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Jane's Story My name is Jane Shortt and I was diagnosed as having MS over 38 years ago. Luckily it proved to be relapsing/remitting for many years, so that I was able to work as a high school teacher and later, to produce a baby girl who is now an adult herself. When my daughter was five I returned to work, reduced my workload and continued to teach part-time. Post diagnosis, I had only been offered real help if and when I suffered a relapse, in my case usually re†robulbar neuritis, which has left me with increasingly damaged sight. Gradually, the fatigue I was suffering got so debilitating that I would go to the loo at school at lunchtime and let myself fall asleep, knowing, that the next lesson bell would wake me. I was tending to trip now, and started to use a stick so that (hopefully) my pupils and colleagues would not think I was drunk. It was all getting too much for me so I applied for and got early retirement. One day, in the waiting room of the Atkinson Morley Hospital, I picked up a copy of a magazine I had not seen before, called “New Pathways”. What a relief! It was positive and helpful, and at the back of it was a list of therapy centres which offered patients proper neurophysiotherapy. The nearest clinic to me was Coulsdon, which is 11 miles from my home. I made an appointment to visit the centre, and my husband brought me the first time, as I no longer drive. I was impressed and I decided to come again, but as my husband works, he would not be able to bring me regularly. Luckily for me another centre regular, offered to bring me at first, and then another friend took over for a while, until his bad back made lifting things impossible. What was I to do now? I had felt such benefit from my regular attendance, from care of physiotherapists, use of appropriate equipment, care of other people supervising exercise routines, and also, just as importantly, from the company of my fellow sufferers. We share so much, and a lot of the time, we have a good laugh too! And we raise funds together, as organised for us by Brenda, the Centre manager, and Dawn, secretary. Unfortuanately, Dial A Ride were unable to bring me to the Centre as I live outside of their distance limits but Ken Livingstone had ensured that London Transport buses had ramps to enable wheelchair users to use the buses, so I worked out a bus route for myself. 3 buses, and it takes me 105 minutes each way but I get to read a book and it gets me to the centre - and it’s FREE! My gratitude is profound. Not too many perks if you’re disabled, but that’s one of them! The journey was scary the first time, but once I’d done it, I was not so scared again, and the drivers are usually kind and thoughtful. I can only say that I am quite sure that my MS is as manageable as it is partly because of the Centre – efforts on all sides certainly keep me feeling pretty positive. | ||
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