Last updated at 12:05, Thursday, 30 July 2009

LET me introduce myself. My name is Katie Bailey, I’m 28 years old, a typical blonde, I have a dog called Moose and I love chocolate. Oh, and I have this thing called Multiple Sclerosis...

Katie Bailey has formed a new group for young - and young at heart - people with multiple sclerosis (detailed below). Here she talks about her life with multiple sclerosis....

I was diagnosed a year ago and life has been a rollercoaster ever since. I’ve always been a ‘glass half full’ person and try to find the good out of every situation. I never thought there’d be a good side to having MS, but I have found some: Like meeting some brilliant people and new friends, getting the opportunity to do things that I didn’t think I’d be able to and to feel like I’m making a difference by raising money for research and educating people on MS.

It always amazes me the look on someone’s face when you tell them that you have MS. Because I’m lucky enough to not be walking with a stick or be in a wheelchair at the moment, the look of confusion just spreads across their face. I think this is because a lot of people have heard of MS but don’t really know what it is and, because you have it, they expect you to be walking with a stick or be in a wheelchair.

This is what spurs me on to make people aware of what MS is. I admit that before I was diagnosed, I had heard of it but didn’t know what it was.

A year down the line and I’m starting to understand how my body works, or doesn’t for that matter! I have fatigue but feel lazy and will push myself too much and then have no choice but to rest. I have recently started physio and he’s started me off with breathing exercises and it’s hard work! That really showed me how unfit I have become and what state my body is in.

I’ve struggled to come to terms with having this shadow everywhere I go, with it making my decisions in terms of what I can and can’t do. I think, at the beginning, I rebelled but quickly realised that’s the worst thing I could’ve done.

Now I like to think that MS is my live-in friend/foe and sometimes we get along fine and sometimes we have a big argument and a relapse rears its big head again. For once, it’s not me who starts the arguments but always me that has to apologise by pumping steroids into me and doing everything it tells me to for the next month or so!

NEW GROUP FORMED FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE WITH MS

A NEW group has been formed for younger people who have multiple sclerosis.

It’s been put together by Katie Bailey, 28, a financial account officer with adult social care.

Katie, of Greenlands Close, Whitehaven, formed the yet unnamed group for the young and young at heart who have MS, their family or carers.

She said: “There is a misconception that only older people get MS but the majority of people now get diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 30. I know one person who was diagnosed at the age of 17.

“We meet up for a crack with each other. We don’t want people to feel they are alone.”

Katie’s symptoms began when she was 26 years old. It started with pins and needles in her hands and moved around her body.

She said: “I went for an MRI scan and the doctor had warned me that I had the symptoms of MS and to be prepared for that. I had been told if the scan didn’t show anything, they would have no idea what was wrong with me so it was actually a relief when they could finally diagnose I had MS.

“When I was first diagnosed, I knew nothing about MS. I had the support of the MS nurse but I did feel very alone because I didn’t understand what was going on with my body.

“The first port of call was the MS Society. It is the main charity and have advice, literature, groups. It scared the hell out of me! You don’t know what is going to happen. I could get better, stay the same or get worse. It is so problematic. There is no cure, just modifying drugs.”

To join the group contact Katie on 07709318941.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS FACT FILE

MULTIPLE sclerosis is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults, however it is possible for MS to occur at any age.

Around 100,000 people in the UK have MS. Women are almost twice as likely to develop MS than men.

MS is a condition of the central nervous system which controls the body’s actions and activities, such as movement and balance. Myelin helps the messages from the brain travel quickly and smoothly to the rest of the body. In MS, the myelin becomes damaged, disrupting the transfer of these messages. There are four main types of MS: benign MS, relapsing remitting MS, secondary progressive MS and primary progressive MS.

The symptoms of the condition are numerous and unpredictable, and they affect each person differently. Some of the most common conditions include problems with mobility and balance, pain, muscle spasms and muscle tightness. The exact cause is not fully understood, but evidence suggests that it’s caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

There is no recognisable cure for MS, but research continues. However, there are many treatments which aim to make the symptoms easier to cope with.

First published at 15:47, Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk