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Tuesday, 8 January 2019

RP DIARY OF LIFE BY FIONA CUMMINGS


First day back at work for Hub. Our Son started working at seven this morning. Crazy, but he is packing in as much overtime as he can. I really don’t want to see this as I want him to have a life other than working. No one could ever say he is lazy that is for sure. I’m constantly worrying about him. It’s so not good for me. I really wish I was a hard parent who could with ease, chill and not care so much.

 

Sham came around last night. She’s been away for the weekend. Stayed at a hotel with her parents and sister. Visited family and seemed like she had a great time.

 

Now cat lovers, is this fact true that I was reading today? Siamese cats are white bodied with black ears, tails and socks. But, when they are cold, they turn totally black? Really? Well, I guess we turn blue, haha.

And did you know, that mail seahorses, give birth? Oh, the things we learn together… Or is it just me who didn’t know that?

 

Last week I called our collection people to get rid of some internal doors from our house. We have taken two out of four so far down. The other two are coming down tonight. I hope. All of them to be put out for the collection tomorrow with loads of boxes. Well they take ten items. But today I called them to ask if they will take my microwave and air fryer. They said no, because I had to call before 12 today. Mid-day. Well I checked the time, it was five minutes past mid-day. I asked could they not just email the collectors? No, because it’s a list written and it has to be done by mid-day. I explained that Hub and I are blind, we can’t take the stuff to the tip and they won’t go in our bin as there would be no room for our rubbish. A phone call to the collectors? An email? She said no, it had to be before 12.  Well she went away and came back reluctantly and said that they will try their best but they can not guarantee…

 

Our bin people drive me mad. On top of our recycling bin for paper, was a box a few weeks ago. The box was in the bin but sticking out. The man, took his time to remove the box and leave it on our drive emptied the bin and brought it back but left the box…

 

I can remember the days when the old bin men used to open our gate, walk right down the side of my house lift the bin on his shoulder empty it manually and bring it all the way back.

 

Now days, bins have wheels on. They have to be at the end of the drive. If inside the drive they won’t take them. And there are so many rules and regulations now, it’s getting so bad. Like last time I had what’s called a bulk collection, they refused to take a full box of bathroom tiles. Brand new by the way. They don’t take tiles… why? I thought they recycled? They won’t take polystyrene in the recycling as I believe you can’t recycle that, fair enough, but they even won’t take it for the bulk collection.  So, how are we supposed to get rid of that? Some boxes you get from Amazon for example, are full of the stuff. And some of it is solid. So, it can’t easily be crushed to go in the bin.

 

Well grump over. Enough of that rubbish talk. And onto the year ahead.

Firstly, news on Retinitis pigmentosa.

The gene therapy Luxterna has won European regulatory approval for the treatment of inherited retinal dystrophy caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene. Now this is where we need to know what gene we have. I wish that was an easy process.

Luxturna is the first and only gene   therapy available in Europe to treat inherited retinal disease. It’s already been approved in the United States.

And before we are allowed to get this therapy if this is the right one for our type of RP, they will Internationally have to decide on pricing. And of course, the time line for this decision, is difficult to predict. Come on guys, this is peoples lives you are talking about, how long can it take? A rough idea?

 

We have to have hope but I admire those of you who can just get on with life and forget that one day you may be able to see.  Personally there isn’t a day goes by when I don’t pray to see. But at least it hasn’t taken over my life for some time. Some years in fact. I have to tell myself that  no matter how much I need to see, how much I wish life was easier, how much I need to have vision to make life better for us all, a cure or treatment won’t come along any faster because of my wishes. It will happen when it happens. And when, if, it does, there will be a huge party. It would be lifechanging not only for me but for my Husband and Son. For his future children too!

For those who can see, I think the above one-off injection, will prevent those from losing more vision. For those of us who are blind, I think we will get some perception back.

 

Scientists have placed a gene from a rabbit into a plant called Devils Ivy, gave the plants a boost in breaking down airborne chemicals like benzene chloroform, they want to add a protein to work against other household pollutants too!

 

I don’t like this. We are modifying plants and mixing them with animals. It’s just not natural and I do worry about the rabbit. Why not produce more natural cleaning household items. Some plants already have a natural way of cleaning the air without interfering in with nature.

 

We are to have 5G network apparently. Now we have 4G. So faster internet…

And inventors are turning scooters into a robot by adding sensors in them.

 

  Nothing mind-blowing for this year, so I guess we have to make our own excitement and news, right?

 

It’s been lovely to hear some of my Bloggets plans for 2019. They are all very positive. I get the impression that a lot of you are glad to see the end of 2018!

 

New Year can be all about facing new challenges with a new perspective. So, here are some quotes to try to inspire you and if you have anything inspirational to tell us all, then please email or message me to let me know… email address will be at the bottom of this blog

 

“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes”” Oscar Wilde

 

“Let January 2019 be the first page of 12 in your book. Let it be an interesting read.””

© Fiona Cummings


 

 

2 comments:

Unknown said...

RPE65 is the only gene Luxterna is used for. It's an Usher's type of RP.

Fiona Cummings said...

Very strange question you may be able to answer, if this helps people who have this kind of RP which also affects hearing, Will this also bring back hearing for those who have lost some of it.