Marc K.* was abroad when he realized that something was wrong. He had himself examined and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He tells us why this was a relief for the 38-year-old at that moment and how he deals with the disease today.
“The complaints started in March 2016. I remember it so well because I was on a language course in Strasbourg at the time. Suddenly I realized in the gym that I could no longer do certain exercises. I simply no longer had any balance. This dragged on for a few weeks. Back in Switzerland, he also experienced numbness in his tongue and difficulty playing the piano. I already had a few thoughts. The uncertainty gnawed at me. What could that be? Will it go away? Finally, I went to the nearest emergency room to where I lived and had myself examined for two days. During this time, I mentally prepared myself for the worst. I have someone in my family with the extremely serious nerve disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). When I was “only” diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after several examinations, I was actually very relieved. That sounds strange, because you can’t take MS lightly. But seeing myself already half-paralyzed in a wheelchair was a load off my mind.
In the first year of my illness, I had a lot of slumps. But I’m a very positive person and thought to myself here too: What’s the worst thing that could happen to me? I knew that there are now very effective drugs that can stop the disease, even if only for a certain time. If the disease progresses and I can no longer move my arm properly in a few years’ time, for example, I would have to adapt my hobbies. This mind game helped me a lot. During this time, I also moved to the university hospital, as the level of knowledge about MS is simply best here. I felt I was in great hands here right from the start. The staff are really knowledgeable, friendly and also advise me on general life support. At the moment I come here regularly for nursing consultations, MRIs and infusions. In the meantime, the treatment has taken full effect. All my complaints have completely disappeared. I feel really healthy – I do Thai boxing and cross-country skiing, among other things. The image that people see in front of them when they think of MS is really outdated. I also tried to convey this to my close circle when I explained the diagnosis to them. Even if patients’ courses are very individual, MS no longer has to dictate the lives of those affected, and I would like to set an example of this. However, I do have one reservation: when I started my own business, there were certain hurdles in terms of social insurance – but in the overall picture, this was actually a minor matter.”
* Name changed by the editors