Courtnay Terry
At the age of 35 with 3 young children I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
I was diagnosed in December last year, after quite a 2 week ordeal of tests and
experiencing some scary symptoms.
I was in complete disbelief - I don’t have any history of MS in my family but
also this is an old person’s disease. WRONG. After researching the disease and
understanding what it can cause to
your body over time I learnt that the largest percentage of people diagnosed
with MS are WOMEN between the ages of 20-40 (In the prime of our lives).
230,000 people in Australia and just over 2million people worldwide are
diagnosed with MS. So many more that are likely unaware they have it. It also
isn’t a hereditary disease.
After feeling off in 2020 following a vertigo attack 3 months after the birth
of my 2nd child iwhich affected my vision that didn’t go away, then again in
early 2024 another big vertigo attack that caused more damage to my eyesight
that never improved, I was told that my brain MRI was clear and the attacks
were likely migraines due to hormones/lifestyle and would get better as kids
got older.
By late 2024 I was so exhausted all the time to the point I just wanted to drop
to the floor not long after I woke up but had to push through for my kids. Then
one day I experienced numbness across my torso (front and back) from my chest
to my hip bone. It kept getting stronger and then my hands were numb and
tingly.
After many tests - blood tests for anything and everything, MRI of brain and
SPINE this time, and a lumbar puncture it was confirmed I had MS. A lesion was
found in my central nervous system in my spinal cord causing all of my
symptoms.
Optic Neuritis (the loss of, distorted, foggy, double vision, pain or pressure
behind the eye and mostly in one eye only) is one of the first signs of MS as
well as numbness/tingling in any part of the body. Had I of known more about
MS, early signs to look out for and how young it can actually be diagnosed,
particularly in women, I would have dug deeper earlier and demanded more
testing.
I was lucky to be supported very early in my diagnosis from friends, friends of
friends or family who had MS and guided me on where to turn to for more
information, support, Specialists to see and treatments available and what I
could do lifestyle wise as well as medically to help slow the progression.
It was a very scary, if not the scariest time in my life when receiving the
diagnosis. The fear of the unknown as the disease is different for everyone but
also because I have 3 young children and I still have a huge part of my life to
live yet and memories to create with them.
I am hoping that through this MS event, my story will help educate anyone with
similar symptoms to explore things further or demand further tests in case they
also have this disabling disease so that they can treat it as early as
possible. Studies have proven that early treatment dramatically slows the
disease progression and medicine has advanced so much.
My Updates
MS Run
Wednesday 19th MarA BIG THANK YOU TO MY SUPPORTERS
$1.02k
Stubbs Family
$53.95
Sarah Haynes
$168.80
Kriston Forbes
$54.86
Dim Dobro
$84.24
Ben Miller
$53
Steve Harris
$53
Graeme And Janice Stanbury
Thinking of you all and sending love ❤️ Graeme and Janice Stanbury xo
$126.60
Julz Tello
🏃🏻♂️💨
$164.58
Ben Bennetts
$105.50
Drew Azzopardi
$169
Pepe The Frog
$316.50
Joseph Mcelroy
$116.05
Thomas Minter
$105.50
Jamie Bampton
Good work old cock
$54.86
Sista Pips/brutha Keith
Sending aroha and blessings to you all brutha ❤️
$155.63
Chey Daniels
Mean my cuz See you all at the finish line
$54.86
Dan Galapon
$168.48
Christopher Hughes
$189.90
Jacob Gibsob
$168.48
Michael Doherty
Good luck mate , all the best 💪
$207.50
Sean Brennan
Great effort mate
$1.02k
Dave Ferguson
$164.58
Niall Wallace
$52.75
Kris Lawson
$211
Aidan Mcateer
$52.75
Brett Howard
Good luck on the run mate and all the best to Courtney.
$53.95
Stuart Cullen
$105.50
Census Toni
$54.86
Chris O Donoghue
$105.50
Harry And Laura Gillam
Love and support from the entire Gillam household
$1k
Fb
$164.58
Tim Swan
$105.50
Patrick Hart
$100
Bradley Healy
$105.50
Georgia Cosatto
$54.86
Henry Erratt
$54.86
Anonymous
$31.65
Anonymous
$105.50
Luke Brown
$82.29
Steve Pohl
Run run run, good on you, great charity.
$82.29
Dailey King
$105.50
Cliffy
$105.50
Jj
$54.86
Anonymous
Fucken Chur uncle
$211
Josh Caistor
$105.50
Phil Shandley
Nice work bro.
My Team
Courtnay’s Support Crew
Amanda Stubbs
$245.81
Andrea Pellegrino
Arlo Forde
$272.19
Common Terry (C)
$7,882.57
Craig Stubbs
$232.94
Danny Forde
$56.79
Matthew Stubbs
$3,389.23
Paige Bringolf
$213.11
Thank you