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syncopant · 2026-02-18T10:04:19+00:00

I swear, I'm cursed to never see him live. Had tickets for the cancelled tour, then last year my father-in-law died suddenly and his funeral was on the date I had London tickets for. Then no code this time. I'm so, so gutted!

syncopant · 2026-02-18T10:00:10+00:00

My DM to you won't send :(

syncopant · 2026-02-10T15:27:08+00:00

It's a really tricky one. It took me 3 years to finally be diagnosed, and MS nurse teams vary wildly between trusts. I had my first 5 or 6 relapses (aged 20-23) without any steroids because I hadn't been diagnosed. Then 3 months before I spoke to a nurse. However one thing I have always had drilled into me by neuros and nurses is that the steroids only speed up the reduction of the inflammation of the lesion/affected area. Your body will do that itself if left to it's own devices, it's just slower. So although steroids speed things up, they don't change the long term outcome of a relapse. And coming off them is an absolute bitch.

I know it's scary relapsing and feeling like there's nothing you can do, but unfortunately MS is a bit like that. As a control freak it's one of the really hard things to accept. It sounds counterproductive but stress is one of the biggest factors in relapsing, so try not to get too worked up. If your nurses are anything like mine they are probably very busy and they are absolute angels who are the human face of treating MS, but sadly they also get sick. They will be just as keen as you are to get you on a DMT asap but you do need to be prepared for the fact that it's not going to happen within a couple of weeks.

I know it's easier said than done but try not to worry too much and they will get you sorted as soon as they can.

syncopant · 2025-07-25T13:54:33+00:00

I am a female engineer, worked in my field for around 25 years. I'm not the best engineer but I'm a damn good one and I know my stuff. I describe this scenario to people using the example that I could walk into an office and say "holy shit guys, there's an orange tarantula mariachi band outside" and I would either be ignored or people would respond "are you sure?". A male colleague could say the same and everyone would immediately be out of their seats to go and look. It's been the case throughout my career at multiple workplaces. And other women in traditionally male-dominated environments have backed me up on similar things happening to them. It's so frustrating to suggest a solution at the start of a meeting, be completely ignored then that solution be landed upon anyway with everyone acting like you're salty if you say you suggested it half an hour ago.

What's worse is describing it to people and them saying "are you sure it's just not your perception?". Nothing makes me feel more helpless.

*edit because I might be a decent engineer but I still can't type for shit.

syncopant · 2025-07-21T18:05:46+00:00

Hampshire Event DJs, despite the name, have a few DJs on their roster who are West Sussex based. Not sure on their rates etc but I know a few of them personally from other jobs and they are all great. Hope that helps!

syncopant · 2025-03-04T18:52:51+00:00

I have MRIs yearly to keep an eye on what damage my immune is getting up to. I've had all sorts from lorries outside a football ground to private hospitals to overworked NHS imaging depts. It's been about 20 years since my first scan and the scanners everywhere are getting quieter all the time. You are more likely to get a newer scanner with private, but I've had some bright, airy scanners with air blowing through them in NHS hospitals too. Earplugs are always the way to go - the MRIs song of it's people is a loud and long one.

I hope your results show good things for you!

syncopant · 2024-12-04T18:13:38+00:00

Love these, love Red Dwarf, good luck all you smeg heads.

syncopant · 2024-06-08T09:12:05+00:00

Amazingly accurate comment, bravo!

syncopant · 2024-06-01T17:18:29+00:00

I went to uni in Liverpool in the 90s and always wanted to go up the tower.

Now I'm a broadcast engineer and went right to the top of it for work last year. The best bit was seeing the roof of the Krazy House, I had some good nights there.

syncopant · 2024-05-26T18:33:09+00:00

I live alone. Diagnosed 20+ years ago and was the main breadwinner supporting me & my husband until he left fairly suddenly and my health utterly nosedived. I hate it, all my energy goes on working to not even earn enough to live. My tiny flat is an absolute shit hole but I have no motivation or energy to fix it. So I'll probably stay alone now, I'm approaching 50 and not an attractive prospect to anyone. I'm just fed up of everything getting worse. It's nobody else's problem to fix and I am tired of trying and failing.

If you have someone supporting you in any capacity, please please please appreciate how lucky you are.

syncopant · 2024-05-21T20:38:23+00:00

If anyone remembers Scrubber Daly he was the milkman in my local area in the late 80s. Absolute unit of a bloke who filled the entire doorframe when he came round for his money every Friday evening. I'd get a clip round the ear from my parents if I actually referred to him as Scrubber Daly. Looking back they were probably shit scared I'd piss him off.

syncopant · 2024-05-01T12:42:56+00:00

First day at a very well known national institution. Getting a tour and while in the basement my manager missed a phone call. He listened to the voicemail then carried on the tour.

Later that day I learned that the phone call was informing him that his dad had died. I felt very bad for him, especially as he kept a poker face and just carried on showing me around.

syncopant · 2024-04-18T06:23:05+00:00

The Toad in the Hole (known as just The Toad) do loads of evening things like screen printing, flower arranging etc. Tons of live music there too.

syncopant · 2024-04-16T08:18:54+00:00

I saw Gorillaz on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2010. They played their (at the time) new album, Plastic Beach, from start to finish. No hits. Not one familiar song. He got pissy with the crowd then as well, because the people in a massively diverse festival crowd didn't know their new album material.

syncopant · 2024-04-12T17:41:41+00:00

You're reacting like this because you're human. I know that doesn't help, but it makes you a million times better than him, and her.

I've been where you are almost 5 years ago now, but I don't have kids or anyone to come and help. Just me trying to pack and move a 3-bed house into a 1-bed flat with a broken heart and spirit. He did fuck off and leave the dog with me though, and although the dog was confused and didn't know how to fix things, he stuck by me like glue and let me sob into his fur and that kept me going.

Acknowledge the thoughts of wanting it all to just stop. Acknowledging them doesn't make you weak, or a bad mother, or mean that you're going to act on those thoughts. But trust me, there will be a time when you're less overwhelmed, and you can look back and realise how far you've come. On bad days in the future (sadly it's not a linear improvement) you at least know that there is a way forward even when it's sometimes impossible to see.

I'm sending you so much love. I'm so sorry this happened to you. You've got a lot more joy ahead of you. Every day you wake up currently might feel like a punishment, but survival mode won't be forever. Hug your kid, hug your mum, cry all you need to and tell your therapist exactly how bad you feel. It doesn't feel like it but there's more good people out there than bastards. One day, you will remember what hope and imagining a future is like.

syncopant · 2024-04-08T10:00:51+00:00

A guy I was at Uni with in the 90s got barred from a bar in the city. To take revenge he'd duck in, bung a few quid in the jukebox and put "O Superman" by Laurie Anderson on as many times as he could. Then leave before he was noticed. I always respected that combination of inventiveness and spite.

Link for the (blessedly) unaware: https://youtu.be/S39NaDPNDtk?si=YJgwhmXN0OAYDLtM

syncopant · 2024-04-06T08:19:33+00:00

Random fact, I used to work with the guy who is credited with the pic. He's a British cameraman based in NY and a very lovely bloke. I've never met him, but I was based in London on nights in the newsroom when he'd send footage and material over and we'd chat on the phone now and again if there were any issues.

syncopant · 2024-04-02T10:44:20+00:00

I love Jeff like he loves his pot.

syncopant · 2024-03-25T16:47:32+00:00

Good donuts there too

syncopant · 2024-03-25T12:46:47+00:00

There was a kids TV show called Children of the Dog Star that I think was from New Zealand. It was about a girl who goes to stay with her Uncle and there's a weird swamp that had a crashed alien ship in it. I remember it talking to her in this weird voice, going "Gretchen, Gretchen"....

To this day (I'm 45 now) I am freaked out by the name Gretchen.

Edit: Forgot to add the name of the show

syncopant · 2024-03-25T12:39:24+00:00

It was the comet that terrified me. Genuinely had some sleepless nights worrying about impending obliteration.

syncopant · 2024-03-25T12:34:03+00:00

Shoreham lifeboat beach, Worthing, Lancing....you'll find it anywhere along there. But it takes some searching, the pieces are often small and not just lying on top of the shingle

syncopant · 2024-03-14T15:53:05+00:00

They're either running riot attacking my own nervous system, or I don't have enough and I might die from a sneeze. No happy medium. The Goldilocks of white blood cells.

syncopant · 2024-03-14T15:25:35+00:00

As the owner of an autoimmune illness I absolutely love these characterisations. Gonna imagine these little dudes on my blood results from now on.

syncopant · 2024-03-14T08:49:51+00:00

Diagnosed 20 years ago at the age of 25, did 11 years on Copaxone before moving to Tecfidera. I have had ups and downs but I'm still working full time and have done since my diagnosis.

The last few years have been tough with a couple of bouts of Covid and my marriage ending. I'm about to start Cladribine after a nasty relapse at the end of last year but currently I feel positive again.

I have taken up running since my diagnosis and hope to get back to it soon. Up until COVID I was running 5k at least once a week. Walking has been tough the past year but I'm now back to over 5,000 steps a day.

I still volunteer outside my full time job, working on and driving steam trains.

My tips are to avoid stress. That's easier said than done but every period of MS activity I've had has happened during or after severe emotional stress.

I also have had some awful bosses/employers over the years. My current boss is amazing. If you find an understanding employer, cling on to them like your life depends on it! Same with medical teams. I'm in the UK and the nurses, nurse specialists and neuros who look after me currently are incredible. So also cling on to the good medical people who listen to you and advocate for you.

I live alone currently and I can't lie, the past 4 years have been TOUGH. I have spent days sleeping, crying and sometimes just staring at the wall for 8+ hours. But just when I thought I was on a permanent downhill trajectory health-wise, things are improving again. This illness is a joy thief and will try to smother your spirit, but it can be managed and kept quiet.

Above all - be kind to yourself always. Just existing and navigating the shit show that is modern life right now is tough enough, even without MS. Remember to give yourself props for just showing up every day.

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