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13th May 2017
Affair with my MStress
The use of an image of wires bared back at the ends is often used as a visual image to illustrate the clinical process of Multiple Sclerosis. It shows how the nerves might appear under a microscope with their damaged myelin coating. Faulty electrics can be fixed, rewired, replaced. Electricians, Engineers even DIY enthusiasts can make the necessary repair work and everything is good again. I trained as an electrical and electronic engineer and used these skills in my early career. The wires bared back image might be too simplistic, it doesn’t represent how Multiple Sclerosis manifests itself on both emotional and sensory feelings and on movement and strength.
How does it feel like to have Multiple Sclerosis?
This aims to express my feelings and share the impact of Multiple Sclerosis on my life. This is my personal account and although others may relate to some or similar issues, it must be acknowledged that my issues will not be the same for them as Multiple Sclerosis is different for everybody.
Multiple Sclerosis typically affects both men and women between the age of 20-40. In my case I was recently married with a baby boy and enjoying life with family and friends. I would consider myself fit and healthy. New career opportunities were developing. Life was good!
Last year we celebrated being married for 25 years and for most of that time I’ve been having an affair with my MStress.
Affair – a definition
‘an event or sequence of events of a specified kind’
Over the last 10 years in particular my psycho MStress’ strength has been influencing all aspects of my life. It’s growing inside me like the Alien in Ripley’s stomach. It can overpower me at any moment without warning.
Like many men I want to protect my home and family; be man of the house, a strong dad, DIY guy. I want to be able to play ball games with my children and pickup my grandchildren when they fall, move heavy furniture and climb up ladders and do simple home repairs. I can’t do these things now because I now lack the strength, speed and co-ordination.
My sadistic MStress has a big effect on my balance. Poor balance makes it almost impossible to lift and carry anything delicate or heavy. I never appreciated how much balance influences strength and power. As well as gravity, my MStress introduces multiple extra forces to cope with. I’m always dropping things; I just can’t be trusted carrying anything precious like your crystal glass of wine or china tea cup or even new grandson.
My MStress is like a mad Puppet MSter cutting my strings without warning. This makes my foot drop, tripping me up or I can be thrown to the floor in a heap and left me to claw my way along to reach something solid to lean on or to slump onto a chair. I can also be immobile due to stiff legs.
My Bunny Boiler MStress has forced me into drugs – my fridge is full of hypodermic syringes and I have a sharps bin in the cupboard. My first drug was a intramuscular drug, a big fat needle I had to push into my thigh muscle. It was only taken once a week but I developed a fear of this 3inch nail. To help overcome this, I tried to coincide the jab with an ‘action’ on TV like a free-kick during Match Of The Day. Sometimes this didn’t work and I’d have to ask my wife or wake one of my children asking them to “come and stab your Dad with this!” There is a lot of collaboration and great research by the global Multiple Sclerosis organisations into a possible cure and currently a number of different disease modifying drugs are available and under test. My second drug was intravenous and similar to chemotherapy treatment. It was so poisonous that as a warning it was dyed a rich blue and this made my urine the same colour for the next 12hours. These poisons made me lose all my hair – everywhere! I looked very sick but felt great for the following 12 months! The other dramatic side effect of this drug and hair loss I still have is feeling cold most of the time. I now have another hypodermic drug. These pin-like needles are not so scary. I use this every other day subcutaneously in my legs, stomach or arms.
My MStress controls the clothes I wear. For comfort, for ease getting on and off and because I love them, I wear retro style trainers as much as possible. Without warning my wicked MStress makes them feel like cheap football boots two sizes too tight, which crush my toes. These boots have metal studs breaking through the soles stabbing my feet with every step. The studs can make every surface feel like ice.
Frequency, Hesitancy, Urgency – Well there’s a contradiction in terms but terms given to my bladder. My MStress must have a sick sense of humour – I’ll be the one stood up at a public toilet urinal waiting and waiting and waiting. Other men will come in and go and I would still be stood there. Eventually I decide that nothing is going to happen and so I’ll zip-up, wash my hands and leave. I wobble my way back to where I was originally but then have to turn back and return as quickly as possible to the toilet. At other times I could be standing cross-legged with my hand creating some pressure desperate to get to a loo only to find there it has always got someone else in.
My evil MStress can try to influence where I go and when I go and this has had an impact on my career and money. I have been fortunate to work with some amazing teams, travel to some amazing places and meet some amazing people. Multiple Sclerosis forced a change in career direction and in many ways has made me a better, more accomplished person. I have been able to use both my engineering and commercial skills and maintain contact with and create many new national and international business contacts. I have also developed many new skills too. Multiple Sclerosis has also created a deep appreciation of life living with a disability. Through our Triple Tread® project I have been able to meet some extraordinary people and connect with some amazing organisations.
So what does the future hold for me and my MStress? More wobbling, more bouncing off walls, more falls and more drugs for certain but also more opportunities. I believe my future includes support for others coming to terms with Multiple Sclerosis and the issues their MStress or MSter throws at them. I am particularly keen to support those who are newly diagnosed.
Championing sport and fitness is of particular interest. I will continue to use my skills and knowledge to create cool, attractive and functional solutions to improve confidence, self-esteem, health and wellness. Exercise is important for everyone but disabilities throw additional challenges including those of balance, pain, fatigue and spasticity.
I am fortunate and thankful for the love of my wife and sense of humour we share that gets us through each day. I am grateful for the support of my family and friends. I know they will help me in my continued battle with my MStress and together we look forward to new challenges ahead.
