Gavin Bartlett is an MS Member at our Centre, he lives with his wife Debbie and together they have three adult children as well as six grandchildren. Since the age of 16 he worked in the printing industry, then in 2017 he was diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS and retired one year later on medical grounds. It took a year to diagnose.
Stem Cell Transplant
He says: “The result was a shock to me and I struggled to come to terms with it.” In 2019, after being found eligible for a stem cell transplant, Gavin spent a month at King’s College Hospital undergoing the procedure. The operation has suppressed his MS and although not seeing signs of improvement, it has not worsened.
He now has to go back to King’s annually for the next five years for MRI scans which so far are stable, and he is able to live with his MS.
The biggest improvement to Gavin’s MS and his journey with it has been coming to the Centre. He joined as a Member in 2020 but initially was reluctant to come as he felt he wasn’t ready, so coming to visit was a huge step for him. He says:
“As soon as I walked through the doors and was welcomed in by the friendly staff and other members, I felt like I’d become part of a little family. I was made to feel settled straight away and coming here feels like no effort at all. I even count the days between my weekly visits!”
Using the Centre for therapies
Gavin uses our hydrotherapy and oxygen therapy services as these are what work best for him. He says: “My oxygen treatment makes my mind come alive and I really feel like I can do anything, despite knowing that I’m still limited physically.”
As well as benefiting from the services provided by the Centre, Gavin has used the fantastic community of fellow MS Members to learn more about MS and the different ways people use to treat it such as taking Vitamin D tablets. “My wife and I don’t necessarily understand MS, but the community at the Centre helps us to be able to live with it.”
Seeing the positives
Using a wheelchair and mobility scooter on some occasions has allowed Gavin and his family to continue doing the things they love without restrictions. He says: “I use the mobility scooter to entertain everyone, and I even take it off-roading, as I’m not one for being safety conscious!” His family went on holiday to Mexico a few years ago but after a debacle with the air conditioning, vowed never to go anywhere hot again.
Gavin is positive about his MS and says:
“I feel it’s important to make the best of it as it’s not all doom and gloom. I also feel that if I can use my experience to help others who have been diagnosed, I will. Thanks to the benefits of the Centre and the support of my family I’m very happy!”
