Welcome to my blog!

Hi there!

This blog is related to my autobiography DMD Life art and me plus there will be non related posts. I have the disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and that has left me in a near paralyzed state, I wrote this book in 10 months using one finger clicking one mouse button on one on screen keyboard! Be a follower by clicking in the box on the right and you'll get every new post I make. Feel free to join in with your comments and enjoy!

Ian,

Author and Digital Artist

Wednesday 31 July 2013

A little bit about my art...

As some of you will be aware I am a self-taught digital artist although by no means professional. I thought I'd step away from information about Duchenne this week and concentrate on things that we can do. Not all of us may be able to hold down a full-time job because of the difficulties Duchenne can throw up. But instead of lying in bed all day or Facebooking or playing computer games there may be things those with Duchenne could do. Now I know that some people with Duchenne are so severely disabled that it would be impossible to even do this so this is to the ones that feel able enough to do something.

To keep myself occupied I have written the book this blog often talks about, I have also written an e-book on poetry and I have converted my written book into e-book also. Apart from that though since about 2005/6 I found a really cool art program I liked called Corel painter and have been painting and designing since then! It is absolutely something I love doing and gives me a definite reason to get out of bed and keep living. It may not be much but it makes me happy! So below is a collection of my artworks. Enjoy!








































As you can see I have been doing a lot of jewellery designs and this has become my latest 'passion'. I can certainly design you one if you would like a design. Here's my artwanted blog article to explain.

Taking bespoke Jewellery Commissions,


Commissions, (Please email me for availability at thebig_ian_g@btinternet.com, also please do send your design ideas, i.e. whether you want a ring or pendant etc or any favourite gems you have. If you prefer a completely original design I'll do that!)

I may sometimes work from your photographs (please make sure you own the copyright or have direct permission for use.)

I'm a digital artist, so the product I'm offering is a digital image (JPEG) which is priced at $3. We can discuss payment privately by email. I usually take 1 to 2 weeks to do a Jewellery design. I can only do one at time because of my disability so times may vary a little.

Things I won't paint- anything basically offensive, again that will be ascertained via email.

I look forward to working with you!

Ian.



More links about my other activities;


EBOOK available here; https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69702

Available on Amazon USA here; http://www.amazon.com/DMD-Life-Art-Ian-Griffiths/dp/1907652337/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288120811&sr=8-1

Available on Amazon UK here; http://www.amazon.co.uk/DMD-LIFE-ART-AND-ME/dp/1907652337/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288105302&sr=8-1

My new Ebook Poetic Diversions available to buy here; https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/206857

All links available in my website here; http://duchennemen.net16.net/Buy-my-books/

My art can be viewed here; www.artwanted.com/thebigG2005


Foreword

I’m Ian Griffiths from South Wales. This book is a story of my life so far up to the age of twenty five years. I live with and suffer from the ill effects of DMD which stands for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It is a severe muscle wasting disease and a life limiting terminal illness. It won’t kill you in six months in the traditional sense of ‘terminal’, but it’s far crueller than that, it steals every muscle in your body first and then kills you, anywhere up to the age of thirty. There have been cases of men living past that into their forties and fifties but only with drastic interventions such as ventilators and tracheotomies, more on this can be found by reading on.
I hope to cover a few things in this book, from a history of my childhood years to a more detailed history from sixteen years onwards and finally onto my current problems and triumphs. At times things I write may make you smile or may make you pause and think about the seriousness of life with this devastating disease. I really hope there will be a cure but currently for us supposedly ‘older’ guys with DMD (over twenty one), there seems very little hope. If I don’t see a cure in my lifetime, I hope my campaigning helps in some way bring it about for future generations, so another child won’t have to see their body wither and die before their time
 


Tuesday 9 July 2013

The many faces of suction

It's been awhile since my last blog entry but here goes. Personally I need my chest/lungs suctioned out everyday as and when needed. 12 years ago as a result of the ravages of DMD I lost the ability to adequately cough away any mucus from out of my lungs. Consequently I had a mini tracheotomy fitted to allow suction catheters to be introduced into my trachea to remove any excess mucus. If this were not done I would surely choke and well you know the rest.
That doesn't mean there's no humour involved as there have been a few funny experiences. Like when Mom gets all prepared with sterile glove only to find no catheter attached to the suction machine! Another aspect is that no 2 people suction me out in the same way which takes some getting used too. Mom is the best at doing it with very fast swift movements to clear my chest out, my Dad uses slower movements and goes further down the trachea. Going back to humour one my elder sisters always makes me laugh by calling my secretions "phlegmbouyant" and describing a horse race as she does it!

Find out more about suction and secretions in my book DMD Life and art!


EBOOK available here; https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69702

Available on Amazon USA here; http://www.amazon.com/DMD-Life-Art-Ian-Griffiths/dp/1907652337/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288120811&sr=8-1

Available on Amazon UK here; http://www.amazon.co.uk/DMD-LIFE-ART-AND-ME/dp/1907652337/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288105302&sr=8-1

My new Ebook Poetic Diversions available to buy here; https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/206857

All links available in my website here; http://duchennemen.net16.net/Buy-my-books/

My art can be viewed here; www.artwanted.com/thebigG2005


Foreword

I’m Ian Griffiths from South Wales. This book is a story of my life so far up to the age of twenty five years. I live with and suffer from the ill effects of DMD which stands for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It is a severe muscle wasting disease and a life limiting terminal illness. It won’t kill you in six months in the traditional sense of ‘terminal’, but it’s far crueller than that, it steals every muscle in your body first and then kills you, anywhere up to the age of thirty. There have been cases of men living past that into their forties and fifties but only with drastic interventions such as ventilators and tracheotomies, more on this can be found by reading on.
I hope to cover a few things in this book, from a history of my childhood years to a more detailed history from sixteen years onwards and finally onto my current problems and triumphs. At times things I write may make you smile or may make you pause and think about the seriousness of life with this devastating disease. I really hope there will be a cure but currently for us supposedly ‘older’ guys with DMD (over twenty one), there seems very little hope. If I don’t see a cure in my lifetime, I hope my campaigning helps in some way bring it about for future generations, so another child won’t have to see their body wither and die before their time