Thank you Jack

Today has been a strange day. I very rarely check the trending topics on twitter and when I do, I just check out things that interest me, certainly not noughties MTV stars. I don’t know why I felt the need to check out Jack Osbourne today, but I’m glad (I think) I did.

It’s hard when people come to their own conclusions when you say ‘I’ve got MS’, as most of twitter did this morning. Lots of ‘get well soon’ and ‘how devastating’ tweets, which seemed a little strange to me but probably slightly comforting to others?

I’ve got a huge amount of respect for Jack for deciding to let the world know. It’s hard, I know. It’s been nice that for a day the media is reporting the truths of MS - that there is no cure, that you won’t die directly from it & what parts of you it can (but not always) affect.

From my addiction to US TV (House, West Wing), I have learnt it seems like they treat MS differently there than they do in the UK, hopefully by now Jack will be enjoying a DMT (disease modifying therapy). I say enjoying, I lasted 6 months then had to stop as the side effects were so bad, not a huge fan of feeling like I’ve constantly got bad flu and should be in bed & my hair falling out. I am also a bit of a wuss when it comes to needles though, especially when one gets stuck in my leg!

What Jack did today is huge. It’s a huge thing for him internally but can also seem so much harder as unless you or a close relative/friend actually has MS, it’s very hard to really know or understand what it is. I think it can be quite overwhelming when I tell anyone I have MS, they’re lovely, probably partly as MS is a scary phrase but also as I know they care about me. But to pile that onto someone who has no idea what it is must be hard. ‘Hope you get well soon’ becomes a really nothing phrase, technically I’ve got Relapsing Remitting MS so I should go back to 100% full health in between relapses (periods of illness), but there is no cure so it’s not really possible.

When I have additional illnesses on top of my MS then ‘get well soon’ is a phrase that does mean something. Like now, I’ve got labyrinthitus, an inner ear virus meaning I haven’t eaten in over a week (bar a couple of pears) and am spending 24/7 sat in the same chair due to the fact the world feels like its spinning. Constantly. I know I will recover from labyrinthitus, I’ve just got to sit it out for another couple of weeks and take lots of drugs. I also know that God CAN heal MS and pray for this every day.

I don’t know how I would cope having MS without God. Jack, thank you for raising awareness of MS, I do hope you can find comfort in Jesus.