich airport tomorrow afternoon to shoot a documentary about cannabis and Parkinson’s for Vice.com, so I have a few things to sort out before we go.  My weekly vlog (which I would normally script, film and edit on a Friday) needs, at the very least, to … Continue reading “2017-03-30 – Messed around.”

017-03-29 – A distinct lack of “oomph”!

I slept well last night, and feel fine.  Tremor is under control, along with dyskinesia and dystonia.  My balance seems okay, although my walking doesn’t feel too good.  My voice is weak, and I struggle to make myself heard when I’m talking to my wife this morning.  My mood is fine, too, but I’m feeling … Continue reading “017-03-29 – A distinct lack of “oomph”!”

2017-03-28 – A boxful of goodies.

I’m not feeling greatly motivated today, so I spend much of the morning (and quite a bit of the afternoon) sat on my backside with my MacBook on my lap, surfing the ‘net, replying to a couple of emails, chasing up a quotation for replacing our old cast iron bath and checking in with Vice.com … Continue reading “2017-03-28 – A boxful of goodies.”

2017-03-24 – Not a good day.

My symptoms are running riot today.  Nothing in comparison to how I was before my DBS, but running riot by post-operation standards.  Tremor on both sides, dystonia in my right foot, dyskinesia in my right arm, aching muscles all over and a weak, husky voice that keeps breaking up.  It’s not a good day. I … Continue reading “2017-03-24 – Not a good day.”

2017-02-22 – Travel arrangements.

I feel that I’ve had a disturbed night of sleep, but when I check my Fitbit it seems I was only awake for a couple of minutes around 12.30am and a couple of minutes around 4.30am, so not bad at all! I have an email from Vice.com this morning, just confirming their intention to fly … Continue reading “2017-02-22 – Travel arrangements.”

2017-03-19 – Stress and tremor

My wife has had a bad night.  She thinks that she may have made a mistake on some curtains she is in the middle of making, so she has been awake half the night worrying about it.  When she’s stressed, I’m stressed, and when I’m stressed then my tremor goes through the roof.  So that’s … Continue reading “2017-03-19 – Stress and tremor”

2017-03-18 – Posting to social media.

Today I’m still very tired, and tremor is a problem on both sides (but mainly in my left leg).  Dystonia is giving me some discomfort (in my right foot), too.  I also notice increased dyskinesia in my right arm and, as the day progresses, restless legs (which is most uncomfortable). I don’t do a great … Continue reading “2017-03-18 – Posting to social media.”

2017-03-17 – Consequences.

Today I am suffering the consequences of an early start and a long day yesterday.  We had a reasonably early night, and my sleep (cannabis assisted) was fairly disturbance free, but today I am feeling completely wiped out – my tremor is breaking through quite strongly on both sides, the dystonia in my right foot … Continue reading “2017-03-17 – Consequences.”

2017-03-15 – The phone keeps ringing!

It’s been quite an exciting day, and nerve-wracking at the same time.   Every time I try to work through my list of tasks, the phone keeps ringing! The first call I received was from Vice.com, who wanted to know if I would be interested in taking art in a documentary that they are filming … Continue reading “2017-03-15 – The phone keeps ringing!”

2017-03-13 – Discussing the media.

I had another solid night’s sleep, thanks to cannabis, and woke just before my alarm went off at 7am.  Tremor is giving my left leg a good shake, so I quickly change my neurostimulator to Group “A” settings.  There is an immediate reduction in tremor, so that’s a relief.  Hopefully it will remain under control. … Continue reading “2017-03-13 – Discussing the media.”