The Tulip Festival

     It is hard to believe just two short years ago that I was diagnosed with MSA. So much has changed since then, before that I could run around the canal now I must be pushed in a wheel chair. If someone had of told me during that marathon this would be your last time getting around the canal by yourself I would never had believed them.

     I cannot walk myself but still want to go for fresh air, so my husband takes me when he comes home from work and weekends. Usually if it is nice Hunny calls me in the afternoon and says how nice it is, and if I would like to go for a walk when he gets home. I know I am very fortunate and there are lots of people who do not get out. Have you ever had to considered this before, you are totally dependent on someone else to take you for fresh air? What if this person does not want to go walking, or out or is tired?  Another thing to consider is when we go for a walk Hunny has to clean the tires of the wheel chair when we come back, so when things are wet it is definitely more work. When the snow comes I will not be out as much, besides all that slush spraying off the wheels is not very appealing.

        

     We went for a walk around the canal to look at the tulips.  We took my chair of course. It was so nice to see all those colours. The Tulip Festival is the largest in the world, if you can believe this, even bigger than Holland. Ottawa was given 100,00 tulip bulbs as a thank you gift in 1945 for taking in the exiled royals and helping free the Netherlands during the Second World War. There are over 300,000 tulips to see with their vibrant colours.  It is a huge celebration with a return of spring. Each year it is the kick off to music, shows and lectures. Around the canal is always nice because if you look at the water it is so peaceful and tranquil but if you look in the other direction there is so much life.

 

      Having MSA sure changes your perspective on not only  life but life events and you realize what may be little things to someone else is a big thing to you. I love getting visitors. My niece and her mom stopped by. My niece was competing in a gymnastic tournament so they dropped in for a quick visit. It hard to speak English now let alone French, so my husband did most of the translating. Good thing love is universal,

     In the beginning of the month I had to go and have a swallowing x-ray done. I choke more often now and that is a symptom of MSA. I saw Dr. Lamont, he is a Speech Pathologist at the Ottawa Hospital. He sprayed a liquid in my throat so that I would not be gagging on the instrument. The liquid should be on the program Fear Factor because it was awful.  The Dr. said my swallowing reflex is there, it is slow, like every other muscle in my body. I have already changed my diet; you only have to choke on something a few times when you do not want to eat it again. When it causes the airflow to stop it kind of has this effect on you.  This is the first appointment; I will have to have a Barium Swallow Test done, Speech Therapy and go to the Speech Rehab Centre to learn techniques for communicating. This is important for me as I not only communicate in person, but on the phone and Skype. So this will be interesting.

 Never a boring moment!