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I've always loved a challenge…
On the 8th of December 2004 I received the positive diagnosis of Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis - and began the greatest ride of my life. If you're looking for a challenge, there are few better than PPMS. Ever since the day of my diagnosis I haven't stopped laughing. Sure, there have been times when I felt a bit down, but never because of the MS. The most troubling times have been bought on by the system I have been thrown into. I last worked full-time in April 2005 and ever since have been on an invalids benefit. Not a lot of fun to be had on the benefit. My income dropped instantly by about 75% and for some reason my debts and bills seemed to stay pretty much constant. But that's all I'll say about that…
I walk with the aid of two elbow crutches. They give me the ability to walk and I can almost carry myself on them. It makes a walk around town a real workout when every step is a push-up. I still try and get into the hills and have a few friends who take me to the open spaces so I can live the life I love. And that's the clincher. I love my life, maybe more than I ever did, and I was always a pretty happy guy. So I've got an untreatable incurable disease. So what… it's not going to kill me. MS is not generally known as fatal.
It seems a long way from my old life of working on farms, factory labouring, driving trucks and tractors. I also did a stint on the West Australian gold fields. But now I've begun the next challenge of my life and working career… Not that I ever really had a career, just a lot of different jobs. It amazes me how much my life and outlook has changed. Thankfully, my days are still quite full as I am president of the local MS society, am a member of the DPA (disabled persons' assembly) and do volunteer work.
I don't do as much writing as I once did, but words fill my mind daily. So I've created this website to share some of my written thoughts and poems. Feel free to send me any comments or poems of your own. My details are in the "contact" section.
This is MY story, at least part of it. I am Alec Fisher, and I have Multiple Sclerosis. Welcome to my world…