Thank you to all who have contributed. I hope others reading your story has helped give a wide variety of symptoms, outcomes & hopes for their futures.
Many thanks
bren
x
Hi Bren
Originally diagnosed 40+ years ago, but have only been in a wheelchair since 2008 - so I’ve done pretty well, I lived a full active life for as long as I could, plus I still work full time now.
MS is do-able, livable, but very hard at times - still everyone’s life is like that with good times and bad times. So to newcomers even a diagnosis of MS is not always as bad as it seems it just takes a bit of adjusting to. Being in a wheelchair is not too bad either as although my body image suffered but the fact that I have a super-duper power wheelchair and an adapted car has given me back my independence, so I’m out and about and still enjoying life even with MS.
;-)) Mary
Anyone newly diagnosed will be inspired by all of your posts. You all seem to be tackling your problems - exercising especially.
Any amount of exercise does improve your ‘feel good’ factor. My MS started with agression 31 years ago now. l was pregnant with my daughter at the time. l could not control my left arm/hand - [not ideal when you are a hairdresser] l could not feel my feet touch the ground - l had terrible slurred speech - sounded and walked as if l was drunk. l had vertigo/ trigeminal neuralgia.
My ms was diagnosed as SPMS. l improved no end after having my amalgum fillings removed - speech came back - vertigo went - and my walking improved enough for me to get about with a stick/scooter.
Life ticked on - problems with bladder/bowel were causing me more distress/depression then any other symptom. 18yrs ago l had a SPC [supra-pubic catheter] and this changed my life for the better. lt gave me back some self-respect - it enabled me to have a better sexlife. 6yrs ago l was fortunate to be giving the chance of trying the Peristeen system to help my bowel control.This has made a big difference.
Then 4yrs ago l started on LDN - and this gave me further benefits - less fatigue - no brain fog and a more positive feeling enhancing my outlook on life. Vitd3/vitb12 in high doses has also helped.
Now at the age of 65 - my problems are in my right side - not ms - but caused by struggling to walk/stand/balance - the right leg has had to do twice the work to compensate for my ms left leg. So after my hip-op - and then eventually a knee op - l am hoping that l might get back more mobility - and far less pain.
lf l knew back then what l know now - l would certainly have started on vitd3 before becoming pregnant. And never have had those awful fillings in my teeth. Neither l know the outright cause of ms - but definitely attributing to it. l was extremely fit and active before ms - and l have tried to keep some form of exercise since to try to keep fitter. Yoga/Pilates/exercise machines and l did do quite a bit of horse-riding. So probably more then a lot of able-bodied folk. l do try to keep moving all day - rarely sit down as l find my body just siezes up. Even eat my breakfast standing up.
F.