Kirsty's Story
Kirsty lives in South East London, she was just 14 when the first symptoms of MS started. Now 17, she explains what it was like to be diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS.
It all started when I was 14 and just about to start my work experience, when I got a phone call saying my boyfriend had cheated on me. I was very upset and within seconds my vision had doubled. I told my mum what had happen and she made me an appointment to see the GP the next day. When we got to the GP we told him what was going on and he said that it was most likely due to stress but i should go to the opticians anyway. So we did. The optician gave me the normal eye examination and said to me 'I don't think your eyes are working together properly," and suggested we go down to hospital.
The doctor at the hospital decided to admit me. First they had to put a catheter (needle thing) in my hand. They missed three times and it really hurt. Then they sent me for a brain scan. They thought it might be a tumour. But it was not. After two days of eye examinations they said 'you have got palsy of the six nerve it should get better in a few weeks." But my mum was not convinced. So my mum asked if i could have an MRI SCAN. The doctor said 'its not necessary it won't be anything else." But my mum kept on so they said i could have one done as an out patient. So thats what happened and after a couple of weeks my vision was back to normal.
Six week later i was feeling really ill (not ms related) so mum called out the doctor and as the doctor arrived the phone rang. My mum picked it up. It was the results of my MRI scan, but the lady on the phone said 'I am going to need to speak to your GP." So my mum said 'well strangely enough the GP is here." So the lady on the phone spoke to the gp. When the gp got off the phone he explained to us that i had demyelination of the brain, and worst case scenario is that it could be MS, but it was unlikely because of my age and that next week i would have to go in hospital for tests next week.
At the hospital i had blood tests, another MRI but the thing i was most scared of was the lumber puncture. I had to lie on my back and be very still and one doctor was guiding the other doctor in. 'sorry we are going to have to do it again." She has missed. I got very upset i felt like a guinea pig, and my mum got angry and said that i was not going to let them do it. So a consultant had to come up and do it for me. She was nice and did it right away. Now all i had to do was go home and wait.
Before i got the result the double vision had returned so my mum phoned the hospital and they admitted me again. When we got up there they had some of the results back. They all pointed to MS so the doctors decided it was but to give me a course of intravenous steroids.
In november now aged 15 they finally diagnosed me with relapsing and remitting ms.
The doctor at the hospital decided to admit me. First they had to put a catheter (needle thing) in my hand. They missed three times and it really hurt. Then they sent me for a brain scan. They thought it might be a tumour. But it was not. After two days of eye examinations they said 'you have got palsy of the six nerve it should get better in a few weeks." But my mum was not convinced. So my mum asked if i could have an MRI SCAN. The doctor said 'its not necessary it won't be anything else." But my mum kept on so they said i could have one done as an out patient. So thats what happened and after a couple of weeks my vision was back to normal.
Six week later i was feeling really ill (not ms related) so mum called out the doctor and as the doctor arrived the phone rang. My mum picked it up. It was the results of my MRI scan, but the lady on the phone said 'I am going to need to speak to your GP." So my mum said 'well strangely enough the GP is here." So the lady on the phone spoke to the gp. When the gp got off the phone he explained to us that i had demyelination of the brain, and worst case scenario is that it could be MS, but it was unlikely because of my age and that next week i would have to go in hospital for tests next week.
At the hospital i had blood tests, another MRI but the thing i was most scared of was the lumber puncture. I had to lie on my back and be very still and one doctor was guiding the other doctor in. 'sorry we are going to have to do it again." She has missed. I got very upset i felt like a guinea pig, and my mum got angry and said that i was not going to let them do it. So a consultant had to come up and do it for me. She was nice and did it right away. Now all i had to do was go home and wait.
Before i got the result the double vision had returned so my mum phoned the hospital and they admitted me again. When we got up there they had some of the results back. They all pointed to MS so the doctors decided it was but to give me a course of intravenous steroids.
In november now aged 15 they finally diagnosed me with relapsing and remitting ms.
New website: Life and MS
Life and MS is a new site for younger and people newly diagnosed with MS, covering the most frequently asked questions.
