'Pride meant I didn't discuss my MS diagnosis'

Stewart Gould says "pride" stopped him talking about his MS diagnosis

A former carpenter is urging people to be honest with friends and relatives about their multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnoses as part of a week to raise awareness.

Stewart Gould, 78, from Ditcheat, in Somerset, was diagnosed with the neurological condition 16 years ago, but initially tried to pass off his symptoms as a "slight limp" due to a leg injury.

He told BBC Somerset: "It was pride, pure and simple. Nothing else. I just didn't want anyone to see me as less than the person I had been."

But he says since opening up about the disease, no-one has treated him any differently. He has been speaking out as part of MS Awareness Week - a campaign run by a coalition of MS charities.

MS is an incurable autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly targets the protective covering of nerve fibres, including those in the brain and spinal cord, disrupting the flow of nerve signals.

It can have many different symptoms, including declining mobility and chronic pain.

Mr Gould said: "No one thinks less of me for having MS. People are a little bit taken a back when I tell them I have MS, but they're not condescending. It's always treated with kindness."

'It's not easy'

The condition forced him to retire from his carpentry business earlier than planed, but he now devotes a lot of his time to beekeeping.

Explaining why he is supporting the campaign, Mr Gould said: "MS conversations vary a lot. Some people have no idea at all what MS is, and some get it confused with other conditions.

"People know it's debilitating but they don't know how and they don't know why - it's about making other people aware because there is no cure, at present."

He added: "It's not easy to talk about but if you do it and get it over and done with, it's over and done with. You don't have to do it again."

The charities behind MS Awareness Week are the MS Society, MS Trust, MS Together, MS-UK, the Neuro Therapy Network, Shift.ms, Overcoming MS and Talks with MS.

Amy Woolf, chief executive of MS-UK, said: "Starting a conversation about your MS can feel daunting, and it's all too easy to feel isolated as a result."

She added: "This year's campaign highlights the times people have had the courage speak up about their MS.

"Not every conversation is easy, but every story shared helps others understand the realities of life with MS."