Foggy is a soft toy dog on an adventurous quest to raise funds and awareness for The ME Association. His best friend Patch’s favourite human has M.E. His blog aims to show the human perspective of M.E and to raise awareness of the invisible debilitating illness.
Wednesday, 31 December 2014
Foggy's New Year resolutions list!
Hello!!
Sally thinks Foggy is perfect 'just as he is' but he wants to be a better Foggy in 2015.
So here are his 2015 resolutions.
1. Eat less Wotsits - they are crisps and not a vegetable
2. More regular baths - hey! A 30 degrees spin in the washing machine isn't good for his fur!
3. Be less cheeky!
4. Be more of a daredevil - Abseil/climbing Mt Kili coming up!
Foggy says Happy New Year to all of his Followers; hopefully 2015 will be a great year for us all!!
Doggy snogs
xxxxxx
Sunday, 28 December 2014
Blog post from Claire - a Foggy sitter and moderate M.E. sufferer
Hello!
My name is Claire (@1987clairebear if you fancy saying
hello on Twitter!); I’m 27, and very proud to be a Foggy sitter. Foggy visited
Northern Ireland in November 2014 – you can read all about his adventures here.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1505795216348066.1073741858.100007528067190&type=1&l=bdc1e104c8
Just like Foggy’s human, Sally, I have ME (myalgic
encephalomyelitis, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or CFS), and I was
diagnosed in March 2014, after several years of symptoms and tests. Sally has
asked me to write a short post about my life as an ME sufferer; this is my
first ever blog post, so bear with me!
People hear the phrase “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” and assume
that fatigue is the only symptom, that it’s just like being “a bit tired”. For
me, fatigue is the most severe symptom (and this isn’t just being a bit run
down – it’s complete and utter exhaustion, that I can’t quite describe), but it
is far from the only one. There’s also- chronic pain, usually lower back, hips, stomach and neck
- brain fog – difficulty in concentration, mixing up or forgetting words, names
etc
- difficulty controlling/regulating body temperature
- breathing problems
- depression/anxiety
I work as an accountant; I joined Grant Thornton in Belfast
in August 2010, and worked my way through the qualification process, qualifying
as a chartered accountant in September 2013. ME has had a significant impact on
my ability to do my job. The constant state of exhaustion has resulted in
cutting my hours (I now only work four days a week), and reduced travel; I’m
now office-based, allowing me to get the bus to work, rather than client-based,
when I would have driven anything from 20mins to 2hours per day. Brain fog
means I struggle to think clearly at times, meaning I have to work extra hard
when preparing for meetings, presentations or even simple tasks like telephone
calls. When I am not working, I am usually resting. When I get home
from work after 6pm, I have dinner and go to bed almost immediately; it’s not
unusual for me to be asleep by about 8.30pm every night! On my days off, I
mainly spend time lying on the sofa resting, listening to music, or watching TV
if I am well enough. My body seems to go into “recovery mode” on these days,
and the slightest thing takes a lot of effort. Sometimes I wake up, have a
shower, and then need to lie down for a while before I’m able to find the
strength to get dressed!
This is the side of things I don’t let people see. I am
guilty of trying to hide my symptoms around others, so they don’t see the times
I don’t have the strength to climb stairs, to get properly dressed, or even to
just sit upright. I guess I’m not quite “OK” with feeling like this yet, and so
I avoid letting others see me like this.
I have been a musician since I was 8, and am happiest when
singing or playing piano (brain fog means there is no chance of these happening
together!) When I am well enough, I go to church on a Sunday morning and will
often lead the singing. I have been involved in this for several years now and
love doing it. I think it is when I am too ill to do this well that I get most
upset; it is something I am so passionate about and love doing, and it’s
torture when I’m not well enough to do it.
ME does not define me, and although it affects almost every
part of my life, I’m learning to try and live with this illness as best I can. I’m
slowly learning that “it’s OK not to be OK”.
Claire xxx
*Foggy* (and Sally) Claire, is a much valued member of Team Foggy and her precious, fully functioning, spare time is often spent helping as a place to bounce ideas off. Sally didn't know Claire pre-World Tour but now considers her to be a friend and hopes to stay in touch well beyond Foggy's current adventures.
*Foggy* (and Sally) Claire, is a much valued member of Team Foggy and her precious, fully functioning, spare time is often spent helping as a place to bounce ideas off. Sally didn't know Claire pre-World Tour but now considers her to be a friend and hopes to stay in touch well beyond Foggy's current adventures.
Sunday, 14 December 2014
Christmas is coming!!
Hello!
Foggy is having a wonderful time with Gianpiero and family in Sicily. He has even been allowed to help fly a plane!!!! WOW! Foggy LOVES flying!!! Thanks must go to these lovely pilots for allowing Foggy in the cockpit...let alone letting him near the equipment! Dream come true!!
Foggy is having a wonderful time with Gianpiero and family in Sicily. He has even been allowed to help fly a plane!!!! WOW! Foggy LOVES flying!!! Thanks must go to these lovely pilots for allowing Foggy in the cockpit...let alone letting him near the equipment! Dream come true!!
While Foggy is enjoying his adventures in Italy over the Christmas period, eating his own weight in ice cream, he will be thinking of his Followers around the world. He hopes that you all have a wonderful Christmas and wants to wish you all a happy and healthy 2015.
Doggy snogs xxxx
Saturday, 6 December 2014
Copenhagen!!!
Hello!
For those Foggy Followers who don't follow via social media here is a brief write up of the recent trip to Copenhagen with lovely sitter Alessia. She was going to Copenhagen to see friends and took Foggy along for the ride. Foggy had such a fantastic time he wants to tell you all about it!
Foggy and Alessia flew from Heathrow (flying.....squeeeeeeeeee!!! *Flying without wings*) Foggy LOVES flying.
On the first day of the trip Foggy's gang walked around the city centre for a while, and went to have a look at what it is considered the symbol of Copenhagen, the little Mermaid.
On the way there they walked through the Kastellet:
Then, they then went to visit some biologists in their lab at the University of Copenhagen. They are Anna’s friends/fellow biologists. They work on research studying the structure function of ion channels of the cells. This research is especially useful to understand and cure diseases such as osteopetrosis, heart arrhythmias and epilepsy. Obviously....Foggy lent a hand!!
Day two was relaxed; lazy lie in morning and in the afternoon they went to the second oldest amusement park in the world, which is called Tivoli gardens. Foggy loved it! Lovely and twinkly...very pretty. When Foggy saw the sleigh he whispered to Alessia *Is Father Christmas here already?*.......
Day three involved a bit more sightseeing. Foggy's gang took a short trip to the Louisiana Museum, north of the city centre: http://www.louisiana. dk. They saw an exhibition by Olafur Eliasson called “the Model Room” http://olafureliasson.net/ archive/artwork/WEK100984/ model-room) . Foggy was interested in the pretty lights but didn't really understand....this one was for Alessia and friends. Chance for some pretty pictures though.
On the last day retail therapy was a must....Foggy's gang visited a department store called Illums Bolighus.....Foggy had loads of fun on the escalators!! (http://www.illumsbolighus.dk).
Alessia told Sally - 'We were trying to get Foggy to ride the escalator on his own, to the amusement of the people around us'
The plane on the return journey was put on hold and circled over London for quite a while....perfect opportunity for Foggy to look out at the light of London. WOW....Foggy was impressed.
Here are a few more photos of Foggy's time in Copenhagen. he would like to say thank you very much to Alessia for taking him to such a lovely place and supporting his World Tour. Foggy also wants to say thank you to Alessia's friend Anna, on who's head he was balanced on in most of the photos!!
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*Let me see, let me see!!* |
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Going home |
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*Cuppa tea (milk 2 sugars* |
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Kastellet |
Please keep on following Foggy's World Tour....he is determined that, with Sally's help, he can raise £10k and fund much needed research.
Doggy snogs xxxxx
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