As I was informing you on a stroketales facebook page, I was attending the NCD Alliance Global Forum 2017.
This is the translation of my polish text with some small amendments. Keep in mind that I wrote this text on a first day of the conference, after a whole day spent in planes, now it’s a week later.
My question is: do you even know what NCD is? Well, until I was invited to this conference, I had no clue what this term means.
NCD is an acronym for non-communicable disease. What is it? It’s an illness which you can’t catch someone or something. So stroke, lupus and depression fit the term, but AIDS, plague and flu don’t.
Actually, even Wikipedia doesn’t say ow wide this term is – it can be used only to chronic diseases, but it doesn’t have to;) But, for the sake of this blog let’sBut basically, that’s it. (by the way in polish we have term ‚choroby niezakaźne’. But it’s rather used only because we use term ‚communicable or infectious diseases’. ‚non-communicable ‚ is just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to wide. But who I am to judge all of it;)
Let me go back to the main translation ( text from Dec 9th)
As you can suspect being a part of NCD Alliance Forum 2017 is, on one side an honour, on the other adventure, both for personal and ‚professional’ (stroke survivor’s;) causes. My blogs are the most precious thing for me, therefore being recognised for them is rewarding.
As long as I’m here don’t count on any deep thoughts regarding the topic of the conference, relation from plenaries or workshop, or even meetings with Very Important Persons who may intimidate me enough to make me numb. You know I have speech issues;) Now I’ll leave the topic of reorganising world of NCDs into the new, better order and spreading agenda. Instead, i can tell you one thing. I feel very small and out of place here. It’s pretty sad. I’ve already met a person who reacted to my ‚stroke-blogging profession’ with simple ‚oh, only that?’
yeah, only.
a pity I don’t have cancer, it would be so much more interesting;)
That’s what I managed to hear already.
But I did do more things!
I’ve lost a key to the room and cried because of that,
I’ve met several people from the conference,
I’ve met Sri Lankan from housekeeping who had amazing smile and was so kind to cover the curtains and wish me sweet dreams at 10 o’clock,
I’ve missed the first panel,
I’ve spent more than planned,
I’ve had first ‚electricity issue’, meaning my neurofatigue has hit me very hard, with a headache, nausea, dizziness, not being able to focus, feeling extremely tired. I had to go back to the hotel and meet Sri Lankan;) after 2 hours nap I feel much better;)
All it happened on the first day. Until noon.
I may seem like ordinary time, but I see here huge personal and stroke-wise successes.
For example this point about meeting people. I wasn’t sure I would communicate with anyone. I’m a weird kind of a shy person, but it it’s not the main issue. Crowd, noise, being tired make me incapable to make new friends. That’s why during the parties I really need someone to take good care of me, or else I sit in the corner praying that everything would go away. Conference, party, shop, new things aren’t a friendly environment for me. believe me, that is a regular issue for me. But here I’ve had first big personal success. I have started two nice (not scary conversations!). Surprisingly the first one wasn’t that hard, I just moved my head, and said ‚hey, I’m Kasia from Poland, how are you?’. As we were sitting on a comfy couch the guy didn’t have a chance to escape;) and good he didn’t, we had a good conversation (for me anyway), I even received a card ( ;
I’m happy about these social intercourses. Stroke survivors, me too, often feel isolated and left out, while life is going at a normal, healthy pace.
I can only imagine how depressed I would feel being silent until the Dubai (holiday) part of my expedition.
PS
I love hotels. I want to live in one. I like not cleaning my dishes and room service taking care of my room. Ok, not all of them, but this conference-paid was a place I could live in for years. Seriously!:)