"Together, we can change the way we view MS" – Daniel's journey
Daniel recently shared his story with us about how life changed for the better after being diagnosed with MS.
Hi, all. I'm Daniel. I’d like to share a story with you about how my life was transformed for the better.
Spoiler, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
I was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS in early 2015. I was taking part in a clinical research trial whilst working as a radiographer in Edinburgh. And this was an incidental finding during the trial.
Like many, my diagnosis broke me and it's taken years to fully come to terms with it. I suffered with bouts of depression for several years after my diagnosis.
Turning my life around
Some time passed before something changed. I refused to continue living that way and realised significant change was needed. Sure, I’m making this sound easy but it wasn’t, it was essential.
I asked myself many questions and thought hard about where to go from this point. Where can I channel my energy to achieve something I never thought possible? Where can I prove to myself that this "illness" doesn't limit me? Life got exciting around this point.
I made the bold decision to leave my career entirely and retrain as a doctor. Again, I’m making this sound easy. But it was far from easy. The way I see it, I was given a golden ticket to completely transform my life and reinvent myself. And this is an opportunity very few people get.
I did this with the ambition of one day getting hands-on with the disease which so cruelly derailed my life. At 31 years old I'm both a junior doctor and an MS patient which is a unique perspective!
This "illness" has made me stronger than I ever believed was possible and I’m not stopping here.
MS pushed me to get up and make the impossible possible and the rest is history. I've completed a half marathon to raise funds for the MS Society. And I'm currently writing an article highlighting my experiences of living and working as a doctor with MS. This "illness" has made me stronger than I ever believed was possible and I’m not stopping here.
Building a community
My aim is to spread positivity and show that MS is not the end of the road. We still have plenty to give and I want to share my story to raise awareness and help others. If I can provide any inspiration to someone in a similar position to myself, that'd be simply amazing.
Together, we can change the way we view MS.
