From Diagnosis to Distance: My MS Journey and the Power of Setting Goals
In early 2020, I started noticing strange things happening to my body. I couldn’t walk in a straight line, and then my tongue went numb. Concerned, I visited my doctor, who advised me to monitor my symptoms and check in. Just four days later, the left side of my face went numb. Alarmed and confused, […]
From Dizzying Speeds to Vertigo – Jackson’s Journey to Diagnosis
Hi my name is Jackson Ruakere, I’m 30 years old, a plumber and gasfitter by trade and like to consider myself very fit and active. I have a passion for watersports and the outdoors, especially freestyle jet-skiing. Throughout 2023 I had been experiencing pins and needles and numbness in my hands and legs. I went […]
MS Care Can’t Wait – And Neither Can We
MS Care Can’t Wait – And Neither Can We I join the MS Society of NZ in calling for urgent investment in neurology services, MS nurse specialists, and allied healthcare teams. The call for more neurologists isn’t just a wish – it’s a necessity. Early diagnosis is critical. When MS is caught early, there are […]
Pushing Past Limits: My Life-Changing Outward Bound Experience
When I first signed up for Outward Bound, I didn’t know exactly why I was doing it. But somewhere deep inside, I think I wanted my daughters, Casey (31) and Zahna (29), to be proud of me. I wanted them to one day say, Our mum was amazing. She had MS, but she never let […]
I May Have MS, But I am Lucky – Chris Lord’s Story
Today is World Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day. Seeing the reminder in my calendar pop up prompted a moment of reflection. It made me think about not just my experience (circa 2 years), but the experiences of over 4000 Kiwis who are faced with this challenge, in some cases, for many years. On Friday, 11th August […]
Regular Kiwi Kid to Facing the Unknown: Angus’s Journey to Diagnosis
I’m Angus, 35 years old, New Zealand European. I’m married to an incredible woman, and we have two beautiful kids. I grew up in Whangārei and moved to Wellington when I was eight. I’ve got one sister, and no history of illness in the family, in fact most of my relatives live well into their […]
Help Change the Narrative of Life with MS – Share Your Story
We know that living with multiple sclerosis comes with unique challenges and experiences. What we’ve been hearing from the community is a desire to change perceptions of MS – especially when it comes to the diagnosis, the journey since then, and how MS impacts daily life. Now, we’re asking YOU to share your story. We […]
Marco Martinez – Giving Back in Whatever Small Ways I Can
We love to share stories from our MS Community. In the post below, written by Marco, he shares with us how he keeps busy after being medically retired, embracing opportunities as they arise. In 2009, I was diagnosed with RRMS. In 2012, I had a massive flare-up and was medically retired at 44 years of […]
World MS Day 2024
As a member of the MS International Federation (MSIF), MSNZ is proud to be involved with World MS Day which is officially marked on 30 May each year. World MS Day is a global awareness raising campaign for multiple sclerosis. Every year, the MS movement comes together to provide the public with information about multiple sclerosis and how it […]
My MS, My Story – Claire Brown
Fifty-six is reasonably old to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis given that the average age of onset is around thirty-four years and I will always be grateful that, even in the unlikely event that I live to be 100, I will have spent most of my life blissfully free of this debilitating disease. Like most […]