I have challenged myself to walk 150 miles throughout the month of May

Holly is starting her Miles for MS challenge (along with 200 others) on 1st May and she has raised over £1,000 for the MS Trust to date. Here she shares why she has set herself the challenge to walk 150 miles throughout May, to support the MS Trust.

I was only diagnosed in December 2019, so some things are still pretty new to me. I had my first noticeable relapse in August and spent many trips to the doctors feeling weak, tired and off balance. I was told it was very likely it was just a viral infection, that was upsetting my balance, and that it would most likely go away within a few weeks.

A few days later the whole of my right side went totally numb and I was admitted to A&E with a suspected stroke. After a CT scan came back clear they decided an MRI scan of the brain would be the next step. At this point the nurse came back with the devastating news that they had found demyelination on my scan. They performed a lumbar puncture and I was sent home to await the results.

A few weeks passed before I was contacted by the neurology team at the hospital. During those weeks I don’t think I left the MS Trust website, learning as much as I could about this life-changing diagnosis. I’m not one to bury my head in the sand and wanted to know everything I could about how this would affect me and my family. The MS Trust website and their videos had an answer to literally every question I thought of.

It was amazing to get the information I was seeking without relying on the doctors and waiting for appointments to have them answered.

A few appointments with the neurologist and some more blood tests to rule out everything else, I finally had my diagnosis of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis in December. Weirdly, it was a relief to finally get a diagnosis and to know I would be able to start some sort of treatment and slow down the progression of this nasty disease. I have since met my amazing MS nurse and started on my copaxone injections.

I wanted to give back to the MS Trust for all the help and information I have received during a difficult time in my life. I truly think that without the answers I needed, I could have been in a much darker place than I ended up.

I have challenged myself to walk 150 miles throughout the month of May and have so far raised over £1,000 for the MS trust. My family and friends have been so good helping me spread the word of my Miles for MS challenge. I will never be able to thank them enough for the donations they have made.

I am truly astounded by the total we stand at and hope it will make a difference to the MS Trust to be able to continue to help people like myself throughout their MS journeys.

Join Holly and the rest of the Miles for MS Team by completing your own distance challenge throughout May. Whether it is half a mile or 150, you decide how far you go and how you complete it. Find out more and how you complete your Miles for MS challenge at home.