If you are so inclined....

I think I've only done this once before, and I promise this is not something I make (or intend to make) a habit of.

But. One of my favourite, favourite, most loved online friends has entered an amateur photography competition.  She has taken the sweetest photo of her adorable little girl Eleanor, toddling her way along the beach to her waiting family.  There's something about this tiny little girl, crossing this big expanse to get to the people she loves, following them anywhere that just captured my heart.

Anyway.  If you are so inclined (and I'd just love it if you were), maybe you could pop on over here and put your vote (just press the click on the link and follow the instructions - leave a comment and like) for my friend and her precious girl. 

Admit it.  It's a sweet photo. :D

All I need

This week has possibly been the worst for me, physically since this whole mess started. The Pred is well and truly out of my system and I feel worse than I felt before I started taking it in the first place.  How is that possible?  Shouldn't I have just gone back to the (admittedly high) level of pain I was in 6 months ago? Why is it worse? Why are there new symptoms and new joints involved?

I have hotspots, certainly, but it's gotten to a point where I feel like there is almost no part of my body unaffected now. My jaw hurts, that's new. All of the joints in my fingers are red and swollen.  13 years ago, that's one of the ways we ruled out RA. Because there was no deformity or redness or swelling in any joints, they just hurt.  And not my fingers. Just my larger joints. Now there are two fingers on my right and one on my left that can barely be straightened.  This is new. My wrists, this is new. My elbows - never before.

My eyesight has not improved. I can't watch television.  I don't care that I can't watch tv, I don't watch it anyway.  But it's a good judge of how bad my eyes are when I look at a weather map and can't see a single word, number or icon clearly enough to read. When I sit 3 feet away from the television and can't read subtitles.  When Joel stands 3 feet away from me and I can't get a focus on his face, and cannot for the life of me see the logo on his workshirt, even when I know where to look.

I feel like it's just gotten to be too much.  Like I'm prepared to do anything now to make it stop.  I need a break from this.  2 or 3 days maybe, of no pain.  Just to catch my breath and let me buck up and face it again. I woke up this morning and just cried. The pain and stiffness was overwhelming, Joel had to help me get out of bed.  I need help dressing.

I just want something that will knock me out for a few days. Just to get real, actual sleep, not filled with pain (even in my dreams, I am in pain), to give me the strength to get myself back on track.

I used to believe this.  I have been in pain for nearly 15 years. And there were times when it flared up.  And I used to say, I just needed a few weeks, and I could adapt to the new level of pain, my new 'normal'. 

Now I think I was full of sh!t. Please, someone. Make it stop. Before I do.

Sunday Sessions - Music for the soul

I actually missed Sunday Sessions last week, shock horror! It's the one blog link that I almost never miss.  Bit hard with the eyes and the painlevels at the moment though. Back this week though,because I'm in love with an artist who has been around a bit, but it brand spanking new to me.

For those new (I'm not sure anyone's new,but it's nice to link over anyway) to Thea's Sunday Sessions, pop over to her blog for more info.

From her site:

On Sundays I pop two favourite songs onto my blog.

An oldie but a goldie.
And a newbie, fresh from the charts, or fresh from the past five years.
But I often break these rules, you can too of course!

Here are my picks for this week.
You can play along by linking up below.
And grab the button on the side bar if you want.
Can't wait to hear your picks.
Happy Sunday!

I was watching Parenthood the other day, and they featured a minute or so of this song at the end of the last episode of the first season.  It was enough to send me googling.  Looked up the ep guide, the music used, the name of the singer, then You Tube.  Then I downloaded every song he's ever written!

You may well have heard of him already, he's released 4 albums, the first one about 6 years ago. So he may not be 'new' to anyone but me.  If so, I'd like to know why you didn't send him my way, thank you very much!

There's something about his voice, his music, him...I can't quite put my finger on it.  I know he reminds me of someone, and while I can think of a couple of artists who come into my head every time I listen to him, I havne't quite put my finger on THE one. 

But I hear a little Van Morrison (which holds appeal, my favourite singer ever) and even a little Otis Redding (waaay up there on my scale too).  So I'll put them in as my 'oldies' this week.

So.  without further ado.  Ray LaMontagne - Let it be Me.

Cheating (as always), and adding two oldies this week.  First, the song that I immediately thought of in the opening bars of "Let it be me".

And somewhere in there....I heard some Otis..

I think I'm just scraping this on in under the time, not entirely sure how long Thea keeps the link open.  But if you can't play along this week, there's always next.    I love the time I spend each exploring my mp3 collection and YouTube, trying to find just the write song for this week.

Weekend Rewind - Probably the hardest one I've ever done

Sadly, Allison is hosting the Weekend Rewind for the very last time this week.  It will have a new home, from next week, over at Multiple Mum's blog - And then there were four.

So this last Weekend Rewind is about Endings.  I had a few posts I could have picked from.  But I'm being brave, and I'm going for the hardest.  One of the hardest posts I've ever written.

It's title is innocuous enough - I guess I should finish.  It may be confusing, a little. It is the end of a 5 or 6 post series I started in the 5 days leading up the the 5th anniversary of my mother's death (She had Motor Neurone Disease, and her death came 12 weeks after the birth of our first child)..  Where I finally tell the story of her death, from my place at her bedside.  And of all of those posts, this was the hardest. The real goodbye. The real ending.

If you want to read the others, they are, in order, here:

1. I Hate May
2. They tell me I get my stubborn streak from you.
3. The one where they tell me I'm a murderer
4. I thought it would rain
5. Weekend Rewind Post - I guess I should finish (there had been a couple in between)
6. May 10th. A Wedding and a Funeral

The 6 things never to say to someone with a life-threatening illness.

I (re)found this on Mamamia today. I'd seen it a little while ago (I think of Huffpost) but couldn't find it again. And with my vision as it, it's a PITA to try searching, so was thrilled when this came up.

First disclaimer. This was written by a man far, far sicker than I. He was facing a serious, life threatening illness, and of course, I'm not even nearly.

BUT. This also applies, in my opinion to people with long term, chronic illnesses. The types of illnesses that pernamantly, or even for a considerable time, make their lives very difficult, leaving them unable to put on their own bras or wipe their own asses live their lives as they had been previously.

I post this not to hurt anyone. This is not directed at anyone in particular, so please don't read it and think "Crap. I did that".  I can't think of any specific people who have said these things, though I know I have heard them all.


The 6 things never to say to someone with a life-threatening illness.

Excuses

I'm still here, honest.  But the eye thing is a PITA, I have the text size turned up so high that I have to scroll three times to get to the other side of a lot of pages.  So as much as I want to read the news and comment on it, it all feels like too much effort to actually be able read it.  The headache's still here.  My doctor is rerunning the tests on Monday, his request, not mine.

I don't want to bang on too much more about the health issues, I think it's wearing thin.  I do want to blog, there are things I want to talk about, but it's just a bit hard to sit and stare at a screen for more than a few minutes at a time. 

I was still trying to keep up with my reading, just for relaxation.  I have a lot of books on my computer, but it's gotten so the pages are sooo enlarged, that it's literally one paragraph per screen.   And with the headache, I keep reading the same paragraphs over and over again and getting nowhere.  I've been on the same page of that book ----------> for nearly a week and a half now.  It's getting old.

I'll be back.  I have some good news, and thoughts about other stuff.  Honest. (See, so eloquent..how have I not written the next great Booker Prize winner?).

I'm not reading blogs at the moment, I'm sorry.  I hope you understand.  Thinking about you all, but just not able to catch up with anyone.

No news is just that. No news.

Whoever said 'no news is good news' clearly hasn't lived in this kind of limbo for this long, with no real end in sight.



image


I'm back off the Pred.  I got my results back from the blood tests, and honestly they just raise more questions than they answer.  So the Dr has taken me off them unil I see him on Tuesday.  Am feeling rather a lot like a guinea pig at the moment, with no clear plan.  It should be noted that within a day of starting pred my eyesight began to improve.  I was on it for 4 days at 50mgs a day.  Blood test was taken at end of Day 3, after 150mgs. 

Within a day of going off Pred, the headache returned and my eyesight went back to being pretty bad again. Headache is in the same spot as last time, originates in my left temple, takes over upper left quadrant.  Is consuming, overwhelming. Some medication tones it down (not the vision issue) for 4 or 5 hours, but it comes back every time, without fail.

It is my understanding that for Temporal Arteritis, one would expect an ESR reading of over 50 (based on a woman under the age of 50).  A normal ESR rate would be under 20.  Mine was 39. So it's probably not that (though the pain is the right type and it responds to prednisone). But that's good news.  38 means something's going on, which of course we knew, but for heaven's sake, what?  All of my inflammation markers (WBC, CRP, ESR etc) are at least twice where they ought to be.

And nothing to rush any Doctors into action.  That hsoudl be a relief.  Excpet, I'm here, living this.  This headache is not going away and I can't drive. I can't see properly.  Forget the pain in the rest of my body (and it's hard to believe that I'm able to at this point), I feel like I can't focus on anything but this headache.

How am I supposed to function like this? I get that it's a 'non urgent' result. But it's urgent to me.  It's urgent to my family.  All I want to do is lie down in bed. I want to take Mersyndol or valium (or better yet, both) and sleep.  And Joel does what he can to let me do that when possible. 

But for most people, a day in bed, catching up on sleep while the husband takes the kids out means rejuvenation.  You are grateful (not that I'm not) for the rest and recharged, ready to take on life again.  Yet, I know that it doesn't matter how much rest I get at this point.  I'm going to feel exactly the same when I wake up.  I'm going to feel just as sick, just as much pain and just as unmotivated.

So I tell myself that there's no point having the rest or having the drugs.  There is too much to do.  Children to parent.  A husband to try to connect wtih.  Friends to talk to. Articles to write. Ideas written on scrap pieces of paper everywhere.  Appointments to make, bills to pay. A rental inspection coming up in 3 days(despite me being in hospital for the last one they gave us a breach notice for not cleaning ceiling fans, oven not cleaned,washing window tracks or having the weeding done, even though the lawns were done).  We were given 7 days to fix it even though I still had pneumonia.

But I can't. I can't push through it at the moment and just get it down.  This headache is leaving me constantly dizzy, sensitive to light and noise (but is not like the migraines I've been having for 20 years now) and I can't get anything done.  And Joel is one man.  How is he supposed to acheive everything when there is also a 60 hour work week and 2 children?

I like words.  I like to talk or write things out, clarify them, work through them. But for the life of me I can't find a word to adequately describe my frustration at this situation. Or my desperation. I honestly feel hopeless.  I'm desperate for help, but it's the hlep only a diagnosis and a plan and a Dr who says "I understand" is going to give me.  And I'm afraid I'll never get that.

Someone, somewhere asks me every day how I'm feeling.  And I have no damned idea what to say.  I honestly don't know what the polite response is.  "I feel as crap as I have felt for the past 10 months, thanks for asking?".  "I feel worse than I've ever felt, how about you"?  What's the right answer to "You look good today, you dont' look sick. You're obviously on the mend".  "Are you getting better yet?". "Oh look, you're not limping today, you're better" or "Weren't you limping on the other side yesterday?"

I don't know if it's just my paranoia, but I feel as though everyone is of the same mind - I'm a melodramatic hypochondriac, trying to get attention.  I don't look sick, so I can't possibly be. How many people really have that many illnesses (none of them life threatening, but Diabetes, PCOS, Bipolar, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis and..whatever this autoimmune thing is). I want to feel like the old me who just a few months ago could rant about an injustice the same day as she could swoon over Edward Cullen or Shemar Moore and race after the children before going home to have my way with my husband.  I want to be able to sort out my washing and cook dinner and take the boys to school and talk to the teacher.  And I feel like every single person who knows me, or reads my blog is rolling their eyes at me behind my back. And there are some that aren't even waiting to do it behind my back.

And right now - here it is. What my head is really saying. "I feel sick. My body hurts, literally every single inch of it. I'm dizzy and I can't see you properly and I can't focus on what you're saying to me. I can barely focus on what I'm saying or writing. I'm scared that despite my house being good by most people's standards, my ass of a landlord (who was horrible to me in his last visit) is looking for an excuse to kick us out. that we will have nowhere to go. My Dr seems to be at best, passing the buck, at worst toying with me. I'm not better, despite how I look today. I'm on so many drugs I'm embarrassed and they are all working against one another.  I'm on drugs to undo the damage being done by other drugs.

I just want to lie down.  I want to take my valium and my mersyndol and I want to sleep.  I don't want to die.  I want a pause button on my children and my husband and I want to sleep until my appointment.  And I want to pretend that I don't know that I will leave that initial appointment with nothing but forms for more blood tests. And no answers.


And as far as I know, I'm never, ever going to feel any better".
Tell me, please. I'm actually asking.  What am I supposed to say?

Back

I missed a day of NaBloPoMo.  I don't think I care.  My head and my eyes just made it all a bit hard.  I've had my cry, my tantrum and my talking to (Thanks Tinks and Jenn). I've had lovely words of encouragement from all of you, and I'm grateful.

I've had hugs galore from Joel, and witnessed the grief of my father as he stands by helplessly. 

And all in all, I've come to this conclusion.  What can I do?  I'm stuck, at least until I see the rheumatologist with this.  I should get my blood test results back this afternoon, to see if my Sed Rate is consistent with a TA.  If it is, the GP will keep me on Pred.  If not, I'll be able to stop it and see what happens. 

But it could be worse. Life isn't that fun at the moment, but I'm spending an awful lot of time feeling sorry for myself. I won't pretend there won't be more of that on here, I"m sorry.  This is my space, to vent, grieve, snark, bitch, whine.  And to be happy and show pretty pictures and awesome unicorns (You have to admit, that was a cute unicorn).

And get on with it.

So. I choose get on with it. Recognise I have limits and that there is a LOT I can't do at the moment, and concentrate on the things I can do.








My apologies for the whining. My thanks for sticking around (for those of you that have, I'd be honest, numbers have taken an enormous dive this week) and I'll try harder to redirect the mood around here.

image

I finished reading (again, for the billionth time) Persuasion the other day.  And right now, I'm about to start watching Northanger Abbey. 

image

What are you up to today? Any plans for the weekend?  Some flowers for your Friday..

You really just come here for the rainbows and unicorns, don't you?

image

At the nagging urging of my very concerned husband and father, I called my GP this morning and asked if I could speak to him (I can't get an appt for a week).

I had him go back to the files of the last time my vision went, and the symptoms surrounding it.  They are almost identical.  They started 3 days after I stopped Prednisone, this headache was identical (at it's most severe around my temples, and in my ear, and my skin was extremely painful to touch). The vision loss presented and persisted even after the headache had settled in intensity.

He then started me on a higher dose of Pred (50mgs) and it responded in 3-4 days.

I told him it was happening again. He was concerned, and has ordered all of my tests (CRP, ESR etc, as well as a hBa1C, just while we're there. That won't be pretty as Ive been on Pred for nearly 6 months) to be done as soon as Joel can drive me to get them (I can't drive anymore).  I'll see him again on Tuesday.

image

He has restarted the Prednisone again, at 50mgs.  It took me a month to wean off this stinking drug.  And here we are again. If the vision responds to the pred, what does that mean for the future? Does it mean I hve to stay on the Pred if I dont' want to lose my vision? I know that if there is a positive response to the Pred, Joel is going to want me to stay on it long term.

I can't describe how I'm feeling right now. It would not be overstating things to say I feel hopeless.  I feel like this is just one huge, vicious cycle my body has gotten into, and I can't think of a way out.

image

Here.  This is the prize for sticking around while this blog wins the dubious honour of most depressing in the blogosphere.

image

See, it's all fun and games here.

Starting to get a little bit tired of the drama, you know?

image

It's back.  The headache started on Saturday, severe pain in my temples.  I assumed it was partly caused by the cold sore on my eye, as the entire left side of my face hurt to touch, particularly my temple and forehead.  I remember commenting on FB that I had 2 seperate headache, a migraine type on my right side, though it radiated from the temple, and the neuralgic pain on the left.  But by Sunday, it was blinding.  I was having trouble getting words out and concentrating on what the Drs were telling me by the end of the day.  I assumed it was the flurescent lights in the E.D. 

But it's Tuesday now, and my vision hasn't returned. It's progressively getting worse.  My font is back up to x4 and I can still only just focus on it.  I can see the boys, but not focus on their faces.  TV is useless and I'm not able to read any of my books (you're going to overtake, me Ave).  I can't read my phone at all - I can't see who's calling, I can't read or send text messages and I can't see to put an entry into the calendar.  I can't even see where the organiser is in the menu.

I've tried the only 2 doctors who know me or my history. The first appointment I can get is next Tuesday afternoon. A week away.

image

Even though we'd moved on from assuming Polymyalgia Rheumatica, and the Doctor was leaning towards the more likely Lupus, this makes me nervous. Because the last time this happened, my blood test results were borderline for what could have been Temporal Arteritis. When I was tested on the eye chart, I could literally only focus on the top letter. I got the second line wrong. Higher doses of Prednisone were started and over time, about 70% of my vision returned.

I've been off prednisone a week tomorrow.   That makes me nervous. I can't go back on it, I just can't.  But anything has to be preferable to not being able to see properly?

image

The Sunday Sessions where Thea is going to have to call an intervention

It's a public holiday here in Qld, so it's practically a second Sunday.  And I have a good excuse for missing yesterday.

So sneaking in (not sure if her linky is still open) to Sunday Sessions, hosted every Sunday by Thea at Do I really want to blog?

An oldie first.

I'm not a huge fan of the Cure, though my husband is.  But I'm putting this one us as a comparison for my new song. (And when I say I'm not a huge fan of The Cure, what I mean to say is ewwwwww.  I can't stand them, or the clip).



Ok.  Now, you're ready for the big shocker?  This week's 'new'?  It's Adele.  Yes. I have a problem....



And, the cool thing? My snobbish (musically), purist husband doesn't mind this version (He has been won over to my Adele club).  He doesn't love it more than The Cure (give me time, I'll fix that).

Barely sneaking in a post

But I committed to NaBloPoMo, and I don't want to miss a day.

But my entire day has been spent in the hospital with my big boy, with severe asthma.  What was a mild cold on Friday, a nasty cold on Saturday (with no sign of chest involvement) turned into a major exacerbation early this morning,

We usually handle his asthma very well at home ourselves, Joel and I lifelong sufferers ourselves, know asthma all too well.  Alexander was diagnosed as an asthmatic at the age (unusually, because it is rarely diagnosed in babies) after being hospitilised and placed on oxygen for 5 days when he was 7 months old. 

I generally know when it's gone past what I can handle at home. We have a rule.  If he's using his stomach muscles, and is having trouble speaking (if he can't count to ten without coughing), I give the equivalent of a neb via spacer (12 puffs for his age), 3 times, 20 minute apart. If he's still not responding we take him in.

We couldn't get him 10 minutes between spacers.  So we took him in and didn't even get a chance to sit before they got him seen.  His O2 was at 92/93.  Gave him more puffs, then every 15 minutes for an hour. 

Sats went up to 95, and treatment was spread out to half an hour, says went up to 97 - we were happy wtih that.  Not happy enough though, as they decided to admit him (I was surprised, he was shattered.  Try telling an autistic child he's staying in hospital whe he had NO idea it was coming).  We've done lots of ED trips in the lasty 8 years, but he hasn't been admitted overnight since that first one.

Anyway.  He is having 12 puffs every hour.  He's had another dose of prednisone.  He's had almsot as much as his body is allowed to have (by weight). He is sitting steadily at 94%.  If he drops to 92%, they will start him on oxygen.

I stayed all day, about 7 hours in a chair.  Sounds selfish to mention, but the damage that long half an hour of sitting does to me is enough, 7 was a nightmare.  The fluro lights gave me a migraine that had me just about vomiting, so on Joel and the nurse's advice, he took the night shift. 

Sam's at a loss. he is wondering around the house, saying "Brubba missing. Where my brubba?". He has begged me to go get him.  I explained that he was sick, needed to be there and that Daddy had the car.  He brought me his little ride on and said I could use that.  Somebody wants his big brother back pronto!

No Sunday Sessions for me today. I'm exhausted.  Have had a final update from Joel and the Dr about 10 minutes ago, unless anything changes.  Praying nothing changes.

Will swap shifts in the morning, get a babysitter for Sam and hope that Joel can get some sleep tomorrow (Alexander will be woken hourly all night for obs and medication.  He's had more than 60 puffs of ventolin today, his heartrate is sitting in the high140s, so no surpises that he can't seem to fall asleep).

Night all.  I miss my boy(s) so deseperately, I just want to cry.  I have both of their pillows in my bed with me.  I imagine that in the next hour or so, Sammy will join me.


*Edited Monday morning.

He wasn't able to maintain his O2 sats, they had him on oxygen most of the night.  Took it off at 6.30 to see how he went. Dropped to 97% which was much better than then 94% he'd spent most of the afternoon and evening on.  Has just had another treatmenta and a big dose of steroids. 

The length of time he can go between treatments this morning will be telling.  Here's hoping he can come home by this evening (poor little boy thought he'd at least be home first thing this morning. Am leaving it to Joel to break it to him this time.  Because I'm a big fat chicken who will just cry).

The Game of His Life

This morning, on his 68th birthday, Ray "Rabbits" Warren was forced (by a newspaper leak) to reveal that just 3 days ago, he was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.
Of course, typical Ray, only a day later, was back at work calling a game.

image

I feel kind of gutted.  I hope that this has been caught early.  I hope that the Doctors can remove it next week in his surgery.  I hope he is ok.  Selfishly, I hope he's back at work soon, calling the next origin. And the next and the next and the next.

All of my favourite Origin memories, all to the score of Rabbit's voice.

That's not a try, that's a miracle!

Billy Slater has scored one of the greatest origin tries ever!

Hodgson lasooed by Tallis..

Plenty of pepper in that tackle by the maroons.

                        


So. Am feeling soppy and nervy and hoping like hell, with the rest of the Rugby League community, that Ray has a quick recovery.

Come on, Rabs.  It's Origin Season!

image

Is this simply discrimination?

I read this in the Washington Post this morning. 

Olympics 2012: FIFA bans headscarves for Iranian women’s soccer team



image

From the Washington Post's Thomas Erdbrink writes:

Ready to play a crucial Olympic qualifying match with Jordan in Amman on Friday, the Iranian team was dismissed by officials of the international football association, FIFA. The officials decided just before the kickoff that the tight headscarves the Iranian players were wearing to cover their hair broke the association’s dress code, FIFA said on Monday.

James Dorsey, a visiting senior researcher at the National University of Singapore's Middle East Institute and author of the blog: The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, (who knew?????) stated in an interview with npr.org stated that

"FIFA traditionally bans any expression of religious faith on the soccer pitch. (My bold.  They don't appear to have the same problem with people wearing a cross, displaying one on their jerseys or saying prayers before a game).It has, however, made certain concessions towards Muslim women who have very strict dress codes. In the case of Iran, there was several years ago a negotiation over what headdress Iranian female players could wear. And they finally, after designing and agreeing on the design of a headdress, agreed on one that didn't -covered all the hair but did not cover the neck and ears."

So clearly, on this occasion, the team had chosen to come out in a somewhat stricter uniform than that which they had previously been wearing, one far more in line with their religious code.

Former Head Coach of the Iranian Women's Soccer Team stated:

Our intention for wearing this attire is not to advertise our religion. We come from an Islamic country, and we observe Islamic dress codes. We can't play soccer without our headscarves. And if FIFA wants to take this position, then an entire group of women from around the world will be excluded from this sport.

I'm not sure this is necessarily true, as they have managed to play years with the compromised uniform.  But, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has immediately jumped on this issue, going out of his way to politicize it.  So I can't imagine that Iranian women would be allowed to compete from here on in without having their hair, neck, ears, arms and legs covered. He's too keen to turn this into another instance of the west politically attacking them, stating  “These are the dictators and colonialists who want to impose their lifestyle on others,”

FIFA has, instead of stating that Iran was breaking the already agreed upon compromise about religious dress on the field, has stated that this ban was for safety reasons. 

I'll be honest.  I'm at a loss. 

What safety reasons? What about these headscarfs are dangerous?
 
FIFA has stated that their ban on women wearing headscarves (even as tight as these) was for safety reasons. 
After the team from Jordan was awarded the victory, the Iranian team took to the field, in tears.

image

In accordance with Shiite laws, Iranian women are to cover their hair, neck, arms and legs.  Female athletes competing in different countries are still expected to follow thier dress codes.  Many a time I have seen a Muslim athlete running with a headscarf.

Wearing head coverings at the Olympics is nothing new.  I found these athletes (and all of these pictures were taken from here) on the first page I checked.

Ruqaya al Ghasara, 100m and 200m for Bahrain:

Waseelah Fadhl Saad, 100m for Yemen

Eman El Gammal, fencing for Egypt

Shaimaa El Gammal, fencing for Egypt

Heba Ahmed, rowing for Egypt

Homa Hosseini, rowing for Iran

It seems the Asian Karate Confederation has no objection to Iranian women wearing the headscarves in competition.

 Really, when you come down to it, how different does it appear than what Cathy Freeman wore in her famous 400m victory at the Sydney 2000 Olympics?

image

image

In 2008, during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a Mullah in Iran stated that "Iranian women athletes presence is against Islamic values". Ayatollah Alamolhoda continued "Do you (Olympic team officials) know what are you doing? To put a woman in front of team is against Islamic innocent Imams sayings. This is a bold move against our Islamic values. Participation of women in athletic environments are against Islamic values"

With so much in their country against them pursuing a sport, and now the international body not allowing them to do so in accordance with Shiite law, what hope is there for Iranian girls wanting to take up sport and become passionate about something?

image

What kind of hope have we got of bridging any sort of gap between the middle east and the west if we leave them like this?  How have we any hope of advancing the lives of women if we can't even let them follow their own religious requirements in a sporting match????  Aren't we just giving them one more reason to hate us?

*NB - It seems that a similar situation faces a Pakisani-born American muslim woman, fighting for her right to compete in the Nationals for Weightlifting.  See story (and photo taken from) here.

Kulsoom Abdullah

What do you think? Do you think that it's time that International Sporting Bodies considered changing rules about dress requirements based on cultural or religious beliefs?  Or should people wanting to compete at the highest level of sport be expected to fall in line and choose between their sport and their faith?

Am very interested in your opinions.

Have added this post to this week's FYBF.  Go over to Where's My Glow to join in.