A Year On

So anniversaries are usually a day to celebrate an event, like a birthday or a wedding anniversary - going out for dinner, buying presents etc, or sometimes they are a day to be reflective on past events like the death of someone or a diagnosis of an illness.

Well today marks my 1 year anniversary of being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and its not been a day of going out to dinner to celebrate but have been quite reflective on the past year. I am not down or depressed about it as I now feel I have reach complete acceptance and have a peace about it and am content enough in my situation. 

When I was diagnosed it was hard to take in the news and think it has taken me the whole of 2014 to come to terms with MS and how it has affected my life. I made myself a promise on New Year's Eve that I would be more positive this year and not let MS rule me - and have been going quite well in this with only having one really bad day out of 12. In my opinion that is good going.

A lot of people told me when I was diagnosed that I should get up and get on with life - one friend keeps telling me to live and its not til now that I have decided to live - to do things that I have always wanted to go, like go to Spain etc. Its time the bucket list starts getting ticked off.

I have not been sitting on my bum doing nothing (well not all the time!) I have got up and done things - I have been working continuously from February (well one week off sick with a relapse  in March, but have been in employment with the Northen Health and Social Care Trust from February til present. 

I started off in Braid Valley offices for 5 weeks then Holywell for 6 weeks and have been in the Beeches, Ballyclare since May. Yes it has taken its toll on me at times, driving to work, being here for 4 hours and then driving back, but its been good for me to get out of the house and keep focused on something that wasn't me.

I have done social things, have moved house, have rested when needed too, have tired MS drugs and stopped and have managed to have a few mini breaks as well to Scotland and Ireland.

Its been a hard year at times, but there have been a few constants in my life

1) God, he has never let my hand go and he has and will continue to see me through this journey with MS.

2) Family - they have had a lot to put up with over the past 32 years, and am sure this year has just been as hard for them as it has been for me. 

3) Friends - yes some friends have disappeared when I got diagnosed because they found the illness difficult, but I have a few core friends who have been there for me through thick and thin and put up with a lot of my moods.

I do appreciate all my friends and family and would not have got through the past year without the, and also without God's love and care.

Here is to 2015 and the second year of MS.