Ahmed Darwish

Country: Egypt
Age: 47
Type of MS: Secondary progressive MS
Year of Diagnosis: 1992




It was in 1987, when I was studying computer science and mathematics at university in New York, USA, that I started to feel numbness and a tingling in my head. I had a job in addition to my studies and thought that my symptoms were a result of me working too hard; I therefore didn’t see a doctor.

Everything was okay until 1990, when I was working as a computer programmer for an advertisement agency. One day I woke up and realised that I had no sensation from my waist down. This time I went to see a doctor. He said "this looks like the start of MS," but because of my nationality he doubted it. He said he could only be sure if I experienced a second attack.

I had my second attack in 1992, when I was living in Cairo, Egypt. I started feeling numb in my stomach; I had problems with my balance; I had double vision and I could not use my left hand; my legs then went heavy and I could not walk. By the time I was 30, doctors had diagnosed me with MS.

The first few months after the diagnosis were very difficult because I was dealing with losing my future and worrying about how I was going to cope financially. I found out all I could about the disease and I went through many different emotional phases including depression, denial and guilt. After this initial period I decided that I was not going to be a victim of the disease but a survivor!

My mother had MS and my diagnosis meant that I could now understand how hard it must have been for her to care for five children and look after the house. My diagnosis made us much closer, as she really understood my situation.

I learnt that I needed to approach life differently and take care of myself. I have found that you can live with MS, it just changes the way you need to manage your time. It is important to set your priorities and accomplish what is important to you. I had to change my career until I found something that suited me. I used to be a computer consultant and now I am a personal investor (I invest in the stock exchange and the property market).

Meeting other people with MS through the Egyptian MS Society, which I helped set up, has been a great help. We listen to one another and have all been of great support to each other. Since 2003 I have been in a wheelchair. I am happy to say this has not prevented me from attending regular MS meetings, doing my best to help others with MS and travelling abroad.

There is a quote by Gandhi that inspires me, "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." I always have that quote in my mind and try to live by it. I believe that MS makes me truly appreciate each and everyday. Without MS, I would never would have taken a step back and looked at the world this way.