Breakthrough in Motor Neurone Disease

This story is hot off the press.

Scientists in the USAhave successfully transformed skin cells from a woman with MND into the same kind of nerve cells which are being destroyed by her illness.

Treat it with caution as always with these things but with a couple more 'scientific triumphs' like these, plus SiTran, we may be about to turn a corner.

Click here for the story

Five miles people!

So today I ran five miles. But more importantly I made it around Battersea park TWICE. Battersea Park has become something of a Waterloo for me - once is fine but anymore than that seemed like such a mental hurdle I found my legs heading for the gate without me really asking them to.

But today I broke the deadlock. Twice and out. Way. To. Go. It's really strange running on your own. Hang on, ha ha I say running but what I really mean is plodding. I haven't managed a run yet. But anyway I digress. It's strange plodding on your own because you reach these mental milestones and you have no-one to congratulate you so it becomes a serious anti-climax. You smack that roadside bollard with jubilation only to look around, wince and quietly inch off the pavement towards your front door. Plus in this heat everyone thinks you are a total nutter. I feel like strapping a sign to my front saying 'No I'm not doing this for fun or because I think my bum looks big in these shorts (it does BTW), I'm doing it for a marathon so sod off.'

My main focus today was to try and regulate my breathing. Dad's handy tip of breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth failed miserably at the two mile mark when it became apparent I couldn't gasp through my nose.

Good look.

July is edging away....

.....and I have yet to run more than five miles in one go.

Susan here. Although that's hard to tell as I look like an aubergine and can't feel my legs, making me list to the left slightly as I type.

Apparently I have been training for this blasted marathon for a month but someone has yet to inform my body of this fact. As far as it's concerned all we have done in the past 30 days is run in circles around Dante's ninth level of hell.

Today I managed to run to Battersea Park, around Battersea Park and back from Battersea Park - which according t my pedometer is about 4.5 miles. Just as my eyeballs began to explode I got a text from Adam which said he had bounced out 4 miles no worries and was looking very snazzy in his new running kit. I do believe I hate him. I don't know what I look like in my new running kit as my eyeballs have exploded.

Still. I can't complain too much. Up until the four mile mark, things were going quite well considering I had previously only ever run to the bar or away from various people.

Plus I've just got back from Chicago with mum where we saw the film Indestructible by Ben Byer about life with MND. Really, really good and makes it all my struggles seem rather pathetic in comparison. Click here for the MySpace page.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go and rub Badger Balm on my hips. Said the actress.....