MS & Me

This week guest blogger Rosie McCormack, a sub-editor and graphic designer diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 2015 shares her personal journey with Multiple Sclerosis.

'MS & Me Blog marks one year by looking back and looking forward'

How full is your (tea) cup?

Back in my school days, there were two types of copies: the ones with the lines and the ones with the squares. A protractor was about as sophisticated as my pencil case got - although, I was ecstatic to find lethal weapons (set-square and compass) therein! Things have gotten much more complicated in the year of the loom band with all kinds of paraphernalia to be bought before September the first.

I think I have an aversion to the World Cup. In July 2010 I ended up in hospital, and was subsequently diagnosed, with MS. Roll on 4 years, and I was back. I was in a different hospital, and the relapse was totally different than my previous one, but the drill was the same. 

Employment affects your brain, your mental health, the money in your pocket and life you get to live. This week Emma Rogan discusses the value of work from her perspective and how having something to wake up FOR can transform our lives. 

When I was first diagnosed with MS, I was given information on a number of drugs. At the time I felt that being diagnosed in my early twenties would have to work to my advantage as I would get on treatment faster and have it working in my system for a long time. As my MS was extremely active in the beginning, I felt the faster I could get on treatment the better. I looked through pages of booklets on treatments and read though clinical trials that were offered to me. One looked very appealing, but I felt that at that time I needed to be on something solid that had been tried and tested. After much research and reading, I decided to try Tysabri and went to my MS nurse with this decision. It seemed to me to be the gold star drug available for MS.

My white blood cells have been on the naughty-step for more than a month now. The first blood test said they were low. The next one said that they were EVEN lower. I gave another sample last week and haven’t heard back yet. I should really call the hospital but I just remembered that I was going to defrost the freezer today……  This ostrich-like behaviour can be translated to “I really want to stay on this new MS drug but I am scared I will be taken off it if my white blood cells don’t cop on”. On the up-side, my household appliances have never had so much attention.

Willeke moved to Ireland from her native Belgium in 2002. Diagnosed in 2005, she was intent on being a voluntary advocate for people with MS after her retirement 4 years later. Willeke has been described as inquisitive, tenacious and very independent. She hopes to keep on writing when her eyes permit her to, and to help others see sense in what is often MS-nonsense.

Diagnosed with MS in 1988, I was told that there was no cause, no treatment and no cure and to add to my emotional turmoil there was no definitive diagnosis either. That didn’t leave a lot of hope for the future but my mother’s brother, who also had MS, helped me through the earlier days, weeks and months.