The first year being diagnosed was a slightly difficult one. I had to accept that my life was completely changed now and I had no idea what direction I would go. Hales was constant support to me and without her there is no way I would have got through it.
We had only been married just over a year when it all started, learning some of the things that were likely to happen to me was difficult. I’ve never really known how Hales coped with it all and how she felt knowing what was likely to happen.
I must admit that when I was at a low point once I did debate leaving her to spare her having to go through it with me! I quickly realised it was not up to me to decide her life, she had obviously decided to stay with me despite the future and that only made me love her more than I already did.
The MS had kind of settled down after the first 2 relapses and the next few years were fairly normal. I had lost a slight bit of vision in my left eye, but I wore glasses anyway so it made little difference. My legs were weaker than they had been, but I wasn’t planning on running any marathons so that had little impact.
I carried on working full, doing long distance trucking. I had check ups every 6 months and every time I was told I was working too much and should be doing a job 40 hours a week! I did tell them that if they found me a job earning the money I did that only required 40 hours a week I would gladly change! Obviously that didn’t happen!
I had another relapse, this time in my left arm. I was quickly admitted to hospital and a course of steroids quickly sorted it out.
That was the last relapse I remember and life just carried on as normal as possible from there. I did start having other symptoms, but they came on slowly not like a relapse. I started having Urgency when I needed to go to the loo and had to find a toilet fairly quickly when I needed to go. Luckily there were no accidents them days and I learnt to find somewhere to go as soon as it started.
The other symptom I started getting was erectile dysfunction. I’m not embarrassed to talk about it as there is nothing I can do about it so why dismiss it! It was very frustrating (both ways) and is still the symptom I hate more than anything else.
We had finally managed to get ourselves a mortgage and bought a lovely little 3 bed semi in Ipswich. I decided that being away from home all week was not what I wanted any more so I found myself a job doing local deliveries so I could be home with Hales more.
Enough for today, more to follow.
Rob :o)
My Life and My MS 