"MS doesn't control me; I adapt to control MS"

Detective Constable Mike Gale is determined not to let MS define him following his diagnosis last June. Here, he talks about coming to terms with his diagnosis, the support he's received from the police force and the importance of taking care of your mental health.

My name is Mike, I am 44, married and have two children and a dog called Loki. I currently have relapsing remitting MS and was diagnosed on June 10 2019. I have been experiencing symptoms for around 10 years and did not realise that what I was experiencing was MS.

My first symptom was optic neuritis back in 2011 and at this point nobody discussed or even mentioned MS to me. Around four years ago I suffered from what I now know to be foot drop; I had just taken up running to try to get a little fitter and my left foot started catching on the floor. I have always been clumsy so I just carried on like nothing was happening, although the running didn’t last long after that as I found it too hard and thought it was my lack of fitness. I had also been suffering with what I thought were other minor symptoms such as fatigue and tingling arms and legs. I put the tiredness down to having young children and the tingling I just ignored. It progressively got worse and, after a few visits to my GP, I was finally sent for an MRI scan where three lesions were found. I also had a lumber puncture to be certain of the diagnosis.

The diagnosis did not come as a shock as I had been searching the internet for my various weird symptoms over the years and MS always seemed to come up in the results. Deep down I think I knew what was happening to me.

I have been lucky since diagnosis, as I have a vast support network. My wife has been especially supportive and is there to listen to me rant, cry, get angry, get scared and, of course, laugh at me when my balance goes and I have a stumble. My family and friends have helped me out and I know they are there for me whenever I need them.

I am fortunate in my work as I am a Detective Constable with Cumbria Constabulary and they have been amazing. They have accommodated me with a new role and helped me with my workstation. I have had counselling through work and also visited a police treatment centre. Work is one of the few things I feel, at this stage at least, I don’t have to worry about.

My MS nurse is only ever a phone call away and I have a physiotherapist who works on my leg every so often which helps. He is also there to give me a kick up the backside when I forget to do the exercises I am supposed to practice daily.

The symptoms that I am experiencing now are fatigue, which is a killer, although I suppose I am fortunate that at the moment I get fatigued for a couple of hours and then it goes away. I have foot drop in my left foot and numbness. My left arm is not the best and I don't have much feeling in my left hand. I seem to be sensitive to heat and if it's a hot day I can really struggle. I try to adapt but also use it as an excuse to get my wife to fetch me a cold beer (that's a valid coping mechanism right?). I have recently started using a stick to help me walk, this has been a big step and at first a stigma that I struggled with and still do but I try to “own it”; MS doesn't control me; I adapt to control MS. Things are different now but being positive is key and overcoming each hurdle and moving onto the next one is the way to be, well for me anyway.

It's been just over a year since diagnosis, I have a young family and I am still young myself – well, young-ish! I have always been healthy and fit although my fitness has certainly dropped a lot in the last few years. I have had a range of emotions and I can only speak for myself but if I was asked to give advice to others, I would start off by saying build the mental foundations after diagnosis, you can do this by speaking with someone close to you, getting some counselling, and practicing mindfulness (I was very sceptical about this but it really works). Research and understand the condition and get advice from websites like the MS Trust. There is so much information out there and knowledge is power. Once the foundations are set you can then deal with the physical symptoms which, to be fair, can change at any time so you really need to be strong mentally.

My symptoms are not as bad as some, I consider myself to be fortunate and just starting my MS journey. Ultimately I am going to own this condition, it's going to be a long trek with lots of ups and downs but I will not let MS win, it's not going to define me, it will not beat me!