Finding a new appreciation for life and everything in it

Twenty-six-year-old Amy was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Here, she talks about how the diagnosis has made her appreciate life more as well as the importance of resting when you need to. 

I'm Amy and I'm 26, married with three children, Ayla aged eight, Archie aged three and Teddy who is one. I also have two Chihuahuas and we all live on the Isle of Man. 

I have been a Beauty Therapist for years and started training to be a lecturer at college to teach beauty therapy to students in September 2020. Everything was going well, but on my son's birthday in January 2021 I found myself with a piercing headache that wouldn't go away. I'd never felt pain like it and knew something was wrong. The next day I noticed my leg had gone numb and weak and I couldn't feel hot or cold sensations. I went to see the doctor who thought it was caused by a migraine. 

When the MRI scan came back with signs of a lesion, the doctor sat down next to my hospital bed and told me that they thought I might have multiple sclerosis.

A few days passed and my leg was getting worse. I also lost sensation in my right arm down to my hand and was unable to move it well. I went to A&E twice where I underwent CT scans, MRI scans and a lumbar puncture. When the MRI scan came back with signs of a lesion, the doctor sat down next to my hospital bed and told me that they thought I might have multiple sclerosis. I was given steroids and started to feel better eventually.

When I left hospital, my sister helped me raise £1,370 for the MS Trust and we're also hoping to do a walk to raise money for an Isle of Man based MS charity soon.

A few months passed until I got my official confirmed diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Since then, it's been a whirlwind and I've struggled to catch up with what it all means. Luckily, my leg and arm have returned to normal and I mainly only struggle day to day with fatigue. If I know I have a really busy day coming up, I make sure to rest the day before and the day after it and that seems to work well for me. 

I have a great support network of friends and family. When I left hospital, my sister helped me raise £1,370 for the MS Trust and we're also hoping to do a walk to raise money for an Isle of Man based MS charity soon. 

Life is definitely more of a challenge now but we are learning to adapt and making the most of a different situation. I'm still able to exercise weekly, socialise with friends, get back to doing beauty treatments and care for three children so I'm proud of how far I've come. I spoke to my eight-year-old after my diagnosis and tried to explain as best as I could to help her understand that I may sometimes need help. My boys are still too little to understand but my tip for others would be to be honest and open with your children about MS.

Since my diagnosis, I have found I have a new appreciation for life and everything in it. I try to be grateful for everything and not take anything for granted.