It’s MS Awareness Week and our Head of Marketing, Jemma Redden, shares her lived experience of multiple sclerosis. Read on to find out more about the invisible condition and how Jemma found her inner strength…
What is multiple sclerosis (MS)?
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition that affects the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system). In MS, the body’s immune system turns against itself and, instead of fighting off infection, it starts attacking the myelin coating surrounding the nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord.
There are 120,000 people with MS in the UK.
Common symptoms include: fatigue, numbness, visual problems, dizziness, loss of strength and pain, difficulties with speech, bladder and memory problems.
But, MS is unique; no two people are affected in the same way. The symptoms vary depending on where in the brain and spinal cord the myelin damage has occurred.
Jemma’s story
“But you look so well”
This is something you hear a lot when you first tell people you have MS or any other invisible condition.
I was 23 when I was first diagnosed.
I was completing my post graduate diploma in Journalism and had started my first job as a newspaper reporter. Oh, and moving out of the family home for the first time. So, I had quite a bit going on!
I thought my symptoms were stress related. I thought I’d had a stroke at one point. I thought, “it’s ok, it will pass.” I tried to brush it off and get on, which is something I often do as a headstrong, independent woman!
But after 6 months, I finally got a preliminary diagnosis of MS.
My heart, and what felt like my world, just sank. I crawled into a self pity well contemplating my future.
Through the MS nurses, I met the MS Society and received support. My friends and family were my biggest strength.
My employer was supportive too.
I had wanted a career in journalism since the age of 10 so I was so grateful to have an editor and team of reporters who were supportive.
I’ve since moved jobs and met some good and some very bad employers who weren’t quite sure how to handle an employee with an invisible condition.
As I got closer to the big 3-0 I was feeling so grateful that my legs still worked and so I set myself a challenge to walk 1,000 miles to raise awareness of the invisible condition and fundraise for the MS Society.
I raised £2,500 for my Invisible30 challenge and it’s my proudest personal achievement so far.
During the last winter lockdown, I started to feel isolated, depressed and pondering on what my legacy might be in life. I can’t have children but not because of MS, that’s another health issue, so children won’t be my legacy. I looked back on my Invisible30 challenge and smiled.
Since that challenge, 5 years had passed and my MS has relapsed every two years but was manageable on medication until 2018 when I had double vision and a lazy eye. I lost all my independence and that self pity well returned. After strong medication my eyesight returned.
So looking back 5 years, I was proud of my Invisible30 challenge and looking forward I could see the big 4-0. I wanted to push myself out of the darkness of the lockdown depression and do something to make a difference to others. In 2020, I launched Invisible40, my challenge to walk 5,000 miles in 5 years.
I’ve completed 2,250 miles so far and I am on track to reach 5,000 by September 2025.
I have recently become more involved with the MS Society as a National England Council Member too.
#MSMakesMe
This year’s MS Awareness Week theme is #MSMakesMe and my first thought when I saw this was that MS makes me a warrior because I battle an invisible condition and I do it with strength. MS has taught me that even when I have those dark days I do have this internal strength to carry on. I know there are lots of MS warriors out there and indeed lots of invisible condition warriors too.
I’m now proud to be part of the Evenbreak team and join their mission to promote more inclusive job opportunities for disabled candidates. I want more people with hidden and invisible conditions to have those good employer experiences and feel supported in work.
