Another session with Luke Chen in at the RPA Balance Centre today. His 'specs' had been to Germany for maintenance, and he now has three CANVAS sufferers to learn from. Once again, the output of the testing is in graphs that are hard for a non-specialist to read, that alone understand. What I gather from today's session, is that the cerebellum input at the moment is particularly strong. From their research they think that the 'centre' of the cerebellum is shrinking - slowly. For mine, too many of their tests are subjective - they ask for MY opinion too much. And one of the side-effects of this 'condition' (it is neither a disease nor an illness) is that I am never sure that what I am experiencing is real or fake. However, he did seem to be able to look at the graphs and say certain patterns were the result of deficiencies in the vestibular system whereas others were deficiencies in the cerebellum. I thought that was good going. We both agreed that I am compensating quite well. Some days are good, others are crook. I try not to shirk solutions that require effort. I never stop doing things because the choice is to find a lateral solution or stay home.
Karin is cogitating about my categories of condition, disease and illness. I am open to more categories than just three, too. It helps to list within each category. This has just been abstract cogitating up until now. Working toward a definition is warranted. I am not sure that standard definitions suit what is in my head, for example, many sources online define a disease as 'a pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms'. This pretty much makes everything a disease. Here is a first try.
Condition
Canvas, Multiple-schlerosis, stroke, heart-attack, mental illness, pregnancy, old age, ingrown toenail
Disease
cancer (all sorts), Bird 'flu, meningitis
Illness
'flu, measles,kidney stones
5 comments:
Never thought about the difference between disease, illuness, and condition. Let me ponder on that one for awhile.
Next time, I'd like to see a bit of lipstick with those glasses.
Growing old is a bugger.
But growing old is better than... not growing old.
I think.
Whenever another friend succumbs to illness, I count my blessings (and my conditions).
Keep the chin firmly up Julie, perhaps gazing into mon eyes, err eye, would help! ;-)
I will definitely plaster the lippy next time, Letty. Just for you.
Peter, I am still on the positive side with all this. I have slowed a little and give myself understanding. I go regularly to a nursing home, so know when my wicket is relatively okay.
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