A Colchester woman has spoken about the moment she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and her life changed forever. 

Karen Bellerby, 62, of Marks Tey, was diagnosed with the chronic condition in 2019.

At the time, her job involved a lot of public speaking, and her first symptom was a fear of slurring her words.

Ms Bellerby said: "I had a bizarre feeling that I was slurring my words when I was talking.

Ms Bellerby was diagnosed with the chronic condition in 2019Ms Bellerby was diagnosed with the chronic condition in 2019

"As a regular public speaker, this would have been catastrophic for me, and although my husband Mark and daughter Lauren assured me that I sounded OK, the feeling was horrid, and it led me on the road to diagnosis.

"I think my family were as shocked and surprised by the doctors and consultants telling me I had MS as much as I was.

"I didn’t feel ill."

MS is an unpredictable disease caused by the immune system attacking the protective coating around nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord.

Symptoms can include mobility issues, cognitive problems, extreme fatigue, and vision issues.

Ms Bellerby has the most common type of MS, relapsing-remitting MS, where people can live for years without symptoms, only to be suddenly hit by a relapse and the possibility of lasting disability.

Ms Bellerby said: "That’s been the hardest thing to come to terms with.

"This black cloud of diagnosis that maybe I will get really ill, but never really knowing."

To cope with the uncertainty, Ms Bellerby is conquering The Gherkin in London to raise money for MS-UK.

The event, at the weekend, challenges 60 participants to climb the skyscraper to raise money for people with MS.

She said: "Not being ill right now, and so far, having avoided day-to-day life-changing symptoms has made me more determined to do all that I can for as long as I can.

"The Tower Walk is a fabulous, fun opportunity to see some of the city that I love, and help this charity to support more people living with MS."