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MSWA Bulletin Magazine Winter 2022

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Farewell Sue Shapland | Pain and pain management series: Part 5 | MSWA's Employment Support Service | Tips for staying motivated over winter

MSWA

MSWA CLIENT TOP TIPS FOR STAYING MOTIVATED OVER WINTER The cold mornings and shorter days can start to take their toll in winter. We asked some of our Clients for their top tips for staying active and motivated: I am inspired every morning by the thought of my first hot cup of tea and by my dog asking for her breakfast. This always gets me up and going. Lesley Murray I celebrate that I’m able to get out of bed when it is cold by doing the Hokey Pokey every day, and if you know your left from your right, you know you’re cognitively ok! Ian Cordingley My hands get really dry over winter which stops me from doing things I love, so to get me through I use Dermal Therapy Hand Sanitising Cream – two products in one for your handbag. Jasmin Franklin I wear my bed socks when I go to bed at night which keep my feet toasty and warm, and sometimes I have been known to wear them all the next day too. Shhh don’t tell anyone! Teresa Killeen Every morning I go across the road to the retirement village and walk a dog who belongs to a lovely 91-year-old lady. Warren Black Go and visit the grandkids – that gets you going! Stephen McKay My head and brain absolutely love the cool weather as no fatigue and befuddlement! But my body is not the best in the cold weather. It's very stiff and sore in the mornings. I stretch in bed and again as soon as my feet hit the floor, using the bed to help support me until I can loosen up. Over winter I also take advantage of the massage therapists at Wilson every fortnight to keep me limber. Tracey Hockey 24

MY LIFE AT MSWA Having recently resigned from the Board, Ros Harman reflects on her journey with MSWA so far. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in April 1988. My neurologist suggested I join the MS Society as it was called then. Later it became MSWA. I mostly did physio, which I still do today, and I’m sure it has helped me remain able to live in my own home independently. On the first day I joined, I was introduced to Greg Brotherson, who on hearing I was an English teacher in a high school suggested I start writing articles for the MS Bulletin magazine. This is something I have continued to do until this day. I was very pleased to meet Greg right at the beginning of my journey with MS, as he was an inspiration to me and many others. In 2004 he suggested that I nominate for a position on the Board of MSWA which I did, and I have been there ever since. I have just recently resigned. Over the years I have met a lot of interesting people. In physio I met other people with MS and some of them became good friends. I am still friends with Trudi Fay, whose children played with my daughter Eleni when they were young. Trudi and I have a lot in common and still enjoy getting together for a chat from time to time. Trudi’s husband Michael is now also on the Board of MSWA. On the Board I met many interesting people, some with MS and others without. One of those was Bill Hassell, who often butted heads with me as he was a former Liberal politician and I am a hard and fast Greenie. Nevertheless, we are friends and I was inspired by his dedication to MSWA and the Board. Over the years I have also met many different staff members, including physiotherapists and occupational therapists who have helped me with advice about equipment. I have also met community nurses who have more general advice about my health. I have been lucky in one sense in that while my MS has progressed, I am still able to live independently at home on my own. I am convinced that meeting people who share the same condition that I do has helped me immensely. Being able to talk to others who have an understanding of a similar condition is beneficial in so many ways. When I first joined the MS Society, its fundraising was mostly the raffle with a car as first prize. I have been buying these tickets forever and have never won anything! Soon after Marcus Stafford became CEO we started doing the Mega Home Lottery which has been a very successful source of income for MSWA, providing finances to fund services to our Clients. As a Board member I wasn’t allowed to buy those tickets, so of course I never won anything there either! I will always be very grateful to MSWA for providing me with all sorts of services and physiotherapy. It is so good to be part of a community that cares and understands when you are living with a disease. ROS HARMAN MSWA CLIENT 25

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