In November 2002 I was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. It came as a shock - being only 26, I thought I was invincible.

I woke up one Saturday morning to find myself numb, from my neck to my toes, on the left hand side of my body. Initially I thought "stroke" but I wasn't losing my balance, my speech was fine and I seemed to be functioning as per normal. My next thought? Pinched nerve or I had simply slept in an odd position. It was only upon the insistence of a dear friend that I went to a GP on the Sunday morning (after things hadn't improved overnight).

 Admitted to hospital, I sat there for 3 days cooling my heels. Doctors and nurses visting to see how I was, but no one actually doing anything. Late Tuesday afternoon things started to move - I was sent for an MRI and the Neurologist was summoned. In the early evening I was given the news that I had MS and was immediately given a course of steroids (first of the three days).

After that, it was a bit of a blurr. I had the usual reaction, lots of snot and tears, but then I just had to deal with it. There was nothing I could do to take it back. I was given enough information to school a small third world country, sent home and told to come back for more steroids the next day.

In the past 8 1/2 years, I've had a few more relapses. The symptoms I have that are with me all the time are numbness and tingling in my hands. The balance isn't what it used to be, and I get so tired so easily, yet, I can sometimes go for a week or more on just 3 hours or so sleep per night (these are not fun times!).

I get really annoyed when I am trying to do just the basic tasks - hanging out the washing can and has caused problems. Imagine standing there looking at your hand that's holding the peg and wondering why the frick aren't my fingers moving! I get there in the end, and it's not like it's all the time, but it sure frustrates the hell out of me!

At one stage I thought I had dirty glasses, until I realised that I could still see the dirty mark even when I took my glasses off. And then there was the time that my balance went - I still remember walking through the shopping centre at lunch time with Trisha and she had to re-direct me because I had started to vere off to the right (imaging being drunk - but without having to spend all that money on grog!).

I consider myself one of the lucky ones - I can still drive, have a boogie when I want (and those that know me well know how important dance is to me), make meals for hubby and work full time. I can function like a healthy person and get on with life.... for now.

With MS, you just don't know what is around the corner. Today you can be fine - tomorrow could be a completely different story. And the steroid treatment (people hear the word steroids and think I should be muscley :)) doesn't guarantee a recovery... but it can help.

This is why it's so important to support me, or anyone else you know that is doing the read-a-thon or any other MS charity fundraising event. The littlest donations all add up - and who knows, maybe your money is all that is needed to get the mystery solved!

That's it for now - will keep you all updated with my fundraising efforts, and the reading as time goes by!

Linda :) xx

I am taking part in The Novel Challenge in order to raise funds for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is the most common disease of the central nervous system and affects more than 18,000 Australians.

Did you know?

* The average age of diagnosis of MS is just 30 years

* MS affects three times as many women as men

MS Australia aims to minimise the impact of multiple sclerosis on all individuals affected by the disease, as well as their families, carers and the community, by offering a wide range of services, equipment and support. MS Australia's goal is to assist everyone affected by MS to live life to their fullest potential and secure the care and support they need, until we ultimately find a cure.

Please DONATE by clicking on the button to the right and help MS Australia support all people affected by multiple sclerosis.