Australian community member Kim faced a long journey to diagnosis but eventually found empowerment through the 6 months to Overcoming MS program.
MS has been my constant companion since 2003, except I did not know her name until two decades later! Eighteen months after the birth of my third child, I woke up one morning with painful pins and needles through my arms and legs. For a week, I could only sleep while submerged in the bath. Initially, my doctor and I chalked it up to an overdose of protein powder—I was trying to lose weight and get fit.
By 2005 I was feeling so bad I went on a low-fat diet and lost 30 kilograms. But over the years the symptoms kept coming, each one stacking on top of the other. I attributed them to different causes: IBS, lack of exercise, perimenopause, and eventually, menopause. All the while I was modifying my diet and lifestyle to live with symptoms that always plagued me.
In 2023, after a sudden fall that broke my arm, I discovered I had osteopenia. Around the same time, I began experiencing persistent eye issues and a host of other symptoms I couldn’t explain. By this time, I was confused because I could do nothing more to be “healthy”. I was on a low-fat whole food plant based diet 95% of the time, although still indulging in chocolate and coconut oil that is standard in all vegan treats. By 2024, after being unwell for weeks with what I thought was an ear infection, I finally got a brain MRI at my doctor’s recommendation. I’m a medical receptionist and so I took a sneak peek at the MRI report: DE-MYEL-IN-ATION – Demyelination. What?!
I couldn’t resist; over the weekend I started my search – I was in a panic. I stumbled upon a YouTube channel and heard someone mention a book: Overcoming MS by George Jelinek. A Melbourne-based doctor? This sounded like the place to start.
By the time my diagnosis was confirmed in July 2024, I had already found the Overcoming MS Program. The principles made sense, and I was desperate to feel better because I wanted to travel to see my grandchild. That’s when I joined the 6 Months to Overcoming MS course.
I dove straight into the course and the improvements were immediate. Adding omega-3s to my diet after 20 years of low-fat living felt like a balm to my brain. I finally let go of chocolate and coconut oil, which was sad but necessary.
But I needed to get the meditation, mindfulness and exercise parts of the course going. None of this was ever big in my life before, I had never even heard of mindfulness! But using the program allowed me to steadily build and I always felt like it was achievable. Being self-driven and flexible meant I could implement things as I liked. But always in the back of my mind was: “This is the rest of my life if I want to be able to play with my grandchildren!”
At the beginning of October 2024, I really hurt my back, and I feared it might be related to MS. Was it permanent? Those weeks were challenging, but they became a turning point. It was during the following six weeks I really began to understand the power of breath work and meditation. I also learned to curb my “all or nothing attitude”. I read in the “Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis Handbook – Roadmap to Good Health” about the benefits of exercise even at just 50% exertion. So, I “showed up” for exercise (using chair-based exercises) and meditation almost every day.
As the holiday season approached, I faced another challenge: Christmas and a house move interstate! With its usual indulgences and chaos, it was a test of my new habits. But I kept my eating, exercise and meditation simple and no matter how “imperfect” it was – I persevered.
So now I know her name is MS…. and we have learnt to live together quite well. I truly recommend the 6 Months to Overcoming MS course. It is deceptive in its simplicity because it gives you the tools. But a hammer on the ground does not build anything. The biggest thing I have learnt is success is participating and not perfection. The inspiring stories of others, and the support in the Live Well Hub have also taught me to just hang in there, support others and live my best life with MS.
If Kim’s story has inspired you, why not start your own journey? The 6 Months to Overcoming MS course is designed to guide you through lifestyle changes at your own pace. It’s flexible, supportive, and built on evidence-based principles to help you live well with MS.