Multiple Sclerosis
I first heard about the disease when I was at school. Back then it didn’t mean much in my life – hell I was indestructible, it was just ignored.
It was something that affected other people – people who lived outside my world – outside my frame of reference – not my problem – a general indifference to what it meant.
For the last couple years I’d had a couple issues – primarily with a tingling numbness. Didn’t pay too attention to it because the sensory problem would come and go!
Hell, I used my symptoms to my advantage!!
Some days when I was at the gym exercising and couldn’t feel my legs, it wasn’t as though I couldn’t use them – they worked better!!! I could lift more, cycle for longer and that was a bonus. None of the usual aching and stressing (and farting!) that happened with a serious workout – serious exercise!
Unfortunately, the numbness episodes progressively got longer and more intense.
Initially the numbness was just below the right knee. Yeah I told myself, that was because of a motorcycle accident – it must be – isn’t it?
Then the numbness enveloped the whole right leg. Yeah, it’s still that knee – serious nerve damage – so what I’m still walking?
Then one day the right leg was just fine – normal – but the left leg was numb - strange…?
It was also at this time that I stood on something lifting my toe nail and only found out about it when I had blood all over my kitchen floor.
That really sucked!! Do you know how difficult it is to clean blood up?
As time past the numbness lasted longer and longer. First it was a day or two, then a week, then two and onto a month and now even more.
But I didn’t do anything because I was still able to live normally – walk the talk like the average (good looking) bloke. I looked after my body, health, didn’t over-indulge, non-smoker and exercised regularly to offset a desk bound job.
So for the last couple years, the numbness came and went – relapsing. Sometimes several months would pass with no effects whatsoever – uneventful.
Well that was until late this August.
Over about a week I slowly lost control of my right leg. I knew I was vertically standing but had no idea of what my right leg was doing. The numbness I’d experienced previously always allowed me to feel the stepping action vibration through my back. Now I felt nothing.
The right leg muscles didn’t have control.
The thigh muscle banged up and down – couldn’t move the leg smoothly. My ability to balance also got rooted. With no balance walking virtually impossible – moving became a concentrated effort.
Well, at this point being a bloke and all – tough as nails – I finally realized I needed some help.
Frustrated, debilitated, depressed and now searching for a cure, I visited Google to find out if anyone else had similar symptoms.
First results hinted at a thyroid issue that messed with the nervous system and then somebody on the forum mentioned MS.
Idiot!
I heard about it mentioned what the hell was MS? How could that be? Initially I couldn’t even spell “Multiple Sclerosis”
Sounded really bad – no way. Besides a couple altercations with a motorcycle and the normal stuff guys do to themselves – I looked after my body – ate well 
Hell I only one body – no spares in my cupboard! MS affected other people – not me – not my family – nobody.
Immediate denial – it had to be wrong!
Multiple sclerosis diagnosis ;-(
