“Susan Kennedy (a character on the show) started to experience the symptoms of MS; I similarly during this time of my life had begun to progressively lose feeling from my waist down over a matter of weeks.”

Angela was fortunate that her GP decided to investigate.

“I had x-rays, cat scans and an MRI, I was riding an emotional roller coaster considering diagnoses from severed spinal cord to prolapsed discs.”

She was referred to a neurologist but by the time she attended the appointment she was struggling to walk.

“I was told they had discovered a lesion on my spinal cord but they were not sure if it was a tumour, cancer or something else. Feeling scared out of my mind I was referred directly to the John Hunter Hospital for further testing.”

After more MRIs, a lumber puncture and a visual evoked potential test (a kind of nerve response test) she was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis by neurologist Jeanette Lechner- Scott.

“To be honest I felt absolute relief, finally there was a reason for what I was feeling and treatments that would potentially help.”

For the past eight years she  has lived with the disease and its unpredictable nature. 

“It is ruthless at times and I have spent many days in hospital connected to an IV drip receiving large doses of steroids to stop my body from attacking itself.”

Angela has found it difficult to find balance within her life, having always kept fit and motivated. 

“The question I often find myself contemplating is ‘am I a sick person who is well, or a well person who is sick?’ The answer is I am a person who will become sick at times, who will need to accept support when needed and learn to listen to their body and take it easy when necessary.”

She is trying to deal with the illness the best she can and that’s why she is throwing herself into the Kiss Goodbye to MS campaign throughout the month of May.

The campaign is an initiative of MS Research Australia. Kiss Goodbye to MS calls on people with MS, their friends, family and colleagues to raise funds for vital research into the cause and cure for MS. The campaign calls on supporters to wear, dare or share to fundraise in May each year.

“This May 2015, I have set myself a challenge to raise $5000.  If I raise $3000 by the end of May my loving husband Tom will wear a red tutu and red lipstick to work for a day. I will wear red lipstick for a month and a pink wig for a week to work. If we are able to double our amount then both us will be streaking our hair: Tom bright red and me pink.” 

You can support the campaign  by donating online at: http://kgtms.org.au/i/angela-kosteliz or through the Kiss Goodbye to MS website.

A chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system

MS Research Australia identifies multiple sclerosis as a disease that affects over 23,000 Australians. 

MS is a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves). The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS cannot be predicted. MS is a lifelong disease for which a cure is yet to be found, however doctors and scientists are making discoveries about the treatment and management of MS every day. 

Three out of four people with MS are women and the average age of diagnosis is around 30. Over 23,000 people in Australia have MS, with an additional 1000 diagnosed each year. 2.5 million people worldwide are living with MS. 

The cause of MS is unknown, however several factors are thought to be involved, including genetics, gender and environmental triggers. No two cases of MS are identical. The visible and hidden symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from person to person. Common symptoms include: extreme fatigue, visual disturbance, such as blurred or double vision, difficulty with walking, balance or coordination, muscle weakness, tremor, stiffness or spasm, bladder and bowel issues, slurring or slowing of speech.