Perth woman Alison Ellett is on a mission to help Taysiders living with MS get the support and information they need.
As Hollywood actress Christina Applegate reveals she has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Alison is urging others living with MS to reach out if they need help.
More than 15,000 people in Tayside are living with MS – the highest rate across all regions in mainland Scotland.
And for many, especially the newly diagnosed, learning you have MS can be a dark and fearful time.
As one of my friends that has MS said “ we wake up and take the indicated action”. And that’s what I do. So now I ask for privacy. As I go through this thing. Thank you xo
— christina applegate (@1capplegate) August 10, 2021
Married With Children star Christina spoke of her MS diagnosis yesterday.
And Alison, from Perth, along with a team of volunteers, is making sure people living with MS locally feel heard and supported.
Alison’s life changed seven years ago at diagnosis, but the benefit she received from peer support is something she’s now giving back to others.
Alison, a peer supporter for MS Society Scotland’s My MS, My Way: Tayside project explains: “Although I was diagnosed then I think I probably had it for decades.
“I was putting things down to ageing but one day, I couldn’t see out of one eye.”
It turned out Alison had Optic Neuritis – an inflammation of the optical nerve and a common first indicator of MS.
After MRI scans revealed she had the condition, Alison learned of a self-help group.
“At the group, I met a woman who had been diagnosed in her 20s.
“She’d had it for so long but was thriving and it was so good to have someone to say to me – you’re not crazy, this is MS.
“Others I met in the group gave me a lot of hope.
Although you have to grieve the things you are losing, it’s great to see people dealing with it and getting on with it.
“As much as your friends and family want to help, they don’t quite get it because they’re not experiencing it.
“Some might look at you with sympathy, which for many of us gets really close to pity.
“For a lot of us, we don’t want that. We just want to feel heard.”
MS Society Scotland’s My MS, My Way: Tayside project is open to anyone affected by MS in the area.
People affected are able to access:
- Free one-to-one confidential counselling
- Peer support sessions
- Exercise classes
Alison adds: “There is a phrase in the MS community, ‘I’ve got MS but MS hasn’t got me’.
“That attitude of yes, while MS sucks, it doesn’t have to suck the life out of you, means so much.
“And that is why I volunteer as peer support. The MS community has helped me to cope and thrive. This is my small way of giving back.”
To find out more about the My MS, MY Way: Tayside project:
Call 01382 938082. Email mymsmyway@mssociety.org.uk or visit the project website.
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