Lisa's Story

We would like to introduce you to a friend of ours......Lisa is our inspiration for this fundraiser. So we thought you might like to hear her story.

As I sit to write about my life as an adult with MD I have to think hard about how I am different to any other working wife and mother I know. After all, what is normal and what is the right and wrong way to go about your every day tasks?

My story starts as a young 24 year old. A life of working, partying and back packing around the world. My crazy hectic working week was normal and as my recent journey of a working holiday on one of our most beautiful islands had just come to an end, I decided to come back to my hometown and settle down.

With the exciting news that we were about to embark on the biggest adventure of our lives – A BABY my husband and I decided to settle our lives and prepare for our precious little boy.
Jake entered the world and boy did I know that I was alive!! As all mothers know, giving birth is certainly something that you will never forget and after what seemed like forever my baby was delivered emergency caesarean after an unexplained reason.

Our son grew and life went on. Although I was feeling exhausted I was kept busy learning how to be a mum and eventually went back to work a couple of days a week to have a little adult conversation.

If there was a time that I could pin point as the beginning of something being wrong with me it was at this time. My mind would be in “Go fast mode” but my body could not seem to keep up. This was frustrating, as I did not feel unwell. In my head I put it down to just being tired and kept on going to the best of my ability.

After the birth of our princess Emma and at the age of 26 I was starting to wonder what was happening to me. My family showed concern and I was developing and unusual “gait” when walking. I was always tired and found it difficult to lift my newborn. I developed my own way of picking up my kids, I also developed a quick and effective way of picking up things with my feet and flicking them into my hands.

My daughter was just a few months old when I was tested for MD and to this day I do not know what type of dystrophy I have. It took me a long time to admit to myself that I had a problem and no one I knew had even heard of muscular dystrophy before.

I live my life quite normal and have a lot of support from my family and friends and I don’t call my neurologist weekly anymore trying to find out answers or a diagnosis. I have good days and bad days just like everybody else. I think that my peace of mind comes with my acceptance of my disability.

My husband and children are wonderful helpers around the house and we are kept busy with activities such as sports, music lessons and work. Jake and Emma show no signs of MD and are full of energy and life.

I don’t fight the things that I cannot do any more and although I will never give into the impossible tasks I am able to comfortably ask for help from my family.I look at MD as the next challenge in my life and although it has been one of the biggest challenges yet I am ready to embrace it with a positive attitude and an open mind. You never know what cure is waiting just around the corner………….

Lisa's layout....scrapped by Mandy.