15th May 2024

When I was diagnosed I felt like an observer from the outside

My MS Diagnosis Campaign

When Lidija was diagnosed with MS she felt like she was on the outside looking in. She reflects back on the moment she was diagnosed and what she has learnt since. Read her story:

“My name is Lidija, I live in the North Republic of Macedonia. I am 53 years old.

My MS started at the age of 28 with vision problems and weakness in my right arm, after which the doctor referred me for more tests. After several months of examinations, it was determined that it was MS.

When I took the discharge letter and read my diagnosis it was a huge shock.

At that moment I had the impression that this was happening to someone else, and I was an observer from the outside.

I faced the diagnosis alone without being prepared beforehand.

I needed some time to get over the shock and move on, to realize that if you have MS your quality of life will not be lost by default.

So I continued to learn day by day to live with MS and not let it shape my whole life. In addition to daily activities, the hobbies that I enjoy are hiking and writing poetry.

MS has many faces and we are all experiencing our own story.

So live life full of activities, with positive thoughts, healthy habits, and without tomorrow’s burdens.

No one knows what tomorrow brings, but we can enjoy what we have today.”

Thank you Lidija and the National Association of Persons with Multiple Sclerosis in the North Republic of Macedonia.

This World MS day we are raising awareness and building solidarity by sharing real experiences MS diagnosis across the globe. If you have an diagnosis you want to share, you can add it to the World MS Day map.