MStival – charity music festival

So for my first ever Blog i thought i would start with abit about MStival and why i wanted to help the Berkshire Muitiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre (BMSTC).

On the 19th of august 2010 i was diagnosed with MS.

I had been having various symptoms for about 8 months solid before i was diagnosed. Now i have been diagnosed it explains a lot of things from earlier in life too, like why i got pain in my legs after long walks, or how much they would hurt after a days work at my Aunties pub/restaurant in Lewes. or why i used to get eye aches for about a month solid.

at the beginning of 2010 my legs started spasming wildly, and be in an incredible amount of pain on a regular basis. i went to my Dr who sent me to the Neurology unit at Royal berkshire, where i was seen by consultant Neurologist Dr Andrew Weir. it took a long time to diagnose what i knew deep down i had.

After my Diagnosis i went straight to the MS centre for a meeting with Pippa, who i had met a number of times before due to my mother also having the disease.

I got put on a the three week Oxygen course within the month and starting recieving physiotherapy soon after that. the oxygen helped me with the bladder problems i was having. i had to get up about 3 or 4 times most nights to keep going to the toilet, after however this is now down to once and has made a huge impact on my ability to get a good nights sleep. The physiotherapy has helped me walk better and although its painful its worth every second!

The treatments helped my symptoms but it didn’t however, make me come to terms with the disease. MS has been a part of my life for my whole life. My mother Julie was Diagnosed well before i was born. She met My late step father Richard, at the MS centre. Unfortuanely he had Progressive MS which lead him to pass away from Bronchitus in 1996 when i was 11.  He was an amazing Man and i still miss him to this day.

So i have often thought ” MS you Ba***sd  don’t you think that you have affected my life enough?”

But with the help of my newly found friends at the BMSTC and counseling at the University of Reading i have realised that there is alot i can do with a bad situation.

I decided to set up MStival – a charity music event for the BMSTC

I am currently overwhelmed by the level of support i have received from pretty much everyone. I had an article in the Reading post on the 19th of January 2011,  which you can read online here http://www.getreading.co.uk/entertainment/music/s/2085974_music_festival_to_help_beat_ms

I have had loads of messages of support since. I realise its something i can do which makes me feel like i can make a difference. I have also been asked to go onto BBC radio Berkshire to tell my story and im really happy to do so, because i want to beable to do something for the centre. after all they have done alot for me and my family… i even learnt to ride a bike with the help of Charles Rampton, the previous manager at the old MSCentre in Caversham

I owe them big time.

I hope i can show all MSers that they can make a difference.

And thats my first blog!

over and out

Clark