Welcome to Living Well with MS coffee break #37, where we are pleased to welcome OMSer and Ambassador, Dave Jackman, as our guest!

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here. Keep reading for Dave’s bio.

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Bio:

Dave Jackman is a Scot living in the historical village of Falkland in Fife with his wife, Rae and their Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Dexter (named after the serial killer!) They have three children, two of whom live locally, while one lives in California.

Dave was diagnosed with primary progressive MS (PPMS) in October 2011 and started following the Overcoming MS Program shortly afterwards. He is now retired from teaching and has led several Overcoming MS Retreat Reunions and Overcoming MS workshops while running a successful Airbnb studio with his wife.

He is also an Overcoming MS Ambassador for Scotland – Fife. Prior to diagnosis, he was a keen runner and played cricket for over 40 years. His interests now include computers, cricket, dogs, music, home exchanging and travel.

3 key things about Dave:

Exercise

I have always been sporty and loved the exercise involved in playing all the various sports I have participated in. I played cricket for over 40 years and in my youth played a lot of volleyball, culminating in representing Scotland at university level. Pursuing the exercise arm of Overcoming MS for me has not been difficult.

After diagnosis, I consulted a physiotherapist who worked out a specific schedule of exercises for me and I also made use of the MS Gym online so that I was constantly exercising, particularly those bits of my body which were starting to deteriorate. These days, even though walking is becoming more tiring, I walk our dog every day and love travelling and exploring new places. Nowadays, even if I can’t go out for my exercise, I make use of an exercise bike and can still manage to ‘cycle' 5 miles a day. I feel it is really important that no matter your disability with MS, to manage whatever exercise you are capable of and pursue it regularly.

Mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness were areas I really struggled with initially. However, I slowly got to grips with them. I joined Headspace online and have followed that for years. I feel it is really important to do your meditation. It does not have to be a long session, but it does have to be regular. Once a day suits me. I have also become much better at incorporating mindfulness into my day-to-day life.

Home Exchanging

My wife, Rae, and I have home exchanged for over 25 years. Initially, we saw it as a great, inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to explore the world with our three children. We love meeting the people involved and this has led us to do dog sitting whilst people were on holiday. In the past few years we have converted our garage into an Airbnb studio which has been very successful, so if you fancy a cheap few days break in Scotland...

Related links

If you have been on an Overcoming MS retreat and are interested in attending the May 2023 Retreat Reunion email: davejackman@sky.com
Read the progressive MS chapter of the Overcoming MS Handbook that Dave contributed to.
Watch Dave’s Story of Hope: https://overcomingms.org/resources/stories-of-hope/dave
Read Judy Graham’s book: Managing Multiple Sclerosis Naturally
Find out more about the Thermomix cooking appliance

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