Erlend Berntsen

Country: Norway
Age: 27
Year of diagnosis: 2000
Type of MS: Relapse remitting
Profession: Admissions Officer

In his book, The Lord of the Rings, when Frodo says to Gandalf “I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened” J.R.R. Tolkien expressed the essence of my thoughts during the summer of 2000. It was in late June that I received a letter from a neurologist confirming a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS).

My first series of symptoms occurred in 1999. One Sunday morning, in April, my legs felt numb and every morning for the following three weeks the numbness returned spreading up into my chest. After six weeks, the numbness gradually disappeared. The doctors couldn’t understand what was going on and over the next few months carried out a number of tests, including an MRI scan and lumbar puncture, resulting in my MS diagnosis.

That day back in June 2000 I sincerely believed that my life was over before it had even fully begun. I had no idea what this meant for me, but I thought that I wouldn’t be able to work or even study. My future would consist of just being at home and being sick.

However, Tolkien came up with an answer for Frodo as well as for me. Gandalf explains to Frodo, “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us”.

I was accepted at the University of Tromsø in late July 2000. The thought of starting to study with the terrifying diagnosis was scary. For how long would I be able to study? What would my grades be like? What if I failed? I had many fears but I also had a lot of hopes and dreams as well. My biggest dream was to get a Masters degree, and to get a good job.
I concluded that my dreams for the future were too precious to let go of and so I became a student at the Faculty of Law in autumn 2000. I shall be the first to admit that it was difficult to begin a new chapter of my life. It was going to be even harder since I had two new chapters to write simultaneously; my life as a student and my life as an MS patient.

It’s not easy for me to explain what happened during my time at university. Like many people with MS, I had a personal struggle with a number of different symptoms. However, on 2 October 2006 I felt like the luckiest person alive. After over six years of study, I finally shook the Dean’s hand and received my Master of Law degree. I am now working for Tromsø University College as an Admissions Officer.

Whilst studying, I decided to support and work for young MS patients in Norway. I’m now one of three members on the national Young People with MS Committee. This committee was formed in June 2005 with the primary objective of deciding how the national Norwegian MS Society, MS-forbundet, could work for young people with MS.

MS-forbundet - Ung med MS

Over the past 18 months the committee has done many positive things for these young people. We have organised eight conferences in cities throughout Norway, which were free of charge and for anyone to attend. The first four took the theme of fatigue, and were very well attended, and the last four were on work and education. The most important thing was to get as much information as possible out to the young people.

Excellent activities aimed at young people, such as workshops and social gatherings in restaurants, are also being coordinated by local branches of the Norwegian MS Society. The most important element of this work is that everyone can contribute and we are truly making a difference for young people with MS.

This year the Committee has already planned a number of events. One of our biggest tasks is the planning of a conference for young people aged 18-30. We are hoping to have an “outdoor” theme for this conference. We are currently working on the activities for the conference, but I hope that we will be able to make it interesting and fun for the participants.
This work is very rewarding for me, and I hope that our work is valuable for others as well.

I’ve tried to maintain my hopes and dreams for the future. Luckily they are still here – modified a bit - but still with me. As far as I dare to believe, my future looks bright. And so does yours, if you dare to believe in it too!