A life-changing multiple sclerosis diagnosis 18 months ago sparked a transformation in 28-year-old Shaquila.
Following her MS diagnosis in May 2023, Shaquila found herself re-evaluating her priorities and embracing a new perspective on life.
“To me, my diagnosis was more of a blessing than a curse,” Shaquila says.
“I think that before diagnosis I took most things for granted in life…and now I think how I might not have much time in case I have permanent disability, so I book trips and travel as much as I can. I jumped out of a plane last year. I’d also never swum in the ocean before, so my partner and I went to Sabah last year and swam in the middle of the ocean with life jackets. I never would have done that without the diagnosis.”
Shaquila, an identical triplet who lives in the Northern Territory, says her diagnosis came out of the blue, sparked by what she now knows was a flare up of her condition.
“My day started off normally, but then I began feeling dizzier than usual and a lot more tired,” Shaquila says.
“I then lost feeling in my left hand, followed by my right. Within about two days I had no feeling in my body, everything from the neck down.”
When Shaquila began to lose her ability to walk shortly after, one of her sisters took her to hospital.
“It just happened that there was a neurologist on-site who ran a lot of tests,” Shaquila says.
“I got an official diagnosis about two months after the flare up. I’ve heard it takes a long time for other people, even years.”
One of the other significant changes in Shaquila’s life post-diagnosis has been the way she connects with others living with MS, which she says is thanks to the MS Society SA & NT.
“The MS Society has been really great,” Shaquila says.
“Straight after my diagnosis they reached out to me.
“Living in Darwin we don’t have a lot of resources here, we don’t have an MS nurse in hospital. It feels like a breath of fresh air to have that support. You don’t feel alone.”
Shaquila says MS nurses have been a lifeline for her.
“The MS nurses are amazing,” she says.
“Just being able to speak to them when I’m having a hard time, because this is an incurable diagnosis. They help me through my day-to-day and with how to tell employers about my diagnosis.”
The nurses have also been offering a supportive ear to help ease Shaquila’s concerns about her sisters.
“With triplets and twins everything is hereditary, so my biggest fear is that one of my sisters may have it down the line,” she says.
“My whole word is spinning, because I’d rather have it than any of them.”
Still, going forward, Shaquila says her aim is to continue embracing life the best she can.
“My outlook for the future is just to enjoy every day as it comes and to live a happy and free life,” she says.
So proud of you my friend.