You may have read Lucina Russell’s article in The Irish Examiner earlier this week about dealing with an MS diagnosis and if you’re anything like us when you finished it you said, “Wow!” If you haven’t already, please do give it a read.
Multiple Sclerosis is something that becomes a part of your life over time and you learn to accept that this is your new normal, but hearing the words “You have MS” for the first time can be hard to handle. We all know the negative misconceptions about MS that are often used in the media but we also know that this does not ring true to actual life for many, many people.
Lucina speaks of the importance of the support she gets from her family and this is one of the things we are most likely to hear from any of our members – family support and understanding from friends, particularly during the early stages of diagnosis, is crucial. The positive impact of this support structure is immeasurable.
Lucina also mentions how our very own Roseanna Dukes, Regional Coordinator at our South West Dublin and Kildare Office provided some valuable advice which helped her see beyond the initial shock. “Roseanna said I should give myself permission to be upset, frightened or angry… She told me not to make any sudden decisions about my work or lifestyle.”
This kind of one-to-one support from our Regional Community Workers is just one of the services provided by MS Ireland. With offices across the country we are there to help a person with MS, their friends and family work through the initial diagnosis. Or to paraphrase Lucina, we will be there to reassure everyone that the dark clouds will pass and a sunny day will come.