PENELOPE Miller walked into walls, suffered migraines and could not understand her university assignments after her multiple sclerosis relapse three years ago.
The Greenbank resident and Multiple Sclerosis Queensland fundraiser said she would not wish the disease upon her worst enemy.
“The last thing you want to hear from your doctor is that you have MS,” she said.
"I went to see a neurologist...she took one look at me and sent me straight to hospital.
“Since then there have been a lot of hospital visits and everyone around the house has had to help out more with the cooking and cleaning...when you go down with MS you go down pretty hard.”
Ms Miller recalled shooting leg pain, memory lapses, tingling in her fingers, blurry vision and a bout of depression as some of the harrowing experiences she endured during her darkest days.
Ms Miller braved a radical treatment known as Lemtrada, which wiped out her immune system.
“I had a really good treatment designed for chemotherapy patients. Some days i might have an episode, but the next day or in a few weeks people might look at me and think what is your problem? You look fine,” she said.
“These treatments stabilise, but they do not cure. I have a friend who is in the secondary progressive stage, there are no treatments for that.”
Multiple Sclerosis is one of the most common central nervous system diseases affecting the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve.
More than ten Australians are diagnosed with the disease every week, according to MS Queensland.
However, Logan residents diagnosed with MS do not need to suffer in silence. Logan City Council and a group of passionate campaigners are joining forces for a Walk 2 Cure MS at Meakin Park on September 15.
Fundraising teams will begin a six kilometre walk at Meakin Park from 3pm, followed by a three kilometre walk later in the afternoon.
Ms Miller said money raised from the event would help patients pursuing physiotherapy, hotline and NDIS services.
The event, organised by Logan councillor Steve Swenson is aiming to raise $20,000 for MS Queensland to fund resources for patients and work towards developing a cure.
The inaugural Logan Walk 2 Cure MS fundraiser was held last year and raised $15,000.
Cr Swenson said it was important to promote community awareness about the disease.
“(Multiple Sclerosis) is no more or less important than other diseases...there are hundreds of good causes but I was aware of a number of events for cancer but no on the ground fundraisers for MS,” he said,
“Since we started this event a lot of people have told me that they have family members affected by MS.”
Cr Swenson said it was not too late for people to register for the event or sponsor a team.
