From footy to fatigue: battle to live full life with MS
Tom Wark |
When a head knock at a local footy game four years ago landed Alex McKay in his GP’s office, he had no idea his life was about to change forever.
After an MRI to check for concussion symptoms, the Gold Coast roofer was told he had signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) that would go on to impact his ability to work and do the things he loved.
“I was a fit, active young fella at the age of 25, still playing footy, and I didn’t really have that many symptoms,” Mr McKay told AAP.
“I had a tremor and some fatigue here and there, but at that age you put it down to having maybe one too many coffees.”
The 29-year-old’s experience is becoming more common across Australia, as a landmark report highlights thousands more people are being diagnosed with the incurable condition.
The MS Australia findings, released on Wednesday, show 37,756 Aussies are living with the neurological disease, a 13.3 per cent rise since 2021.
The cost of supporting those with MS also tipped over $3 billion in 2024 as the health and financial support for those with the condition weighs on national accounts.
Being able to keep working is one of the things keeping Mr McKay remarkably positive about his life position, but he wants more of the support for MS to focus on helping others early.
“If we can keep people with MS in the workforce for longer … you get that activation in your brain that keeps you going,” he said.
While MS sufferers are nominally eligible for funding under the NDIS, getting access to support through the scheme at the early stages of a progressive disease is no easy task.
“It’s something that NDIS should really sort of get on top of, because the I in NDIS is insurance,” Mr McKay said.
Focusing efforts on preventing behaviours that can increase the chances of getting MS is another of the recommendations in the MS Australia report.
“Understanding and mitigating key risk factors, like those linked to changes in sunlight exposure and adolescent obesity, is essential,” head of research Tennille Luker said.
AAP
