My Mum and Me
My name is Eveanne and my mum is Hilary.
My mum has had MS since I was 6 and I’m now 15. Until I was about 10 the MS was fine, we hardly knew it was there. My mum was like any other mum. We could go shopping and go on walks. Whatever we wanted to do.
But in the last year the MS went from remitting relapsing to secondary progressive. The last 2 or 3 years have probably been the hardest years of our lives. The last holiday I remember with my mum being fit and going on walks with us was probably when we went to France with some friends a few years ago. Although she wouldn’t go on long distance walks she could still walk a fair distance. That narrows down one thing in my life that I hate, hearing my friends talk about them going on holiday and going on walks through the countryside as a family and I know I will never be able to do that with my family again.
When we first knew the MS had taken a turn for the worst was when I couldn’t get into a secondary school. I applied for 5 schools and not one of them accepted me. I got into a school, which I didn’t apply for, and my mum refused to send me there. I can’t explain to you the stress my mum went through. She argued and argued until I finally got into the school I am in now, King Solomon. Where I’m very happy and have so many friends who care for me. However my school is very far away from home. It takes an hour and a half to get there and back. I get a coach at 7am and get home at 5:30 pm. That’s the bit I hate, being so far away from my mum.
So many things go through my mind during the day. I wonder if she’s going to fall and there will be no-one to help her, or what if she has an attack and I won’t know about it. I suffered in year 7. Mostly from going to such a big school and being so far away from home. I received counselling in the Norwood centre and I’m still going even though I’m not as bad now, in year 10.
Then to top it all in 2001 my grandma died of cancer. Although she was my Dad's mum she got on so well with my mum and me. My mum suffered a lot when she died. In fact she did have a slight MS attack from stress. But we got through it together and focused on my Dad who was grieving so much.
Then in 2003 my mum was ill. She had an MS attack, which turned out to be a virus. The last thing in the morning that I heard before leaving the house was my dad saying that he was going to call an ambulance. You can imagine how that made me feel. I was sick with worry at school and got sent home. My aunty, who lives near the school picked me up and didn’t know what had happened. But once I was home I was all right because I was with my mum and could look after her.
But the worst attack she’s had was last year when her mum was ill. She had bowel cancer. My mum suffered because my grandma lives in Ilford, where my school is and my mum had an attack from stress. My grandma fought the cancer and is well now but my grandpa isn’t. He has Parkinson’s disease and my mum is suffering a lot from worry. The main thing that scares me now is the thought of when he dies, which hopefully wont be yet. My mum's a daddy’s girl and will most definitely have an MS attack. But she needs to know that we will get through it and I will be here to look after her. I want to say to my aunty that I’m so glad that her and my mum are getting on well and they are coping together, I love them so much and I couldn’t bare to see them not getting along.
Now 3 years on, my mum's MS is now secondary progressive and she has to walk with a stick and has a stair lift, a scooter and a motabilty car. We cope, even though we do fight. It doesn’t help with me going through the teenager years (every mums nightmare).
My mum has had MS since I was 6 and I’m now 15. Until I was about 10 the MS was fine, we hardly knew it was there. My mum was like any other mum. We could go shopping and go on walks. Whatever we wanted to do.
But in the last year the MS went from remitting relapsing to secondary progressive. The last 2 or 3 years have probably been the hardest years of our lives. The last holiday I remember with my mum being fit and going on walks with us was probably when we went to France with some friends a few years ago. Although she wouldn’t go on long distance walks she could still walk a fair distance. That narrows down one thing in my life that I hate, hearing my friends talk about them going on holiday and going on walks through the countryside as a family and I know I will never be able to do that with my family again.
When we first knew the MS had taken a turn for the worst was when I couldn’t get into a secondary school. I applied for 5 schools and not one of them accepted me. I got into a school, which I didn’t apply for, and my mum refused to send me there. I can’t explain to you the stress my mum went through. She argued and argued until I finally got into the school I am in now, King Solomon. Where I’m very happy and have so many friends who care for me. However my school is very far away from home. It takes an hour and a half to get there and back. I get a coach at 7am and get home at 5:30 pm. That’s the bit I hate, being so far away from my mum.
So many things go through my mind during the day. I wonder if she’s going to fall and there will be no-one to help her, or what if she has an attack and I won’t know about it. I suffered in year 7. Mostly from going to such a big school and being so far away from home. I received counselling in the Norwood centre and I’m still going even though I’m not as bad now, in year 10.
Then to top it all in 2001 my grandma died of cancer. Although she was my Dad's mum she got on so well with my mum and me. My mum suffered a lot when she died. In fact she did have a slight MS attack from stress. But we got through it together and focused on my Dad who was grieving so much.
Then in 2003 my mum was ill. She had an MS attack, which turned out to be a virus. The last thing in the morning that I heard before leaving the house was my dad saying that he was going to call an ambulance. You can imagine how that made me feel. I was sick with worry at school and got sent home. My aunty, who lives near the school picked me up and didn’t know what had happened. But once I was home I was all right because I was with my mum and could look after her.
But the worst attack she’s had was last year when her mum was ill. She had bowel cancer. My mum suffered because my grandma lives in Ilford, where my school is and my mum had an attack from stress. My grandma fought the cancer and is well now but my grandpa isn’t. He has Parkinson’s disease and my mum is suffering a lot from worry. The main thing that scares me now is the thought of when he dies, which hopefully wont be yet. My mum's a daddy’s girl and will most definitely have an MS attack. But she needs to know that we will get through it and I will be here to look after her. I want to say to my aunty that I’m so glad that her and my mum are getting on well and they are coping together, I love them so much and I couldn’t bare to see them not getting along.
Now 3 years on, my mum's MS is now secondary progressive and she has to walk with a stick and has a stair lift, a scooter and a motabilty car. We cope, even though we do fight. It doesn’t help with me going through the teenager years (every mums nightmare).
The thing I hated and still hate a bit now is knowing that my mum isn’t like any other mum, she can’t do what other mums do, like going on walks or going on shopping sprees because even though she has the scooter she still gets so tired. But I just wanted to give all the teenage girls or boys who have a mother with MS a message:
Appreciate what you’ve got, care for your mum and don’t let your relationship slip. She’s special and needs her daughter or son by her more than anything.
So, mum if you’re reading this, I just want to say that I love you very very much and will always be here for you no matter what. We will get through everything together.
