Tim Cobb

Tim Cobb runs his own PR agency in Eastbourne. He initially denied his diagnosis, even to his children, but after four years he came out publicly at a fundraising event to over 150 people. Since following the OMS programme he has been relapse free.

Imagine...

Tim Cobb was a bit of a fitness nut. He ran with his dog every day, had completed a handful of marathons and was regularly spotted lifting weights in the gym.

So when he nipped in for a sports physio appointment to sort out a sore back, he was stunned when the healthcare advisor said he probably had multiple sclerosis (MS).

A quick online search filled in the blanks in his knowledge. He discovered MS portrayed as a degenerative, debilitating, incurable disease that would probably knock 10 years off his life and see him ending his years in a wheelchair.

He went into denial. He didn’t talk about it and certainly did not want to tell his three teenage sons. His wife Sue was his rock during a rather bleak time. It was Sue who came across the charity Overcoming MS and bought him George Jelinek’s book that suggested that MS might be overcome.

After a brief glimpse at the book, Tim decided reading it was too much hassle, as was adopting the seven step programme it recommends.

Tim continued living in denial but MS continued its destructive path. Tim suffered numbness in different parts of his body, stiffness around knee joints and a loss of peripheral vision. He was forced to stop driving for a period of time.

Two relapses later, and his only option appeared to be a lifetime commitment to MS disease modifying drugs.

Through a series of strange coincidences, he once again found himself looking at the OMS approach as a way of tackling his condition. Sue encouraged him to give it a try and in reality he had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Tim overhauled his diet, changed his lifestyle, took up meditation and yoga, something he had never previously entertained! Sue also persuaded a reluctant Tim to attend a week-long OMS retreat.

Hope...

Fast forward to the present day. Ever since embracing the OMS pathway, Tim’s health has never been better. Significant lifestyle changes, strong family support, and a healthy diet later, Tim is fighting fit with no relapses to report.

He is back running every day with his dog, has completed a local half marathon and cycles with friends most weekends. Tim describes OMS as helping him to climb out of a dark hole.

Significantly, he is now open to talk about his illness and equally passionate about passing on the life-changing news that there is a lot people can do to slow down or even halt the progress of MS.

Deciding whether to disclose your MS diagnosis is an incredibly personal decision, and for the first few years after his MS diagnosis Tim simply didn’t want to talk about it. As Managing Director of an award-winning communications company, Tim certainly did not want his business community to know his news. When four years after his diagnosis, he finally chose to share his news, it was to a room of 155 business leaders, at an OMS fundraising lunch he was hosting at the Amex football stadium in Brighton.

Each of the attendees gave him their support and confirmed that his diagnosis changed nothing. Vital to Tim is reaching the people with MS who have not yet discovered OMS, and communicating to them its message of hope. Tim has helped raise significant funds for the charity.

OMS CEO Gary McMahon commented,

“Tim Cobb walks the talk in so many ways. His ability to raise much-needed funds for our work is truly wonderful.

"In addition, his openness about his diagnosis serves as an inspiration to others to challenge the uncomfortable stigma that so many people with MS still feel."

Tim Cobb, Eastbourne

Autumn 2019

Glossary:

Relapse - In MS, the appearance of new symptoms or the aggravation of old ones, lasting at least twenty-four hours (synonymous with attack, relapse, flare-up, or worsening).

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