LISTENING OPTIONS!

Listen to episode above 👆🏼

Or you can click here to find and subscribe to Wellbeing Interrupted on your favourite App!

Listen on your favourite App

Today is World MS Day. Friday 30 May, 2025. And this year’s theme is “My MS Diagnosis.” 

So I thought it was time to share mine. 

It’s not a story I talk about all that often. These days, life has been so full with everything that’s come with my cancer diagnosis. But MS was the first big interruption. And it changed a lot. 

I was 22. Young, ambitious, just finished two university degrees and landed a graduate role at Telstra. I’d had a few weird symptoms—tingling in my legs—but I was active and doing well. Then, out of nowhere, I was in hospital having an MRI and a lumbar puncture, and just like that… “You have MS.” 

I’d barely even heard of it. My only reference was the MS Readathon. And suddenly I was being handed brochures showing people in wheelchairs. It didn’t feel real. 

My MS Diagnosis 

The actual diagnosis was fast. But learning how to live with MS—that took time. 

For years I tried to just push through. Keep working, keep achieving, keep life looking the same on the outside. But inside? I was burning out. And my body kept reminding me of that. Relapse after relapse. 

Back then, I thought making changes meant MS had somehow “won.” So I resisted. I kept going… until I couldn’t. 

In 2000, I hit rock bottom. I woke up one morning unable to feel one leg or move the other. I spent months in a hospital bed, paralysed and terrified I’d never walk again. That was the lowest point. But it was also the beginning of change. 

The Decision That Changed My Life with MS 

Something shifted in me during that time. I realised I couldn’t keep living the same way. If I was going to give myself a shot at healing, I needed to do things differently. 

When I finally started to recover, I made the decision that changed everything. I left my job. I booked a flight. And I travelled to the UK—on my own—for a year. 

I ended up in Edinburgh, Scotland, and loved every minute. That decision—to follow my inner knowing—was the start of my real healing journey. 

MS: My Greatest Teacher 

The years that followed were full. I changed careers and became a social worker. I lived in regional Victoria. I travelled to Romania to volunteer. I met my partner, Andrew. And yes, I had more relapses—some pretty significant ones. 

But all of it taught me something. And by the time I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2022, I already had the tools I needed. I’d been here before—at rock bottom, not knowing what the future held. And I knew the path forward started with mindset. 

Where I Am Now 

These days, Andrew and I live off the grid on 100 acres of land. I’m still living with MS but it is not active. I haven’t had a relapse since 2012! I’m also in remission from cancer. 

If you are in that early part of your own diagnosis—maybe it’s not MS, but something else—I just want you to know: there is hope. 

It might not look like the life you planned. But sometimes those unimagined possibilities are the most exciting. I couldn’t have imagined this life back at 22. But I’m so grateful for where I am right now. 

SHOW RESOURCES 

• World MS Day World MS Day 30 May 2025 | A day of global solidarity, collective action and hope 
• Life Interrupted - My Journey from Hurdle to Hope by Teisha Rose 
• Healing Mindset online course – www.hurdle2hope.com/healing-mindset-illness 
• Wellbeing Interrupted episodes on hope: 
• Episode 30: Why I Am Not in Denial About My Health Condition
• Episode 32: Why Accepting Your Diagnosis Doesn't Mean Giving Up Hope 

Episode 71 My MS Diagnosis: A Story of Hope

Teisha Rose: [00:00:00] Hey there, Teisha here and welcome to Wellbeing Interrupted episode 71. A little bit flustered because it is actually Friday the 30th of May. As I record this and I'm gonna record it, then my incredible VA is gonna help me upload it so you have it. Today we had a few technical problems. Um, I mentioned last week I'd have an interview.

That's sort of happening, but you'll hear that next week. But everything happens for a reason, and today is actually World Ms. Day, and I thought instead of not having something for you, the theme for this day is my MS diagnosis. And often I don't talk about this. Because my life has very much been dominated by my breast cancer recently, but [00:01:00] MS has played such a significant part in my life.

I was diagnosed at 22. I look at that now. I reflect on that now and think, wow, how young is that to be diagnosed with such a significant illness at such a young age? So. I'll share my diagnosis story. That's what World Ms. Day is all about this year because unfortunately some people live without ms. The symptoms of, of MS for many years and they don't get diagnosed, so they want us to share and shine, shine light on the diagnosis process, I guess a bit as well for me.

As you know, I'm all about hope, so I want this to be in the Wellbeing Interrupted Catalog because I want others who are diagnosed with MS to [00:02:00] listen to this and know that if your life is interrupted by ms, if you're diagnosed with ms, there is still hope that you can live an amazing life. And that goes for anyone diagnosed with any health condition.

And just quickly, these are some of the stats. And then I won't go through stats. I'm not a big stats person, , but 2.9 million people around the world live with Ms. That's just staggering. And every five minutes someone's diagnosed with ms. So the chances are you probably know of someone who's been diagnosed with ms.

So have a listen to this episode. Hopefully gain some insight into the emotional impact of such a diagnosis. Also, if your living with another illness, I'm sure [00:03:00] you can relate to some of that emotional turmoil that happens when you're diagnosed with a life changing illness.

Teisha Rose: Okay, so this is my MS diagnosis story, I should say at the beginning. [00:04:00] MS stands for if you don't know, multiple Sclerosis. MS is a neurological conditional disease. Again, I'm not great with all the terminology, but it impacts the. Nervous system. So what that means is you can have areas of inflammation where there's demyelination of the nervous system.

So basically the nerve signals get interrupted and that will impact your functioning. So for me, as you'll learn, that impacts everything from not being able to walk from not being able to use your hands or feel your hands to. Not being able to see properly. Um, so there's so many different ways your nervous system can be interrupted, and I think I've experienced many of these over my journey.

So how did MS come into my life? [00:05:00] I was only 22 when I was diagnosed with ms. That was a result of a loss of sensation the previous couple of years in my legs. So I was at university in, it was in about 95. That, so gosh, that's, that's a long time ago. I can't quite add up what's 95? So that's 30 years ago.

Um, when I got my first symptoms, there was tingling in my leg. I went to an A physio. They thought it was related to a bulge disc, and that sort of went away after treatment, so that was good. Then it came back to the other leg. We did the same thing, but it was when I started working, so I finished my degrees.

I then was very fortunate to secure a spot on the graduate program at Telstra, which is Australia's largest telecommunications company, and the [00:06:00] actual. Tingling went up my torso. So I went to the physio and they're like, no, something's not right here. I then was given a referral. I went to hospital. It was only a week or so later, had a lumbar puncture, had an MRI and.

The next day I was told I had ms. So for me, the process was really quick. I hadn't had any symptoms that really impacted me, but with the absence of not being impacted, this diagnosis felt so surreal. You know, I was 22 listening to the doctor. You're given brochures of people sitting in wheelchairs and you're thinking.

What's this about? And I had never, except for the Ms. Readathon, I had never heard of ms. I had no idea what it was. [00:07:00] And I wanna share some lessons I've learned during this whole process. So hopefully they will help you as well, because the person who diagnosed me, the doctor, the neurologist, was excellent at their work.

But I didn't connect with them, so I didn't do anything about that. You know, I went and saw him. I was straight away, put on some medication, and at that time there was only one medication for ms. So if you're listening to this and just been diagnosed now, there is so many more treatments available. But I didn't connect with the doctor, and it was about six months later where I had the first experience of not being able to walk.

I remember I was at work. I hadn't told anyone I had Ms. But I, I all of a [00:08:00] sudden couldn't walk and I just remember this so clearly that that disconnect between mind and body, you know, knowing I needed to walk and get to the other side of the room, but thinking my legs, they're just not responding. I didn't know what to do.

So after that, I actually got a taxi home and I thought. I need another doctor. You know, I thought the doctor I had, they're not gonna be right for me getting through moments like this. So I went to a local lady's clinic, um, and. The lady I met, I'd never seen her before, the gp, but lovely, lovely person. And I said, I can't walk.

I've got no idea what to do. I, but I want a different neurologist. [00:09:00] And she looked up the yellow pages, so very old. I am now. Um. And she looked up the yellow pages, went through neurologists and said, this neurologist, Dr. Sedal, he was my lecturer at uni. And she said he was such a beautiful person. , And that was good enough for me.

I thought I need, I trust her and need someone who I can connect with to get through the next however many years. So that moment was the best decision I'd ever made because little did I know

early on. My experience with MS

Was relentless.

 So my diagnosis was very quick, but. My ability to learn how to live with ms. That took a lot longer, [00:10:00] and as I mentioned, my experience with MS early on, it was relentless. This was my life. You know, I was in my , mid twenties living in a city Melbourne. I should have been having the time of my life, but.

I kept getting sick, so I kept getting relapses. So this is from about 98 to 2000 relapse after relapse. Nothing too significant, but enough for me to go into hospital to have steroid treatment, and then to leave hospital and go. Back to my life as it was. So I was loving my work, I was getting promotions.

I started working in training and development. So the irony of what I'm doing now in my workshops and facilitating that training, that's what I used to do at Telstra. So I was traveling around Australia. I was loving life except for the MS. Bit. And I [00:11:00] kept getting sick and I now realize I kept getting sick because I didn't know how to make room for MS, and I thought change my life.

That means MS has somehow won. And I know that's not the right thinking now, but that's the headspace I was in. So I kept pushing through and that continued until 2000. And it was one morning I woke up and I was hitting something in my bed and I couldn't work out what it was, opened my eyes and I was hitting my leg.

I couldn't feel the left leg and I couldn't move my right leg. That was the start of the scariest. Experience in my life because for months and months I was in a hospital bed, unable to wriggle my toes, petrified. I wouldn't get out of bed, let alone [00:12:00] into a wheelchair and walk in again.

But that moment almost had to happen because that moment was me realizing I had to make changes. When you spend months in hospital, you are thrown into a, a new world and it's hard to explain unless you've been there, what that experience is like, but it makes you reflect.

And I started thinking, this is not how I wanna live. You know, if I get out of here, if I regain my functioning, I need to change how I approach living with ms. And I won't go through all of that , but. What happened was, fortunately my amazing neurologist, Dr. Sedal never [00:13:00] let me give up hope.

I remember every day trying so hard to wriggle my toes and he said, you know this, your recovery is gonna take some time. Don't put pressure on yourself. Don't try and wriggle your toes every hour. He said, this will be a gradual improvement week to week. And that released my fear. I. That gave me hope.

And from that moment, I was very invested in doing everything I could to get better and I had to block out, and this is what I talk about. And going through crisis, I had to block out what other doctors were saying. I had two doctors at the end of my bed saying, well, at least she can use her hands. And from that I'm thinking, am I never going to walk again or will I get outta the [00:14:00] bed?

A again, thank goodness I made that change of doctor because Dr. Sedal said no. You know, block that out. He said, I haven't decided that. Let's not make any of those decisions, let yet. Let's see how we go.

So from the worst experience of my life in 2000, I did recover. I started walking again, and from that moment I thought things have to change. I can't go live in my life like this. I need to honor the fact that I have ms. You know, I have to recognize that I have to make changes in my life and long story and I'll, I won't share everything now, but.

I decided as I started walking, friends were starting to travel overseas and I thought, I can do that. You know, I don't wanna miss out on traveling, but I [00:15:00] thought I'm slow. My walking still wasn't great and I thought, I don't wanna travel with others. I don't wanna hold anyone up. I don't wanna feel that pressure.

So I ended up leaving my job. I ended up. Buying a ticket and going over to London. I was going to, I applied for a working holiday visa. I was gonna go over to the UK for a year, arrived in London and thought, no, London's not gonna be good for my legs. I couldn't deal with the tube. So I ended up in Scotland, in Edinburgh for the year, and that was the best decision ever because from that moment I thought, no, I need to focus on my healing.

I need to focus on learning about myself more. I need to feel what it's like being alone, not knowing people, how I cope with that. You know, there were so many things that as a 26-year-old, then [00:16:00] traveling overseas by yourself. It's such. A amazing experience because you learn so much and the main thing I learned was that I need to be proactive to living well with ms.

And that changed things. So I came back. From the incredible year away, I then thought, no, I can't replicate my life as it was in Melbourne, and I ended up moving. I went to university in Bendigo, which is a regional town in Victoria, Australia where I live, and I did social work. I ended up going from a corporate career to being a social worker, working initially with Families in Crisis.

Then in the area of emergency housing. So life changed a lot for me. One thing that didn't change. [00:17:00] Was my approach to life, so I did keep getting sick in 2003. Had another horrendous relapse this time. I couldn't use my hands, couldn't use my legs. That wasn't good.

, But again, . I got through that. I then ended up going over to Romania, so I'd finished my social work degree, went over to Romania for a few months to volunteer in. A day center for children with special needs, an amazing experience that puts life into perspective again. I came back from that.

I met my incredible partner, Andrew, so that was 20 years ago. I had one more big relapse in 2006, and that's when I really changed. That's when I thought, no. I quit my social work job. We moved actually down to the beach and I thought, I need to focus on my healing. So [00:18:00] that was when, from 97, my diagnosis to 2007.

So 10 years. I was a slow learner, but that's when I experienced the peak. An intensiveness of ms. That's when I had really significant relapses. When I was told quite a number of times I wouldn't, you know, be functioning again or out of a wheelchair. And from 2007, I've only had one relapse. Because I change how I approach life, and I talk about all of that, and I'm not gonna go through that now.

But a couple of things, the reason I had a relapse in 2012 was if you've listened to episode, and I'll look it up, episode 36, that is when. The grief I experienced of [00:19:00] not having children. So that led to another relapse, but that's the only relapse I've had since 2007. And so that is why I share my MS diagnosis story as a story of hope because I went to my neurologist recently.

And this has been the same for the last 10 years. And this is a different neurologist because very sadly, my neurologist is no longer with us. And before that, I actually changed neurologists. I. And I'll share this story because I was very hesitant to change and my current neurologist actually was a registrar under Dr.

Sedal. And as well as that, he actually, um, decided to specialize , in MS because of Dr. Sdel. Um, so that was an incredible, I don't think, coincidence. Um, but yeah, he's been amazing [00:20:00] as well. And once he said to me, from reading your book, life Interrupted, which is where I share all of this, and I published that 10 years ago.

He said, after reading your book, there's no way I could look at your scans and know that's what you went through early on because. I was diagnosed, I experienced the aggressiveness of MS and it was relentless. And I forget that now when I get annoyed at my legs and having to use a walker, I think we'll be very grateful that you're upright.

You know, because early on it was, it was so relentless and I was told it was progressing. Not by my doctor, but by others. And that hasn't been the case, and what that's done. Is everything I've learn, and that's why I'm so passionate [00:21:00] about my course healing mindset. 'cause everything I learned in that 10 year period of when I was in and out of hospital when I was making changes, having incredible experiences overseas, then having more relapses.

That was my decade of learning and my younger self has taught me so much. And , that's why when diagnosed with stage four breast cancer from the outset.

That's why I knew what to do. It was no coincidence that we're living on a hundred acres of land. Now you've heard my diagnosis story. You can see that was my response. It wasn't a response running away. It's a response of, okay, what I was doing leading up to that massive relapse or leading up to my cancer diagnosis that wasn't working.

There was something not well in my body, [00:22:00] so let's change it up. In my twenties, that was experiencing the freedom of travel, opening my world, looking at life differently. This time now, you know, I'm with Andrew now and have been for 20 years. I wasn't wanting to pack up and travel overseas by myself, but I knew we had to do something different.

Andrew also sensed that for his own journey, and now we're living off the grid on a hundred acres of land, and this is where my healing is. And I went to my oncologist yesterday and. I'm in remission. My remission continues and having been diagnosed in Feb 22, those that cancer is no longer there , and I don't know what my future is, but what I know is everything I keep learning, I'll be able [00:23:00] to apply to any new challenges that come my way, but I know that I'm creating space . That will help me stay in remission.

 Okay, I could talk about this for a long time. I, I often forget I've written a book about my journey with ms, life interrupted my journey from Hurdle to Hope. I'll put the link in the show notes as there's a page where you can do that also on my website.

Um, but from my diagnosis story, a couple of things I want you to remember. First of all, if you're going through this at the moment, remember to put yourself first. Remember to look after your wellbeing. One way you can do that is if you are not happy with your medical team change. This is [00:24:00] your life with MS or , with whatever illness you have.

If I hadn't have made that call, if I hadn't have changed to my neurologist, Dr. Sedal, during those darkest times in that 10 year period, I wouldn't have got through them because he was such an amazing doctor in person. He gave me the hope that moving forward was possible. And that brings me to the other theme I want you to hold onto from my journey.

Don't give up on hope. Hope will help you get through the darkest times. When I was most despondent, when I was feeling really down about having Ms. That's because I didn't see a future, you know, I thought everything [00:25:00] I dreamt of how I thought my life would turn out that was gone. Because I was diagnosed with MS.

I thought everything I dreamt of that assumed good health. Without good health, how will anything happen? I could not have dreamt the life I've had. I've had these incredible experiences in living with MS. Without ms, I don't think I would've pushed myself to live overseas for a year without ms. . I don't think I would've gone to Romania then without ms. I don't think I would've gotten through my diagnosis with cancer. So hold on to hope, keep learning and growing through your experience that will help you to heal.

 .

So I'm gonna plug my course again. If you've been living with a health condition for some time, [00:26:00] MS or something else. If you're newly diagnosed and you're going through that stress and anxiety, whether it's cancer, ms, or anything else, please look at my course healing mindset. I truly believe. , That everything I've learned in living with MS about healing, your healing mindset can be instigated from the moment you hear a diagnosis.

That's what happened to me when I was diagnosed with cancer. I knew what to do to start my healing straight away. So visit hurdle to hope.com/healing mindset illness. Remember, hurdle to hope with the number two. Other than that, if you're interested in what my thoughts are on hope, listen to episodes 30 and 32.

Both talk about denial, [00:27:00] acceptance and hope. Once you get that clear in your head, then living with hope just makes sense.

But I'll leave it there. .. Hopefully you have a great week and I look forward to chatting soon.