Derry woman discusses her journey and how to stay positive after MS diagnosis at 35

Derry woman, Georgina McCarter, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) eight years ago at just 35 years old after two years of showing symptoms.

Georgina was diagnosed on her mum's 62nd birthday after being hospitalised on her mum's 60th. 

Thankfully, on her mum's 70th, Georgina celebrated three years of good health after a hard and inspiring fight to get back in control of her health and life.

Georgina's hand used to go into spasms and she simply put it down to handing out flyers for long periods of time for her Slimming World class.

Georgina said: "It was the 10th of March 2012 that I took unwell, we didn't realise that I was deteriorating at the time. 

"Every 12-14 weeks, I relapsed and they didn't know why this was happening, nor did I. Then after a series of tests- it was the final test, a lumbar puncture- I was diagnosed in 2014 with Multiple Sclerosis."

Multiple Sclerosis is a lifelong condition that affects the brain and nerves.

There are many possible symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. Common symptoms include tiredness, vision problems and problems with walking or balance.

It cannot be cured, but medicines and other treatments can help ease some of the symptoms.

Multiple Sclerosis is caused by your immune system mistakenly attacking the brain and nerves. It's not clear why this happens.

Georgina continued: "When I was diagnosed, lots of people were like, oh my god, I'm devastated to hear that. I'm really sorry to hear that you got diagnosed. 

"Nobody welcomes critical illness, but for me it meant that I knew what I was going to be living with because the uncertainty every few weeks of losing the power in your legs, losing the ability on the right hand side of my body, loads of different factors, was not good.

"I kind of was glad that at least I knew what I actually had instead of thinking I was going mad.

"I then became medicated, it took me a while to get the right medication; some didn't work, I was allergic to many medications, I was, as they say, the statistic. Everything that could go wrong, did.

"But, we made a decision three years ago when my daughter was expecting a wee baby and I was really sick again.

"I ended up with chronic respiratory medication, I was on a permanent antibiotic. I went into the hospital to get IV steroids. Normal steroids don't work for me. 

"I then got hospital acquired pneumonia in both my lungs, which left me with a secondary relapse and they didn't know if I would ever walk again. 

"I just knew in that moment that something had to change. My daughter showed me the wee scan and in that moment I decided I wasn't going to be a granny and not be able to function.

"My eldest girl was 22 at the time and my youngest was 12 whenever I was diagnosed and I was thinking, I am much more than somebody who has Multiple Sclerosis.

"I said to my husband, Ricky, that night in the hospital, I said, 'Something has to change.' I was on 30 tablets a day and I am down to six which is mostly vitamins.

"It was then that I took the stand that my life was going to be my life and I was going to do things differently.

"Thankfully, I am healthier now than I have ever been. I am 43 now in April and I was 33 whenever I first got sick. 

"I wouldn't say that my 30s were a write off because there were so many good things but they were the years that taught me that it is a positive mental attitude; looking after yourself, your health, your well being and not just physically, but mentally too. 

"Because of this, my world has changed in the last few years. It was a grieving period, you have lost your right to 100% health, but everything changes once you realise that life is not done."

Georgina is a manager at Slimming World and loves working with people to support them to achieve healthier lifestyles.

Georgina said it is what she loves to do the most and is so grateful she gets to do the work that she does in the community.

Georgina has managed to smash her role at work, despite her condition, with the love and support of her family and colleagues and her true inner strength.

Georgina and her husband, Ricky, with their grandson, Charlie, and their two girls, Jessica and Ellie 

"I wasn't going to take the role because I thought with my diagnosis that I couldn't do it but Slimming World and my family were so supportive and here I am and I love it.

"My father's words, the morning I was going to my Slimming World groups, he said to me, 'You have MS, they've just given you a title, you've always had it, the little girl we reared wouldn't let this hold her back.' That was my pivotal moment.

"Sometimes, I think people go to a place of fear, but there are so many other lifelines. It is a disability, an invisible disability but your life doesn't have to be over, you don't have to be isolated.

"I know I am so blessed with my family and friends, my husband, my two girls and my wee grandson. I am so lucky. I have the best network and I know and appreciate that so much.

"The things is, I have Multiple Sclerosis but my family lives with it. We communicated about it one time and everything changed then.

"There are times that I am in good health, and other times I am very fatigued. We sometimes put on the mask so that people think we are okay and that is okay but I don't want anyone living in fear or feeling isolated.

"I was diagnosed in the March, which is MS awareness month, and I said to my mammy, 'Why was I diagnosed in the March?' She said 'It's to make people aware that there is a life for living love.'

"Some people aren't going to the doctors because they are scared of what they are going to be told. They need to be told so that they can move forward from there, good or bad.

"They say life starts at 40, and mine certainly did. There is a trooper in us all. Where there is life, there is hope, it is all about finding out how to live with it to the best of your ability.

"I am very lucky but you need to stay positive. We need to live in the moment, we have one life for living and we need to live it."