I was 22 years old when my body first sent me a signal that something wasn’t right. I was experiencing numbness and tingling, but it was easy to dismiss, easy to explain away. There was no dramatic moment, no obvious cause for alarm. For 13 years, life continued. Then, on the 11th of October, just six days after my 35th birthday, everything changed.
Optic neuritis struck without warning. Blurred vision, colour changes, and the frightening reality of losing sight in one eye. It happened right in the peak of our busy dairy farming season, one of the worst possible times for life to be turned upside down. Thankfully I recovered from the optic neuritis after 12 days.
Three weeks later, following an MRI, I had my diagnosis: multiple sclerosis. I was shocked, emotional, unsure, confused. I did a lot of reading to try and understand more.
In those early days, I leaned on my husband, friends, and family; the people closest to me became my first and most important source of strength.
Finding the Right Treatment
My neurologist outlined two treatment options. I took the time to research both thoroughly before making my decision, choosing natalizumab. Then a blood test changed everything. It revealed I was JCV (John Cunningham Virus) positive, and that ruled natalizumab out entirely.
It threw another spanner in the works. I was devastated.
I was moved onto ocrelizumab, a six-monthly infusion treatment administered in hospital. Coming to terms with that wasn’t easy – it wasn’t the path I had chosen or prepared myself for. But gradually, my outlook shifted.
I had to trust the science and the medical professionals. It’s a long day sitting in hospital with a drip, but it’s working for me – and that’s what matters.
Life on the Farm
My husband and I are self-employed, running a dairy farm on the West Coast while raising our three boys. It’s a full, demanding life – and multiple sclerosis has not stopped me from living it.
I try not to let MS affect my daily life. I keep going. My three boys need me as much as I need them.
That’s not to say it’s always easy. Heat is one of my harder challenges – summer leaves me feeling weak, clumsy and light-headed. I manage by focusing on what I can control: eating well, exercising regularly, taking my vitamins, and resting when my body tells me to. MS has, in some ways, made me more attuned to myself – more aware of what my body needs and what it’s capable of.
Community and Connection
Formal MS support on the West Coast has been limited, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from finding my people. I reached out to someone in my own community living with MS, then introduced her to a couple of others. That small, organic connection grew into something really meaningful – we now coordinate our infusions and attend on the same day together.
Sometimes, community isn’t something you find. It’s something you build.
My Advice
To anyone newly diagnosed, my message is this:
Let your feelings out and talk to someone. Research as much as you want, and remember you’re not alone. You’ve got this.
And to anyone whose body just doesn’t feel quite right:
Go see your GP, explain everything you are experiencing.
Looking ahead, my goals are simple and deeply personal – keep my body healthy, look after my brain, and rest when I need to. No grand declarations. Just a quiet, steady determination to show up for myself and my family, one day at a time.
“I do the best I can do, for me.” 🧡