MS Gallery − Blanka
“It isn’t easy to accept that you have an incurable disease…but I’m fairly optimistic. I told myself that I must not give up, that I must fight.”
Blanka
Age: 34
Hometown: Prague, Czech Republic
Onset of symptoms: 2000
First symptoms experienced: Fatigue, loss of concentration and weakness
Diagnosed: 2000
Started treatment: 2001
Although Blanka was diagnosed with MS in 2000, she believes her first symptoms might have appeared as early as the mid-1990s. “It isn’t easy to accept that you have an incurable disease that can lead to permanent disability, but I’m fairly optimistic. I told myself that I must not give up, that I must fight. This was a new phase in my life.”
Blanka’s symptoms intensified after she started her first treatment. Fatigue and difficulty concentrating affected her everyday life. The most frustrating time was when she was unable to walk. After that first year – which Blanka describes as “an almost permanent attack” – her doctor prescribed a new therapy. “The medication has been effective for me. My symptoms have improved a lot.”
Despite MS, Blanka has a busy schedule caring for her young daughter, Sophie, and working at an embassy as a French and Italian interpreter. “Sophie is the center of my life. Being able to participate in activities with her is crucially important.”
In addition, Blanka, with other patients, started a support group for young people with MS. The group, “Association of Young Sclerotics,” brings together people who understand each other’s physical and emotional difficulties, and arranges sport and cultural activities. The group, which started with seven people, now has more than 250 members. Its growth and success is a testament to Blanka’s strength and her desire to help others cope with the disease.
