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Good luck Stan. Mrs PS will be sorting out the donation...

Take care, from us both.

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Once more to the top, dear friends.

Thread getting a bit low down the page
 

Best of Luck Stan

Stan, if somebody went along to a Service Med Centre and was diagnosed with MS, does the Service then direct that person to the support group?

WC

Station Medical Centre
 

WC

No they won't unless they, as the Medical Centre, are aware of the Mutual Support Group's existence and not all are (I suspect most aren't). Even worse, if it is a Civ Med Practice who don't understand the RAF procedures and have to be taken through them by the patient. Most doctors may have a case or 2 of MS in their entire careers, so their understanding of support fror MS is scant at best/completely absent at worst. I found out about the MSG through a good chum who works in the Community Support side of the RAF as a civilian - without her I'd be none the wiser. Once I'd made contact with the MSG, and heard a friendly voice at the end of the telephone whose first response wasn't 'no, now what was the question?', life became a little easier as the sensation about being entirely on my own with MS disappeared.

Stan

Our GP, who we we moved to long after my wife's diagnosis of MS, is an ex-RAF doc whose sister has MS. If you are close to the top secret Oxfordshire RW base I can PM you his info.

AA

MS
 

AA - In Cheltenham, but came from TS Heli base in Oxfordshire. Please do send PM as info seems to be the most valuable commodity. Stan

Done, check PMs, and contact me if I can do anything else.

Stan,

It would be nice to think that the Service would automatically point you in the right direction. There are a plethora of other illnesses which have associated support groups and I would hope that Service medical staff are aware of these.

Good luck with your challenge.

WC

WC
 

You would have thought so. Two aspects: first is routine med care. This is currently done by a Civ Med Practice on camp who ought to be responsible for pointing a patient at the support groups (not the touchy feely gushy drippy do-gooder support groups you might think, but hard working organisations who do some real work at providing information to sufferers and who try to ensure a level playing field when the inevitable exit from the Service occurs). They ought to be but they don't know enough about Mil Service to realise that these support groups exist.

The second is the treatment for MS, which I could have had through the RAF perhaps, but the NHS specialist who diagnosed me was happy to put me onto interferon straight away. Under his care (we, the RAF have no neurology specialist anyway), and amateurish though the NHS may be on occasion, the NHS are far more up to speed than the RAF for this particular condition. I start interferon injections on Thursday for the rest of my life; had the RAF been in charge of my care, I suspect, although I don't know, that a little quirky regulation in the medical APs about going onto interferon would have been invoked and a delay would have occurred until med cats were finally sorted out. A year away at best. Without melodrama, I can't waste time if I am going to get the protection (limited) that interferon provides. The NHS specialist directed me at the MS Society and to a Specialist MS nurse who is responsible for my routine care. However, as I mentioned, it was only a chum who put me in touch with the Mutual Support Group of whom I cannot speak highly enough.

Video diary?
 

Stan - an idea for more fund-raising. Make a video diary of your trip and then sell that raise money. You could either sell it through your existing JustGiving page for a set amount, or via Ebay and Missionfish, which is what I'm using of the GW1 video sale. The only downside of Ebay is the PayPal charges, which are £0.61 for a £12.50 transaction.

Video Diary
 

AA

Top idea. I have already had some interest from TV stations in Canada and am going to approach SSVC (better than you might think), and other television companies to see if they want to make 'something' of our venture. We may also get the valedictory 30 seconds worth on local news programmes closer to the time. But a half decent DVD that shows everyone what 150 000 vertical feet is like (a) to do and (b) on me doing it, might well work.

Stan

For what it's worth could I please encourage those of you who have yet to donate to Stan's cause to do so. The process is quick and easy and there's no need to register or any of that kind of rubbish.

And I know he'll hate me saying this, but for those of you who don't know Stan Laver he is one of the best senor officers I have had the pleasure to work with/for. The personnal qualities which have made him such a poular officer are now being used for such a great funraising effort, and he deserves all the support he can get.

Sir, good luck with the challenge and best wishes

Stan Laver

Many congratulations on achieving your target. Hope you will not stop there.

WC

Over £12500 raised for MS
 

Chums

Just to let you all know that I recently surpassed my initial target of raising £10000 for Multiple Sclerosis. With Gift Aid included, the total raised now stands at a little over £12500; this is a fantastic amount of money, that will do some real and tangible good for MS sufferers in the 3 Services. I remain truly humbled by everyone's generosity and selflessness- thank you all.

If you've visited the http://www.justgiving.com/monsterski web site, you will have seen that I recently nudged my target a little higher. I thought long and hard about doing this but reasoned that, as the Mutual Support Group needs as much money as can be raised for it to do its excellent work, a slightly higher target was justifiable.

As I mentioned before, I have been trying to e-mail all those who have donated to thank them personally; I haven't, however, everyone's e-mail address. Please accept this as a very public thank you for your support.

Thank you.

Stan Laver

Stan,

Adding my continued support to your cause and wishing you luck with your raised target. :eek:

My thoughts are with you Stan. My Mum had MS and the NHS at that time was not really up to speed my Dad had to fight for everything. I still remember the relay driven door opener and light switch device she used as the disease progressed that my Dad fought very hard for. I hope your fund raising goes well I will gladly donate to your fund.

HF

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Back to the top i think :D

Back to the top anyone?