Going away shouldn't be so difficult

Before Daniel's illness appeared, we booked an action-packed month. The first week in November, we are going to Centre Parcs. Towards the end of November, we were going to go to York.

Centre Parcs have been brilliant - I called them to explain Daniel's condition, and they told me no problems, they can arrange shuttle transport for him so he is not sitting on his tod in the cabin. York - not so great. The only provision for disabled access is Shopmobility, who are closed on Sundays and Mondays (two of the three days we are there).

The problem is not so much that York's Shopmobility is closed on those days, it's more the way the guy dealt with me on the phone. "We can't help you," said in an abrupt manner is not easy to hear when you are struggling to come to terms with your husband having MS. I had to end the conversation, as I am known to be very aggressive to anyone who I perceive to be less than symphathetic to Daniel. I rang them back to check when they are indeed open - I think the guy might have realised his mistake, as he was really helpful after that.

Next step - changing our booking with Travelodge. Those of you who know me will know that I squeeze every penny out of every pound we earn. So of course, my Travelodge booking is for a non-refundable sale room. To be fair to Travelodge, they were happy to change the booking, as long as I could find a room in the same hotel at the same price. This is not possible, so I offer to pay the difference in rate. Can't be done.

Daniel is really looking forward to York, and we forked out a lot of cash for passes to let us in to all the attractions. I didn't want to see him miss out on this, so the booking had to change. In the end I found a relatively cheap room and booked for different days, but I cannot be refunded for the original booking. Should I have taken out travel insurance? Perhaps, but most policies do not cover MS. This is something I need to look into.

I am desperately trying to keep life as normal and fun as possible for our family, but I feel as though I am banging my head against a brick wall.

Off the pills - on to the next hurdle

Hurrah - Daniel is now off his steroids and no longer wired! Fantastic timing, as we have both had our flu and pneumococcal jabs this week. For some strange reason, these seem to have totally tired both of us out. Still, got to be better than getting the illnesses themselves!

Feelings taking me by suprise - again

Imagine walking down a supermarket isle, and then for no reason what-so-ever, you start to feel very scared. Happened this evening in ASDA. Took me by surprise, I find supermarkets difficult, but it's normally OK when they are quiet. Wouldn't normally publicise something like this, but I think it happens to a lot of people, so I've decided to share it. So, if it does happen to you sometimes, you know you're not the only ones!

Tired but wired

At the moment I am living with the Steroid Monster. He is loveable and cuddlable, but gosh is he grumpy! Understandable, he is coming to the end of a five day high dose course of steroids. The side effects seem quite strong and varied. Don't think it would surprise me if he broke out in green spots next! 'Tired but wired' is his description of how it feels. Let's hope these steroids kick his relapse into the next decade!

Chester Zoo is amazing (and so is my husband)

For my Daughter's birthday in June, we asked family to put some money towards a zoo membership. We live really close, and we thought it would be the ideal present for her, as no matter our finances we could have a family day out on a regular basis.

At the time, my husband thought he had sciatica, so we had no idea that he would develop mobility problems. Almost as soon as we purchased our membership, his condition deteriorated. Last weekend we went to Angelsey with some friends, and a two minute walk at toddler pace along the beach left him in pain and needing to sleep. Days out as a family are among the things at the top of my list, but I didn't feel able to suggest using mobility aids at this early stage.

Yesterday, my husband suggested going to the Zoo. He phoned them up and told them about his mobility problems, and they arranged for a scooter. We parked right next to the entrance in disabled parking, where there were plenty of spaces, and the scooter was waiting for him just past the entrance. When I saw it, I had to hold back tears, as I think my reluctance to speak to him about mobility aids is also down to my unwillingness to accept his illness.

We had a fantastic day out, saw jaguars, monkeys and giraffes. I am so proud of him for taking what must be a huge step, and I am so grateful to Chester Zoo for having such well thought out access arrangements.