A woman who suffered in pain for over eight years was finally given the correct diagnosis by doctors. Hannah Connor, 33, faced horrible symptoms for nearly a decade before she got answers from medical professionals.
Back pain, fatigue and numbness plagued the woman for years before a diagnosis in 2020 found she had multiple sclerosis (MS). And Hannah now wants to use her experience to raise awareness of the disease and the myths around it, reports BirminghamLive.
Hannah visited doctors for "quite a long time" before she got the answer to the pain she had been put through, with the 33-year-old said to have relapsing MS, which can cause her symptoms to come and go in waves, typically worsening over a period of time before a short improvement.
The woman, who lives in Marston Green in Solihull with her husband, was "shocked' when doctors gave her the news after initially concluding sciatica. Hannah would lose vision in one eye and her speech became slurred, while she also went numb from the waist down.
She know something more serious was at play and was rushed to A&E at one point to see a neurologist. Scans revealed she had MS as she said: "They think I probably had MS for about seven or eight years before I was actually diagnosed because of the symptoms that I had previously.
"I had gone to the doctors but because the symptoms were not altogether at the same time they were put down to something else. They happened over a long period of time which is why I think it made it quite difficult for doctors to diagnose. When everything came at once that's when it was diagnosed as MS.
"Some of the symptoms I had were definitely showing as MS symptoms. It could probably have been diagnosed earlier which may have avoided some of the lasting implications.
"But it's such a difficult disease to diagnose because of how varied the symptoms are. I do understand how difficult it can be to get that diagnosis. Some people go for years."
Hannah admits she knew little about the disease before being diagnosed but wants to remain in good spirits. She added: "I sometimes mourn for the life I had before MS but I try and be as positive as possible. This is something I have for the rest of my life."
She continues to work as a team leader Ernst & Young despite suffering from sensory and balance issues. The company is said to have been helpful with her accessibility and allowed her to continue doing her job.
Hannah does charity work in her local area and wants to raise awareness of MS. The disease is said to be unpredictable with symptoms and can be different for each person diagnosed with it.
Amy Thompson, founder of MS Together, said: “We are delighted to be working with six other brilliant MS Charities for this year’s MS Awareness Week because as we say here at MS Together - together, we are stronger. The campaign #MSMakesMe was designed with the MS community and we thank everyone who has shared their story to make it happen.
“MS is still widely misunderstood and we hope that #MSMakesMe will raise awareness of the difficulties and realities of living with the condition. We are hoping that this campaign will also signpost people to the varied support that each charity provides. We urge people living with MS in the West Midlands to find out what support is available locally by visiting our websites.”
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