Sheila's blog: An Average Day at the Office

The older I’ve become and the more this disease progresses, the more I realise that everyone is dealing with something. My average day is not the same as anyone else’s but it is mine.

On an average workday, my alarm goes off at 6am and I take my first pill of the day. I then head to the bathroom (very slowly holding furniture due to my balance issues) and get showered and dressed for work. I lay my clothes out before I sleep - one less decision every morning. I put my makeup on and go back to my room as slowly as before.

My next task is to put my functional electronic stimulator on my leg. This machine helps with my foot drop and the weak muscles in my right leg. I then take my other morning medication and vitamins. At this stage it is 6:20am and my daughters are getting ready for school. 

I go down the stairs mostly by bum shuffling as I’m afraid of falling early in the morning. I hail a taxi which usually comes between 6:45am and 7:15am. My daughters then help me to the cab with my two crutches and my mobility scooter. 

It takes 45mins to get to work and London is truly beautiful early in the morning. When I get to work, I have breakfast and do the usual work activity. I am incredibly lucky to enjoy my work and have wonderful colleagues. This blog is not about them the work or my colleagues, it is about the journey around getting to them. 

I leave work around 4pm to avoid the traffic as it can take 1hr45mins to get home. When I get home, my daughters will normally be there before me. Our eldest brings our youngest home, or my husband picks them up. On the days they can’t, I make a pit stop at school to pick her up before going home.

Once home, I take my 6pm medication, help with homework, have dinner and arrange items for the following day before going to bed at 8pm. I suffer from fatigue so trying to get 8-10 hours of sleep is super important. Hopefully, I get a good night's sleep with minimal MS symptom disturbances and I wake again refreshed for the meds and the 6am alarm.

My average work day is different to others but it continuously reminds me that everyone comes to work with their own version of average. I detail mine not for pity. I only know my journey and only know my colleagues’ journeys if I ask them and truly listen. There really is no average.

Sheila has worked in the asset management industry for over 15 years. She is married to a wonderful husband, is mother to two amazing children, has Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis and lives in London. Sheila goes to the MS Therapy Centre in Harrow for physio and hyperbaric oxygen therapy once a week. Donations to support this wonderful organisation are very welcome. Sheila can be found on Instagram @MS_in_the_City. https://www.harrowmscentre.co.uk/donate

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