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ATTENTION ALL SPONSORS
In October I will be jumping out of an aeroplane at 10,000 feet (with the aid of a parachute of course!) to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
MS is the most common neurological disorder affecting 20-40 year olds and last September my husband was diagnosed with it.
Research into a cure is desperately needed and I hope to raise £500 towards this, after which I will be applying to Lloyds TSB foundations for matched giving. They will match the amount raised up to a maximum of £500.
If anybody would be willing to sponsor me, or make a donation, however small, please telephone Elizabeth Sawyer on St. Osyth 821702. Thank you.
LIVING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS)
With the recent events regarding Beta Interferon, the drug for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers in the news; it has prompted me to write a short account of my life with MS with the hope of widening awareness of the disease.
If someone had told me 5 years ago that I would end up suffering with Multiple Sclerosis I would have laughed at them and said that they must be joking. In 1996 I was very active, playing squash, occasional trips to the gym and training in the art of Jujitsu.
However, that all began to change. I started to feel unsteady coming out of a forward roll when doing Jujitsu. I could only manage to play one game of squash before losing all co-ordination. But these feelings were all gone in a matter of minutes. I paid no attention to them until one day in June 2000 I started to have double vision. As a driver this meant time off work.
What began as a week sick note turned into three months. By this time I was getting a little upset with my doctor. Why can’t he find out what’s wrong with me? Eventually I was referred to a neurologist. For me to see a neurologist on the National Health Service would have meant a year’s wait. So in August of last year my wife, Liz, and I decided to go and see the neurologist privately. After an initial consultation, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan and another consultation to discuss his findings, I was told I had Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
So what now???
Friends mainly keep asking me two things.... what is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)? And how do I feel?
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disorder among young people and affects around 85,000 people in the UK and approximately 2,500,000 world wide.
It results from damage to myelin, a substance that forms a protective sheath around nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. Myelin acts as an insulator to ensure that nerves transmit electrical impulses efficiently. In layman’s terms it can be visualised as a telephone exchange with a network of cables sending and receiving messages. When the cables are damaged, the messages are either interrupted or non-existent. (Statistics: The MS Society Great Britain)
How I personally feel is a little harder to put down on paper.
It’s a mixture of fear of what the future may bring, anger at the NHS for not allowing me access to the only drug, Beta Interferon, that could make a difference to my life, admiration of how well my wife, Liz, has coped and is coping with the news and happiness at the birth of my son, James.
Now.... well all I can do is keep happy and look forward to the future. Things have changed for my family and me. I no longer work and I’m now a house-husband looking after my l6-week-old son. Five years ago my outlook on life was totally different having the attitude that most of us have at some point, that it will never happen to me! Over the past year I have had problems with my hearing, problems walking unaided and no feeling in my right hand but the support I have gained from my wife, the birth of my son, our close friends and the MS Society and friends we made at society meetings have kept me happy to be alive.
My wife, Liz, now raises money for the MS Society through event sponsorship. Her latest event is a 10,000 feet freefall parachute jump on 1st October.
For me, I have the two most important people in my life to think about, my wife and son. No time to think of what has happened or may happen in the future.
There are lots of organisations that help people with Multiple Sclerosis and their carers. Some are listed below. As a final word, if anyone would like to talk to me, Nick, or my wife, Liz, about living and coping with MS then please feel free to call us on 821702.
Nick Sawyer
Useful contacts:
The MS Society Colchester Branch
Pat Tracey* Branch Chairman. Tel: 01206 549311
Sukie Simpson* Initial contact if you are newly diagnosed. Tel: 01787 227249
* Has M.S.
Tendring Crossroads - Care for Carers
Support, information and advice for carers. Tel: 01255 860960 |
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SEPTEMBER 2001