I’ve just had a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis after various symptoms – lower body weakness and loss of balance when walking, bowel and bladder disturbances, visual disturbance in one eye, heat-related weakness including from hot showers and baths, episodes of numbness and tingling, an odd electric-shock sensation down one side of the body when bending the head forward – and confirmed by multiple lesions in the brain and spinal cord as shown by MRI scans.

Actually, I was relieved that it was nothing worse. Also, I’d used Google to check out my symptoms, and MS was the most likely possibility to cover all of the above, so it was no surprise. Sometimes Dr Google is right (!), but it still needs an expert – in this case a neurologist specialising in MS – to make a diagnosis.

I’ve been referred for an appointment at an MS clinic based in a local major hospital in a month’s time. I’ll post again when that happens to follow up.