BBC Radio 1's Beccy Huxtable shares how the MS Trust supported her after diagnosis

Rebecca 'Beccy' Huxtable is a British radio personality and producer, best known for her work as an Assistant Producer and Co-Host of The Scott Mills Show with Scott Mills on BBC Radio 1. When Becky was diagnosed with MS in 2012, she turned to the MS Trust for help and support. You can support people living with MS, like Becky, by making a donation to our Big Give Christmas Challenge.

I was diagnosed in 2012, not long after I turned 30. In all honesty, my diagnosis was a relief. That sounds like a strange thing to say but I’d had various bits of illness and odd symptoms since I was about 10 years old, none of which really made sense, and I was starting to think I was imagining it all. I remember calling my mum one day and saying, “I just know that something is wrong” and not long after I was diagnosed with CIS and then MS about 6 months later. It took a while to come to terms with, and sometimes I still struggle if I think about it too much, but on the whole I was pleased to be able to put a name to everything I’d experienced and then work out how to manage it.

My neurologist recommended I visit the MS Trust website at my first appointment. He said that there was a lot of information out there, but this would be the clearest and I could read as much or as little as I wanted to. There was a great tool online that helped me compare all the DMTs, from how they’re taken to potential side effects. A few years later, My MS Nurse was also able to give me guides that the MS Trust produced which had invaluable information around MS & pregnancy. I also still have a book which was created for children which I’m starting to read with my son who’s now four, so he understands a bit more about what MS is and how it affects me.

So many people still don’t know what MS is, the different types, or how it can affect people living with it. The more we can raise awareness, hopefully the easier it will be for people to get the support and understanding that they need. It’s a life changing condition which can also feel very isolating at times, so just knowing that there are charities and allies out there you can speak to and get advice, makes the journey that little bit easier.