How I got introduced to One-Eye Ridgid-Finger Barry (My MS)

It all started approximately March 2006, I started feeling dizzy (drunk feeling 24/7, no need to go out with mates to drink, I felt drunk without drinking). My left hand began to go numb and my co-ordination to the left hand was slacking.

I went to my GP and had blood tests and my weight checked.

He said:

"it may be down to your weight (23 stones 4lbs), cholesterol and smoking"

From my blood tests, he said:

"it looks as if you smoke 40 a day"

Which was give or take 5 cigarettes.

After hearing that, I took control of my life quit smoking (1st June 2006) and started losing weight.

After several months, I started to feel normal again. I started a job as a labourer on a building site just to see if I could cope (just a little test to myself). That all went fine, nearing the end of that year I started to lose sight in my left eye (which lasted for several months). It felt like I was looking through a net curtain and every week or so, another net curtain was being applied. I went to the opticians and got referred to an eye clinic in hospital. After doing tests on my eyes, that's when they arranged for me to have an MRI scan.

In 2007 I was diagnosed with RRMS. My first thought was

‘Now I’ve got an answer’

Followed by

‘What’s going to happen?'

I saw a program on TV at the time (I think it was Doctors on ITV) where a man had similar symptoms as me and then he was diagnosed with MS, so I was sort of guessing it was MS before it was confirmed.

I started DMD (Disease Modifying Drug) Rebif (3 injections a week) on 16th December 2007.

If I didn't have MS, I wouldn't have got married, have 2 kids, quit smoking, got active, moved to a city and I know I wouldn't have lost nearly 10 stones (13 stones, 6ish just before Covid).

MS to me isn't a put down/show stopper, could happen to anyone. But you should never let it put you down.

Having MS has made me see a whole different meaning to life and sides of friends and family which I wouldn't have seen. In early days where MS was light handed. I became 100’s of times more active.

MS now being more dominant (as I use crutches to walk in public, can’t walk as fast as I use to, fatigue kicks in very quickly and so on). But in a way, I see it as he’s claiming back the first time 10 year’s he gave me to sort my life out.

You may think who is ‘One-Eye Ridgid-Finger Barry’?

That’s my MS’s name he created, One-Eye when I wear an eye patch to give that eye time out due to optic neuritis. Ridgid-Finger when I’m working, right hand middle finger has like a foot drop moment and keeps right clicking mouse. So, I wear a wooly glove with all ringers cut off except middle finger that has its moment, and insert a wooden ice lolly stick behind the finger giving it support, so that finger can relax and hover over right button.

And Barry thought goes really well.

I also have my MRI brain scan picture of my head framed and, on my wall with words above

‘One-Eye Rigid-Finger Barry somewhere in there. Teamed up since 2006-2007’

People may think ‘weirdo’, I see it as recognising, respecting and accepting my MS in my life, he’s now part of my family.

If people can’t respect my MS, they don’t respect me. We come as a package. MS is something in life that can’t be ignored or forgotten.

As I say, One-Eye Ridgid-Finger Barry taught me a lot. I always go by A.A.S

Adapt

Achieve

Smile

I'm going on a bit, but I'm 41 years old now. I am proud of my achievements. I still can't believe it but

One-Eye Ridgid Finger Barry (my MS) has helped me out BIG TIME and changed my life, and I do thank him.

A forced friendship neither of us had a say.

One-Eye Ridgid-Finger Barry pic