I grew up like many people with a love of life, sport, people and drinking. I was an active sports person, playing Rugby, Football and Cricket. I took part in several half marathon and 10k fun runs.
In 2009 I was getting ready for the new rugby season and in the first preseason match I played I made a break and passed the ball to my colleague, as I passed the ball I was tackled from behind and fell awkwardly on to an opposing player - unfortunately I hit my head quite hard and came off the pitch. Over the next week or so I experienced concussion symptoms, but as I had been concussed several times before in my career never really thought about it much and kept going with my normal daily life. The symptoms however would continue for more than three weeks, and I was also experiencing bad double vision. At this point I thought I better see a professional, I was in hospital within hours on a neuro ward and over the next two weeks had various tests but nothing was diagnosed. At this point I was allowed to leave the ward and went home.
A few months past with nothing seemingly wrong with me, and I returned to rugby and I took part in training one evening, I felt really dizzy and something new happened after ten minutes of running - I I had no energy to walk and was struggling to keep my body weight up, I managed to make it home that evening went to bed and woke up the next day and tried to get out of bed, I stood up and felt like I had no energy again in my body to stand-up, at this point I collapsed and was blue-lighted to hospital, I again went though several tests including and MRI a few days later a neurology specialist came to my bed and gave me the diagnosis - I thought my life was over on hearing the words Multiple Sclerosis. I called my partner and asked her to leave me (she didn't) and then broke down to my family that at 27 I had MS and my life was over.
That's my story and I will add to this going forward, and how I learned to deal with my issues and how I changed my life.
S
