International LDN Awareness Week eBook - User Control Panel

5Annmarie B, Wales1972 – Multiple SclerosisOctober 2007 – LDNIn 1969, I had a TB vaccination. I was only in my teens, but from that time, my healthbecame erratic.I continually felt 'wrong'. In my first year sixth, I was absent from school for weeks at atime and whilst I managed to take my 'A' level examinations, my results weredisappointing. Everyone, including myself, believed that it was stress-related.I went to college but once again seemed to be making regular visits to the doctors.Eventually, I was given tranquillisers - as once again stress was diagnosed. I managedto finish my first year but only a couple of days into the summer vacation, symptomsflooded in fast and furiously. My handwriting was practically illegible: I couldn't hit theright notes on the piano; I couldn't walk in a straight line, drink from a cup; parts of mybody were numb or had 'pins & needles' - and I was talking with a slur.At the end of the summer (1972), I had a lumbar puncture and was diagnosed with MS.I was given a course of cortisone injections and no other treatment. At the time I had afew minor symptoms, but nothing that stopped me from working - including running myown business and having 2 children - a time I felt really well. For many years, I wasnever fully convinced that my diagnosis was correct.I went back to full-time work when my son was 8 months old, in March 1988. I'd beenworking long hours and didn't realise I was pregnant for a 2nd time, until I had amiscarriage. I really wanted to spend more quality time with my 3 year old son, so Isemi-retired from work in 1990. Not long after, my mother-in-law was diagnosed withbowel cancer, and passed away in December 1992 (within a year of the birth of ourdaughter).In 1993, I had a car accident and suffered whiplash. I had problems with legs from thattime, increased fatigue, broken sleep etc. In 1996, I had an MRI scan which confirmedlesions, but we did not know if they were from the original attack in 1972 or were morerecent.In 1997 I had another car accident: My car hit an oil patch and careered off the roadhitting a fence. Unfortunately, a concrete post was behind the fence. My car ricochetedback over the road and landed in a garden. I was concussed and suffered whiplashagain!The period between 2003 and 2004 was a particularly bad time. My mum had a majorstroke. Visiting and caring for her involved travelling to Birmingham every weekend fora year. She passed away in June 2004 and my dad passed away 5 months later, froma broken heart. Then a very good family friend passed away 5 months after that fromprostrate cancer, and our dog was run over in May 2005.Produced by LDN Research Trust for International LDN Awareness Week 19-25 October 2009© LDN Research Trust 200910