A Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis is often a life changing event, with huge worries and concerns being overriding emotions for those who are told they have the condition.
This was exactly the case for 30-year-old Annie, who found out she had MS just weeks before she discovered she was pregnant with her first child.
For years she had been suffering with fatigue and tiredness, but despite spending hours doing her own research she could not work out what was causing it.
After numerous hospital visits, she was given a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, although Annie said she ‘never really felt like that was the correct diagnosis’ for her.
It would take a strange coincidence for her to eventually discover the problem, after she got a fly stuck in her eye in June 2020.
She experiences blurred vision for a few days following this, which led her to visit the options who referred her to John Radcliffe Hospital (JR) in Oxford.
An MRI scan was taken with doctors finally unveiling the MS, giving her the diagnosis a day later.
This would be a lot to take for most people, but Annie had an extra layer added to this shortly afterwards when she found out she was pregnant.
This led her to be concerned about what affect her diagnosis would have on her child.
“I did quite a bit of research myself and I spoke to my midwife,” she said. “I was also under care at the JR called Silver Star, which is for people with a high-risk pregnancy.
“I asked a lot of questions just really regarding my baby and if it would affect her in any way and I was reassured that there’s really a minimal chance that it can be passed on.
“That was my main concern but I also looked at if I would get more symptoms, but it seemed from the research and speaking to people that actually MS symptoms seem to stop when you’re pregnant because of your hormones.
“So I actually really enjoyed it, I had quite a nice pregnancy.”
Thankfully there were no issues during her pregnancy and she gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Aubrey in April.
However for this reason she did not want to start any form of treatment until after this and was worried that symptoms would start soon after.
Annie admitted her diagnosis was a shock as she did not know much about MS nor did she know anyone who had it.
However she was determined to not let it change anything.
“When I found out initially, that day was quite shocking,” Annie said. “But I’m quite a practical person so I just got on with it, that was where I was at.
“Since I’d had this for years and it’s not changed who I am or affected me massively, it’s just a thing I have.
“I didn’t want it to define who I was or be an excuse for not doing things. In the future it might be more of an issue and hold me back a little bit more, but at the moment it’s just one of those things that I can’t change.
“I’ve got so I might as well just live with it. I’ve told my close friends and family about my diagnosis, but I don’t feel like the world needs to know.”
Annie’s positive outlook is what has allowed her to continue her life to live her life and she has certainly not let it stop her doing anything.
She was midway through her Masters degree when she was given her diagnosis, but she managed to finish that and continues to work full-time as a human resources advisor.
This was challenging for her when it came to things like long periods of concentration or trying to view data, but as mentioned previously Annie never wanted MS to be an excuse for anything.
Currently she says she has not had many issues with the condition, saying the tiredness felt by many is something she is used to now.
However she has been receiving help from the MS Trust, which was her first destination when she wanted to learn more about it.
“I went to the MS Trust and the MS Society’s websites because that was the most reliable information.
“When I was first diagnosed I didn’t know anyone with MS so it was a good place to start some research and actually understand what it was and how it could affect me.
“After a diagnosis you might go online and look at a website that’s not hugely reliable and it’s always the worst case scenario that you read about.
“But things like its forums and having people that are actually going through the same stuff, it was good to look at.”
Looking to the future Annie says she would love to eventually give back to the MS Trust, suggesting she could attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in a fundraising effort.
At the moment however she is just looking to live life normally.
Having just turned two months, Aubrey is healthy and has had no issues impacting her from her mother’s MS.
Annie confessed looking after her daughter keeps her busy but she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
