Visual Symptoms survey

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Many people with MS are affected by visual symptoms. The main causes of impaired vision are conditions such as Optic Neuritis, Nystagmus and Diplopia, all of which affect the vision in different ways. A symptom unique to those affected by Optic Neuritis is known as Uhthoff’s Sign, whereby the vision is temporarily affected when the person’s body core temperature is elevated. MS-UK is putting information together for people with MS and are looking for feedback from anyone with first-hand experience.  MS-UK say ‘If you have, or still do, experience visual impairment due to your MS, we would like your feedback by answering the questions here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WQHT7JX.

Your input is valuable as we will share it with others who may benefit from your suggestions. We may use quotes from your feedback in our future Choices booklets, but these will be entirely anonymous.’

New assisted travel lounge at Reading station officially opened

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The assisted travel lounge at Reading station was formally opened at a special event Wednesday 29 September. 

The travel lounge, which aims to provide a safe, calm and pleasant space for passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility to wait for their train, was officially opened at a special ribbon cutting event attended by representatives from Network Rail, GWR and Reading Borough Council – as well as our member Trish.

The assisted travel lounge first opened in July and since opening has welcomed more than 500 passengers.

Following £180,000 of investment from Network Rail, an empty retail space was transformed into the assisted travel lounge offering passengers with reduced mobility seating at higher levels, an accessible interactive information screen, phone and electronic device charging facilities, and plenty of space for mobility aids and wheelchair users.

Now fully operational, the assisted travel lounge is open daily between 10am and 6pm and is operated by a member of GWR’s customer ambassador team who are always on hand to help any passengers requiring assistance.

Bernadette Sachse, Network Rail’s Stations Transformation Insights Lead, said: “I have had the privilege of working on this project since its infancy as an idea through to a fully operational assisted travel lounge we have today. “We set out to create a safe, light, calm, pleasant space for our passengers to feel safe and comfortable and receive a high standard of customer service. It has been rewarding to see the assisted travel lounge being used so well and how it is clearly benefitting passengers as part of their journeys.”

Find out more about it here: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/ribbon-cutting-event-marks…

Help raise funds the easy way

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Did you know that whenever you buy anything online, you could be raising a free donation for Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre Oxfordshire?


There are over 5,200 retailers including John Lewis & Partners, Argos, Uswitch, eBay, M&S, Just Eat, Now TV, Domino’s Pizza and Audible ready to give a free donation every time you shop online via easyfundraising. It only takes 2 minutes to sign up.


Plus, if you sign up and raise £5 in donations, easyfundraising will give us a bonus £5 donation.


All you have to do is:


1. Go to: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/omstc/?invite=22UNQQ&referral-campaign=c2s&utm_campaign=raise-more&utm_medium=email&utm_content=raf-e
2. Click ‘support this cause’ and create an account
3. Choose from over 5,000 retailers to do your online shopping as normal and our cause will receive a free donation with every purchase you make.


Thank you for your support, you’ll be helping to make a real difference to Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre Oxfordshire.

Macmillan Cake Sale

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Sue’s Macmillan cake sale is next Tuesday 19th from 9.30-2pm, please come along with your pennies and support a great cause and if you fancy baking please bring a cake with you too 🙂

Shielding list no longer in use in England

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If you’ve been on the shielding list in England, you’ll get a letter soon from the NHS letting you know that the list won’t be used anymore.

Instead of everyone considered ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ being given the same advice, the UK government now recommends you get personal advice directly from your health care team.

Why is the shielding list ending in England?

The government says there are several reasons to stop using the shielding list:

  • They won’t advise everyone on the list to shield again – partly because shielding affected some people’s physical and mental wellbeing
  • There’s a lot more information now about what makes each person vulnerable to COVID-19
  • Many people have been vaccinated
  • There are now proven treatments for COVID-19

The government says it will still monitor the COVID-19 situation and, based on clinical advice, respond to keep the most vulnerable safe.

No one has been advised to shield since 1 April 2021. And since 19 July, everyone considered clinically extremely vulnerable has been advised to follow the same guidance as everyone else.

Managing your risk

If you or a loved one are considered clinically extremely vulnerable, you might want to read the MS Society information about making decisions around risk

Source: The MS Society (https://www.mssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/news/shielding-list-no-longer-us…)

MacMillan Coffee Morning, 19th October

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I’m hosting a MacMillan Coffee morning on Tuesday 19th October, in the morning.  Some people will know that my mum has ovarian cancer and my Dad has prostate and bladder cancer, so I’m supporting MacMillan’s big coffee morning.  Please come along and buy some cakes and if you can also donate any cakes, it would really be appreciated.

Balance

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The MS Society has been raising awareness of problems with balance and feeling dizzy which are common in MS. Like all MS symptoms, these issues affect people differently and vary from day to day.

Find out more about MS and Balance on the MS Society website here: https://mssoc.uk/3EcmFla

Did you know that both physiotherapy and oxygen treatment can help with balance wobbles? Give us a call on 0118 901 6000 to find out more about our services. 

Whisper TV is looking for homeowners who, due to life changing events, need to turn their homes into more practical and liveable spaces

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We have been contacted by Carys Marchant from Whisper TV with a request: 

I am a Casting Researcher at production company Whisper TV and we are currently casting a non-broadcast pilot for ITV looking for families who are about to start work on a project which involves them adapting their homes due to a change in their personal circumstances. 

Our presenter for the series will work with a designer and the chosen family to help them adapt to the changes in their lives, and realise their homes’ full potential, turning them into beautiful, practical spaces that really work for their circumstances.  Whether it be an aged parent, who is moving in due to care, or a disabled family member who needs a downstairs bedroom. It could be a loft conversion for one of their grown-up children who’s been forced to return home to live; or they may want a proper home office instead of a make-shift one, as they prepare to make their work-from-home life permanent.

We are very keen to hear from families who will be starting a project soon (this side of Christmas) with budget, builders and planning in place, who would like some design advice from one of our chosen designers. 

If you are interested please email casting@whisper.tv

Booster shots for people with MS

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This week the Government announced booster Covid shots for people over 50, those with health conditions and health and social care staff. 

We continue to strongly encourage you to regularly use lateral flow tests (find out more by clicking here). 

Here is the booster information from the MS Society website: 

Across the UK, people with MS who’ve already been fully vaccinated will be offered a booster jab. This will be timed for at least 6 months after your second jab.

The NHS will get in touch to arrange it. You might be invited to have the annual flu jab at the same time. 

Friends, family and colleagues might also be able to get a booster jab. It’s also being offered to everyone over 50 and adults who live with someone who is immunosuppressed. 

A booster could help keep up the protection that vaccines give against COVID-19, which decreases over time. That extra protection could be particularly important as we go into the winter months.

When will I get the booster jab?

The first booster jabs are expected from 20 September, but it’ll take several weeks or months to offer the vaccine to everyone who’s eligible.

Boosters will be offered in the same order as the UK government’s original vaccine priority list. But local areas will have flexibility, to make sure people get the booster as quickly as possible. For example, that could depend on when someone had their second dose.

Some people with MS are being offered a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine because they were severely immunosuppressed when they had the first or second jab. This is not part of the booster jab scheme. Read more about the third dose vaccine if you were severely immunosuppressed

Read the government vaccine advisers’ announcement of COVID-19 booster jabs

Source: https://www.mssociety.org.uk/care-and-support/ms-and-coronavirus-care-an