Spotlight on...
Graham, Australia
 Introduce yourself!
G'day all. As you may have guessed, I'm
Australian. Most people know me as 'Hennry' while my real name is Graham.
I'm 38, and extremely wealthy. No, not money but
assets, as I'm married to a wonderful women, Robyn (aka HG) who cares for me
along with 3 great kids.
I live in a relatively small rural town in
southwest New South Wales. I work 50 hours a week in a great job where
fexibility is a key to the rewards.
I'm on Rebif 22, having switched in March 2000
from Avonex after 11 months . I've been on Prozac for several
years.
When did MS enter your life?
In April 1995, I went to my local optometrist as
I had blurred vision and extremely painful eye movement. This was quite a
morning as she asked me a little bit of my medical history. I told her what I
thought were totally irrelevant things (glandular fever when I was 20,
cardiomyopothy aged 21, bouts of altered sensation, pain, and pins and needles
from age 26 onwards, episodes of fatigue that none of the doctors could explain
except to suggest I was working too hard - does all this sound
familiar?!).
Seven years on the medical merry-go-round
finished that day when she said, 'hold on to your hat, I feel that you may have
multiple sclerosis'.
Within two weeks, I'd lost the sight in one eye,
seen opthamologists and neurologists and had an MRI.
What do you now know about MS that you wish
you'd known when you were diagnosed?
I will have to admit that until that day I knew
absolutely nothing about MS. I thought I had a brain tumor or something like
that. Diagnosis was actually a relief, as so many questions were answered and I
could hop off the merry-go-round.
Lowest point in your life with MS
There are many lows and many highs with MS.
Sadly, the lows are very low.
Before I was on any medication I was like a bear with a very sore head. I was
so angry and my family suffered very much. But I guess the lowest point was
contemplating suicide.
Highest point in your life with
MS
On this emotional roller coaster the highs are
exhilarating. There are many highs, the greatest being the wonderful people I
have met on the MS scene.
The Internet has opened up to me great corridors
of people who share MS. Jooly's Joint has brought me to tears of laughter as
well as empathy, and the bash in Vegas in 1999 was the high of
highs.
What do people with MS need to help them enjoy
fulfilling lives?
One word: friends. Friends who understand as only
true friends can.
When and how did you discover Jooly's Joint?
When I was diagnosed I didn't have access to the
Net, but since getting online my thirst for information is never satisfied.
I found Joolys Joint in 1996 when looking for a
chat site, but time differences made it difficult for me to join in. I
rediscovered the site in 1997 when the support board started up and information
really started to flow. The chat room was alive with people I still call dear
friends.
What keeps you coming back to Jooly's Joint?
The people are what makes a community strong or
weak. Strength and support is what I find in Jooly's Joint. The people here are
so good. I have talked to lots of doctors around the world and their eyes open
wide when I tell them about our community. Some in awe, some in envy, and some
with distrust.
What are your ambitions?
When I left school I was asked what I wanted to
be. I answered 'an aircraft engineer'. I achieved that and am quite well
respected in my field.
Two years after diagnosis I noticed the decline
in my body's ability. Use of my hands is my life, so I decided I would further
eductae myself so if I lost use of my hands, I'd be able to use my brain
instead. I went back to school to get a degree in Aviation Management and
Physchology. In the third year I went from distinction grades to being unable
to complete assignments, so I deferred the year. I'll decide what I'm going to
do at the end of this year. At the moment it's not looking real good for my
studies.
As for ambitions, one day at a time. I am at
ease with life at the moment and every time I try to push the boundaries, they
come crashing in on me. I still have to learn to cope better.
What message would you give to newly diagnosed
people?
Over the last three years I've met many newly
diagnosed people. My message to them is the same: MS is not an ending, it is a
new beginning. It's just that the rules have changed.
"Well tell me rules!" is the response - now that's the hard part!
Everyone's set of rules are different but with a common core. Only education
and experience will help you set your rules of life. Go out and live and enjoy
life. MS is just another obstacle to overcome. Life is what you make
it.
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