One Year Ago Today...

Happy Anniversary to me…

Exactly one year ago today I was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis


Looking back over the past year MY MS has consisted of:

- Debilitating loss of feeling in my limbs
- Loss of eye sight 
- Fatigue 
- Vertigo
- Chronic pain in my lower limbs
- Anxiety and Depression
- Medication side effects - flu like symptoms 3 times weekly

To quote my first post, I was "Unable to feel my legs or arms and barely able to lift my self up, Pins and Needles crept up my body day by day until I was unable to open my hands or even hold a glass" 

I remember the day I tried to walk into my living room and just collapsed on the sofa. that was it…my body had shut down.

One year has passed and in this time I have successfully completed some amazing things which stretch far beyond new years resolutions. 

1. I introduced a daily exercise routine which taught me to walk again unaided, regain the feeling in my arms which enabled me to cut food for myself, hold a glass of water and brush my own teeth. 

2. I re-evaluated my nutrition and am now on an MS friendly diet which is strictly gluten and dairy free and its working wonders!!

3. Together with my friend Rhiannon we raised a record breaking £5,000 for the MS Society

4. As I had built up enough strength we then ventured over to New York for a week to visit the MS Society HQ State Side and found out we had raised the most money through an individual fundraiser over there too! 

5. I lost the feeling in my arms for a second time and then proceeded to lose the sight in my right eye. It took 2 weeks of treatments and high dose steroids to bring it back. 

6. In September I was invited to the House of Commons to be recognised for my efforts in raising awareness and Money for MS. 

7. Just before Christmas I lost the feeling in my leg AGAIN but worked hard in the gym along with physio to regain the feeling and power and ability to walk normally. 

8. The gym routine turned into a major hobby and I am now working towards a fitness competition on May 11th 2014 - UKBFF Bikini Category !!!! HUGE Challenge but what a way to start this next year of my life. For I do not know what tomorrow will bring, but i do know that today will consist of hard work prepping for a competition I will make damn sure I am in good physical and mental health to compete. Not just for competition sake, but to win… I am going into this to place. 

Introducing fitness and nutritional awareness to my life has to be the most influential change i've made in my life. From good health to romance I can honestly say I am a MUCH happier person this year than I was this day last year pre-MS diagnosis. 

"True failure lies in not facing up to the challenge"

P x