As my MS started to get worse, my walking became a joke. As I walked I looked drunk. You have probably heard many people with MS say they look drunk when they walk. I really hated this. People avoided me, I felt really stupid.

I didn’t want any ‘help’ with walking, as I felt that this was giving in. In hindsight, though this was an understandable reaction, it didn’t help me at all. A friend said I really should get a walking stick.  I thought walking sticks were for old people not people like me in their late 20’s.

I bit the bullet though. Falling over so much and walking like a crazy woman inspired me. I went to a mobility shop. They couldn’t have been more helpful. I didn’t feel out of place there. They understood exactly what I needed.

I came away with a folding walking stick. It could fold up into my bag when I didn’t need it. When I did need it, it was fantastic. It steadied me enough to stop me falling over. It gave me more confidence when I was walking outside. Most importantly to me, I no longer looked drunk when I walked. I looked like I had a problem with my leg instead, and there is no shame in that!

I opted for a folding walking stick as that suited me perfectly. I could carry it with me at all times, but not have to use it if I didn’t want to or need to.

They came in lots of different colours, but I chose a simple black one. (Though I did jazz it up with tinsel at Christmas!)

It had a handle on the top which fitted my hand perfectly and made it really comfortable to use.

Having the walking stick really did change my life. My Multiple Sclerosis had begun to take over. I was beconing reluctant to leave the house as I knew I would fall over, as my balance was very poor, and my walking was difficult cumbersome and slow. The walking stick helped me regain my independence. It gave me confidence, and I began leaving the house a lot more. I couldn’t walk far, but when I was walking, I felt much more stable and more sure that I wouldn’t hurt myself by falling again.

If I had to carry bags, I just used a ruck sack. This kept my hands free, for using my stick, and kept my balance much better, as I wasn’t lobsided.

All in all, what felt like a step backwards was a move in the right direction.