The Joy of Living with Multiple Sclerosis

I was 26 years old when I was diagnosed with MS (2003). I didn’t really experience any symptoms that were noticeable during the first 13 years, but then in 2015 my walking started to deteriorate. By 2018, I was adjusting to the fact that I was now disabled. My life changed, I went from being a very independent person to having to rely on my husband or friends when I was out and about.

For those who don’t know, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the myelin sheath around your nerves and therefore reduces their ability to send messages around the body. It can impact everyone differently, there is no rule really and what happens for one person may never happen to another. For more it is mainly my lower body that has been affected and I struggle with movement due to what I will now call my ‘Wonky Feet’ which seemed like a good reference to Stand Out Socks.

My Wonky Feet

Foot drop is a big issue for people with MS, this results in difficulty in lifting the front part of your foot, which means you end up dragging the toes whilst walking. It results from weakness in the foot due to the nerve damage which disrupts the signals between the brain and the muscles. This means people with MS are more likely to trip over their feet and are more prone to falls. Often it can look like you are drunk as your walking becomes uncoordinated and off balance. For me, I use an assistive technology device that helps my toes lift up as I walk - I still have to use walking aids but this does prevent me from tripping over.

The other issue that MS causes is cold feet - this is because my circulation can’t pump properly around my body and in particular my lower limbs. I suffer with swollen ankles and feet and have to wear compression socks during the night to help encourage normal flow. I can’t wear them during the day as I have my foot drop machine on my leg. It is just another fun part of living with multiple sclerosis.

All of these issues result in my poor toes being abused as I often stub them on things - especially the stairs as I go down them because I have weak hip flexors so can’t lift my leg enough to clear the step. Also the lack of movement results in other issues like my toes rub together a lot which causes infections. I regularly visit a foot clinic but this is expensive and is another additional outlay caused by my disability.

The Extra Costs of Being Disabled

Living with a disability is really expensive. According to Scope, being disabled costs an average of almost £1,000 extra a month and I live and breathe these costs every day. A few years ago I realised that there was no discount program for the disabled community like there is for other groups like key workers, students, and carers. This led me to launch Purpl, a discount program designed to help offset the costs of living with a disability.

Introducing Purpl

 Our website went live in July this year and we have already partnered with over 40 brands to give our community the chance to offset the cost of living with a disability through discounts on everyday products and services. To join Purpl, visit Purpl Discounts and register with your proof of disability. We accept government and council documents as well as Access and National Disability ID cards. For more information, you can read our blog post on How to Get Verified on Purpl.

Building a Community

My goal with Purpl is to help our community save money, as well as creating a supportive community. I want us to share our stories, offer relevant advice and guidance, and give back to disabled charities. Eventually, I hope to create our own foundation to provide grants directly to those in need of extra financial support. Please join Purpl and share the site with your disabled friends and family.

I may have Wonky Feet but that hasn’t stopped me and never will. My disability led me to create Purpl, and it has given me a way to really make a difference to our disabled community