A negative mind will never give you a positive life
Being in and out of doctors’ and specialists’ rooms, it was a relief to finally receive her diagnosis.
Henriette Lamprecht – She’s still the same “witty kinda person” with a born humanitarian heart as before her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis (MS) at the age of 22. Being the face of MS Namibia, Bianca Özcan has many dreams she still wants to fulfil, not letting her illness stigmatize her or put her in a box.
Bianca was diagnosed with MS in 2007, shortly after giving birth to her first child. She admits the road to a diagnosis was not easy, however.
“I think I’ve been on and off symptoms and in and out of doctors’ and specialists’ rooms for about 5 years before that.”
Bianca eventually got her diagnosis after a neurologist, looking at her scans, confirmed she had MS.
“I was 22 at that time and didn’t think much about it, because it didn’t seem like something life-threatening or a permanent illness which may eventually lead to disability.”
Bianca left the consultation room, returning for more tests, at which time the neurologist informed her she will put her in touch with a specialist nurse who can guide and help her to inject herself once a week.
“This was when I truly realized this illness I have been diagnosed with, is more than just a two-letter word.”
There was really no one to share her situation with, neither was she comforted by someone who already had been through the same process, says Bianca.
She felt “really lonely, lost and extremely scared” and searched for information online, but still, this was not enough.
“There was no one else in Namibia who had MS, so I had to do something. This was how Multiple Sclerosis Namibia (MSN) came to be.”
The first triggers of what was to come, were dizziness, loss of balance, and painful legs with a burning sensation. Bianca was in her teens and the symptoms would appear and then disappear again, leading to her only being diagnosed at 22.
Bianca admits her fear of the unknown was worse than the symptoms themselves.
“I was in the starting phase of my life, just got married, had a first child, bought a house, was still studying, so I was confused as hell. I spent my days being frustrated and confused.”
Apart from this, her life stayed the same, although she immediately “jumped on specific diets” and visited the gym regularly.
Later, however, she felt as if she was only soothing her mind and that these methods of trying to remain healthy, weren’t really working. Bianca still continued working, had a very supportive company, and started to get the MS Society going.
It was definitely a relief to get her diagnosis and finally know what was wrong.
“The waiting, the frustration, the time off from work to see doctors and not to mention the costs, was tiring, both emotionally and physically,” she admits.
She describes herself as still the same “witty kinda person” with a born humanitarian heart as before her diagnosis.
“I gave my life to Christ a few years back. This had nothing to do with my diagnosis though. From birth, I was just hand-picked to be a true follower of Him.
This, by all means, helps me to look at everything from a different angle. Being a widow and a single mom under 40 poses immense challenges. So yes, without a Godly attitude, I won’t be able to handle MS and the other baggage of life on my own.”
Bianca hopes to stay in the benign MS stage, a variation of relapsing-remitting MS, and a form of the condition in which new or worsening symptoms are very mild or do not flare up for a long period of time.
She would like to see her children grow up to be healthy and happy individuals with kind hearts, wants to study for her Ph.D., and have “buckets full of money, lots of laughter and hopefully memorable travel experiences soon”.
Her message to other MS-sufferers is to “take a deep breath, try not to panic, and if possible, give yourself 72 hours before making any decisions, unless it is self-threatening”.
“A negative mind will never give you a positive life. Give life your MS side, and you will receive back many ‘crazy-fun moments’. Most importantly, do not be stigmatized by your condition, speak out and be open about MS and you will see you are not alone anymore.” – [email protected]; www.msnamibia.org
Bianca was diagnosed with MS in 2007, shortly after giving birth to her first child. She admits the road to a diagnosis was not easy, however.
“I think I’ve been on and off symptoms and in and out of doctors’ and specialists’ rooms for about 5 years before that.”
Bianca eventually got her diagnosis after a neurologist, looking at her scans, confirmed she had MS.
“I was 22 at that time and didn’t think much about it, because it didn’t seem like something life-threatening or a permanent illness which may eventually lead to disability.”
Bianca left the consultation room, returning for more tests, at which time the neurologist informed her she will put her in touch with a specialist nurse who can guide and help her to inject herself once a week.
“This was when I truly realized this illness I have been diagnosed with, is more than just a two-letter word.”
There was really no one to share her situation with, neither was she comforted by someone who already had been through the same process, says Bianca.
She felt “really lonely, lost and extremely scared” and searched for information online, but still, this was not enough.
“There was no one else in Namibia who had MS, so I had to do something. This was how Multiple Sclerosis Namibia (MSN) came to be.”
The first triggers of what was to come, were dizziness, loss of balance, and painful legs with a burning sensation. Bianca was in her teens and the symptoms would appear and then disappear again, leading to her only being diagnosed at 22.
Bianca admits her fear of the unknown was worse than the symptoms themselves.
“I was in the starting phase of my life, just got married, had a first child, bought a house, was still studying, so I was confused as hell. I spent my days being frustrated and confused.”
Apart from this, her life stayed the same, although she immediately “jumped on specific diets” and visited the gym regularly.
Later, however, she felt as if she was only soothing her mind and that these methods of trying to remain healthy, weren’t really working. Bianca still continued working, had a very supportive company, and started to get the MS Society going.
It was definitely a relief to get her diagnosis and finally know what was wrong.
“The waiting, the frustration, the time off from work to see doctors and not to mention the costs, was tiring, both emotionally and physically,” she admits.
She describes herself as still the same “witty kinda person” with a born humanitarian heart as before her diagnosis.
“I gave my life to Christ a few years back. This had nothing to do with my diagnosis though. From birth, I was just hand-picked to be a true follower of Him.
This, by all means, helps me to look at everything from a different angle. Being a widow and a single mom under 40 poses immense challenges. So yes, without a Godly attitude, I won’t be able to handle MS and the other baggage of life on my own.”
Bianca hopes to stay in the benign MS stage, a variation of relapsing-remitting MS, and a form of the condition in which new or worsening symptoms are very mild or do not flare up for a long period of time.
She would like to see her children grow up to be healthy and happy individuals with kind hearts, wants to study for her Ph.D., and have “buckets full of money, lots of laughter and hopefully memorable travel experiences soon”.
Her message to other MS-sufferers is to “take a deep breath, try not to panic, and if possible, give yourself 72 hours before making any decisions, unless it is self-threatening”.
“A negative mind will never give you a positive life. Give life your MS side, and you will receive back many ‘crazy-fun moments’. Most importantly, do not be stigmatized by your condition, speak out and be open about MS and you will see you are not alone anymore.” – [email protected]; www.msnamibia.org
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