Hello from the Emerald Isle

I have left ole England and have safely arrived in Ireland to see my family and friend. I planned to stay here a month - the longest time I have ever spent in the company of my family since I have lived independently.

As per usual, I never sleep properly prior to a trip anywhere nor could I eat breakfast this morning without feeling sick. But I eat anyway because I know I would feel worse if I get on the plane on an empty stomach. And as per usual I nodded off during the 30 minute flight. Mainly becuase I hardly slept last night, but also because I have a tendency to fall sleep when I'm sitting on any moving vehice (vehicles on water excepted). I think it has something to do with my parents putting us kids in the car and driving around till we fell asleep. I kept waking up though, because somewhere at the back of my brain I was still conscious that I was sleeping with my mouth gaping open and perpetually on the verge of drooling. I do not, however, know if I snored. I was once woken up from a nap on the train by the sound of somebody snoring, until I realised that it was actually me.

"Good morning," I said cheerily to the immigration man, having chewed on some gum after waking up.

"Morning," he answers. He takes one look at me and then my passport and asks,"Now, are you a doctor or an accountant?"

"Er...doctor."

"Ah." Lots of tapping on computer keyboard. "Do you know anything about cerebellar ataxia?"

Ataxia describes an inablity to co-ordinate muscle movements, lack of balance and disturbance of gait. Many diseases can result in ataxia and the main cause of it is damage to the part of the brain called the cerebellum.

"What? Umm,not really. It's not something I come across that often. Unless it's in someone who is drunk. Hahahha."

Immigation man doesn't laugh with me. "My daughter had cerebellar ataxia when she was eight. She's twenty now, of course."

"Oh." I racked my brains. The only ataxias I know occurs in multiple sclerosis and in heavy alcohol abusers. And Friedrich's ataxia which is a particularly unpleasant disease. People who have it don't usually survive past their teens. He did say his daughter was twenty, though. Should I ask him how his daughter is now? He didn't sound like she was still ill with it. But I shouldn't risk it, should I, in case he opens a whole sad story about how she's bed-bound and fed by tubes now and how the whole health care system failed her?

Immigration man looks up and says,"We had the nicest doctor. She's all better now." He stamps my passport twice with a thump. "Welcome to Ireland."