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Linda Elsegood: I'd like to introduce Kathy from England who takes LDN for TMS, which is tumefactive Multiple Sclerosis MS Thank you for joining me, Kathy.
Cathy: Thank you.
Linda Elsegood: Could you tell us a bit about tumefactive Multiple Sclerosis MS.
Cathy: Um, yeah, sure. It's quite a rare form of multiple sclerosis. I was only diagnosed with it, um, in 2012 December, um, by my neurologist.
Um, he actually took a look at my scans and with my medical history said that you've got tumefactive Multiple Sclerosis MS He said you haven't got an SP, which I thought I had or relapsing and remitting. Um, so he, um, I have to go back really to 1990 when I had a stroke. Um, it was classed as a stroke, and I was ill for five years, and my daughters were only 18 months and eight years old at the time.
I was blind for two months, and all the left side was affected. And, um, I couldn't talk, but, well, I could talk, but no one could understand me. it was almost like being in a bubble for five years. And then, um, I don't remember any of it at all. And then after five years, I gradually, um, came out of it.
And I learned, I learned to, um, I learned to, um, sorry. Um, I learned to, um, read and write again and, um, to do everything really. I went to, um, an access course to, to learn, and learn again. Um, and I only did six months of that cause I did what I wanted to do, which was learn to learn. And then did a basic counselling course.
And then, um, went to, um, college, and I went and worked at, um, Harefield hospital as a healthcare assistant nights. And then while I was there, I did my NVQ level three. And then, um, I did my nurse training. I was the conduit. I was one of Blair's babies. And did my, um, envy, uh, did my nurse training in 2003.
I qualified 2007 to be a nurse at Hartford hospital or my first staff nurse post. And then in 2008, I had what we thought was another stroke. Um, and my left side was all affected again. Um, and I was like having bad trouble with the perception of heat, hot and cold, the hot-cold was painful and hot was like lukewarm.
Um, and that caused quite a few problems, but anyway, went to the hospital. They said it was viral neuropathy. Um, and sent me to my doctors the next day. They said I did. They didn't think I'd had another stroke. Cause I had some tests for that. And then when I went to my GP, he sent me to the neurologist and the neurologist said, I think you've had another stroke.
So he said, why you're having strokes at this age? I don't know. Cause the first one is 36. And now I'm, I think I was about 46 or something then. Um, and then, um, he says we do all the tests, and I had done cardio, bobbin, bubbled grams, and all sorts of things. And they all came back negative. He says you haven't had a stroke until now.
He said, we will send you for the last one, which is a lumber country in Charing cross hospital. Um, and that I told them that I had actually had multiple sclerosis. Um, so he then started giving me the treatment for multiple well, um, tablets to help with the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Um, and he said that I've got relapsing and remitting, and that's why I'm fully recovered.
And that the, um, stroke in 1990 was obviously an MS episode and not a stroke. So that made sense really. In 2008 I was off work for six months, and I went back on a stage return. And as soon as I told them in March, but I've got multiple sclerosis. I was, um, sat for my position in, um, 2009, um, August.
And since then, I've, uh, 2010. I've been on benefits ever since then. Um, I'm am I able to work. I went right downhill. When, when they sat me. Um, because of the actual, um, minor, you, as you said, it was because of the stress from all that, that made me actual actually deteriorate so fast. And I went from sort of like walking, like doing seven, 17,000 steps on my pedometer a day and down to do, I couldn't even get off the chair.
Do you know what I mean? I was really, um, quite ill. Um, and, um, my, um, memory was very bad. Um, and, um, I, um, I've had, uh, suffer from short term memory loss. Um, and, um, so that sort of made things quite difficult. I couldn't go out on my own because, um, I wouldn't remember where I was and things like that. So I had to have somebody with me the whole time I still do, but I'm so much better since I started on LDN.
Um, I went to, um, my, um, neurologist. He was a general one for, um, a few years. And then when he came to an end, he said Now that you've now got secondary progressive. MS You said, so we can't do anything for you now I'd like you to introduce you to another neurologist.
Who's an MS specialist. He said because I can't think of anything else to give you to help. So I said, okay. I went to a urologist called dr. Malik, can we call him magic Malik? Um, uh, in the MS. Society, you know, and everything because he's fantastic. And he just, as I said, looked at my scans and my medical history and said you are relapsing, remitting, all SP.
Secondary progressive disease you've got TMS, which is a totally different thing you said. So he said, we can actually treat you now actively treat you. And he said, we can give you DMDs, which are disease-modifying drugs, but I didn't want to go on that route because I'd heard so many things about women it's injecting every day.
I wasn't too keen on doing that. Um, and I said, well, um, I've actually heard from another friend who's on this LDN. Have you heard of that? So, yes, you still, I've got quite a few of my patients on LDN. You said, did you want to try that? I suggest I do. So he wrote me a prescription for it. Um, and I started taking LDN in April of this year, and well, I just couldn't believe it.
The second day I felt the benefit from it. I felt, um, all my brain fog lifted. Um, I thought clearly I could finish sentences. I couldn't even finish a sentence. My husband always. I was used to finishing the ending for me. Cause I couldn't remember what I was saying. Um, so I'm able to do that now. Um, I'm able to, um, um, uh, do things that like I hadn't been able to do for ages.
Like, um, I'm still limited to the time that I'm standing up, but I have to sit down. Um, but, um, before that I just, I couldn't stand up and do anything. I just help. I need help to get up out of the chair and get into my wheelchair. I don't use the wheelchair. It sits out there, and I keep looking at it and thinking why don't I need to use you.
So I'll wait until I have to before I sit in and sit on you again. Um, and um, I use a stick to walk with and, um, I use the car as an electric wheelchair really? Cause I get it, just get dropped where we're going. And I walked from where We're going into wherever we're going. But the best thing about it is that I can actually chat away to people now, whereas before I would just say something and then forget what we're talking about and move onto something else, you know?
So it's been a, an amazing, um, drug for me. And I, and I am an advocate for it. And I keep on telling all my people What I'm on, what different sites I'm always advertising LDN and telling them how it's helped me. And I'm sure it could help you, you know, especially because they've all got MS. Most of the people that I talked to, you know,
Linda Elsegood: When did you first, did you have an interested in psychotics?
Cathy: I used to have, um, some fantastic dreams. Um, and they weren't horrible at all. I, in fact, I quite miss them. Um, I used to have like really vivid dreams as if, um, the colour was like fabulous. It was like unbelievable. And, um, anything to do with like flowers or if there was anything to do with colour in there, it would be really vivid.
And you can remember the dream. I can't remember the last time I could remember a dream, you know, uh, but now I can remember them. Um, I haven't really had, um, that only lasted for a few, probably a few months if that, but they've, they've all gone now. I don't have any, any sort of side effects that I can think of.
Linda Elsegood: Thank you very much.
Any questions or comments you may have, please contact us. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for joining us today. We really appreciated your company. Until next time, stay safe and keep well.