MS is a neurological condition, also considered to be an autoimmune disorder although there are some which dispute this. For some reason the body attacks the nerve coating (myelin sheath, think of it as the plastic coating on electric wiring becoming damaged) in your brain and spinal cord, blocking the pathways, so for instance you could get numb fingers or lose all feeling in your legs. There are 3 main types of ms, the most common is relapsing remitting, whereby you have periods of (relative) normality and then get a ‘relapse’ when a new symptom occurs or old ones flare up again, they can last anything from a few days to a few months, generally you return to ‘normal’ but usually with a trace reminder of your new symptom. Secondary progressive follows on from this when you no longer have the relapses anymore but you enter a steady decline, quite often ending up immobile. The other type is primary progressive – no relapses, just a decline which can often be fairly fast and can be severe. There are variations on all of these types. There are new treatments being discovered all the time, but as the cause is unknown it takes a lot of research and therefore money to fund these treatments. I consider myself lucky, I am still fully mobile most of the time, (although that could change tomorrow in the blink of an eye) sometimes I need a walking stick or crutches to aid my mobility, sometimes from vertigo and sometimes from pain and numbness in my legs. I have varying symptoms but my one constant companion is extreme fatigue, limiting my daily life. Vitamin D has been shown to alleviate symptoms, hence one of the reasons for our move to a sunnier climate (plus the fact we love Crete). Further info is available from the MS society UK. One fact remains, there is no cure

Added by and thanks to Laura Harris