MS and me. The beginning.

A bit about myself. I don’t remember all the details and I am not great at using the official names of things. This used to be frustrating when people would ask specific questions, but now I just accept that it is who I am. Instead I remember the feelings and emotions that episodes had on me and I rely on my much-more scientifically minded friends to correct my terminology! had my first MS episodein 2003 with optic neuritis in left eye. It began the day before my best friends 21st birthday party. I wrote my speech whilst in the hospital waiting room and accessorised my dress with an eye patch. I was told on that first hospital visit that it was likely that I had MS but that I would have to wait until I had a second episode to have it confirmed. I continued with my life, finishing university with one eye whilst writing my thesis, and then heading out on a gap year traveling and working hard. The next few years passed with different small episodes that I dealt with myself, or just ignored as I was busy doing things that I loved. Mainly working too much and loving it. I knew I had MS but I was determined not to let it dominate my life and define me. In 2007 I was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 1. I now had both of the chronic illnesses that have plagued our family in the past. Lucky me! It wasn’t until I was living in NL and had my own neurologist here that I had the ‘official’ MS diagnosis in 2007 and I was forced to take it more seriously. More to follow another time as I have to collect the kids from school…! — in Velp, Gelderland.