Yasmin Neves says she was in the best physical condition of her life when she suddenly developed unexplained symptoms a decade ago. She says she was in her 20s and planning to get married when she developed symptoms. Neves says she had lost 10 stone (approximately 140 pounds) after changing her diet, going from size 26 to size 12.
She says she was exercising regularly and felt proud of her progress when her vision problems began. At the time, she says she was organizing her wedding to Matthew, developing a property business, working in HR, and starting her own consultancy. ' She says after five days, her vision deteriorated to the point where she could not see her hand in front of her face.
Her boss sent her to the hospital immediately after she informed him about her vision problems, according to Neves. She says she spent a week in the hospital undergoing scans, tests, and high-dose intravenous steroids. Doctors initially suggested she might have had a stroke, Neves reports.
A doctor asked Neves if she knew anything about Multiple Sclerosis (MS), she says. Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, damaging the myelin sheath and disrupting brain-body communication, according to medical sources. MS affects about 150,000 people in the UK, with approximately 7,100 new diagnoses per year (about 135 per week), and this number is rising, based on available data.
Matthew, Neves' husband, researched MS and recognized several symptoms, Neves says. However, Neves says she was in denial about having MS, responding to the doctor's question with: 'No, what the hell is that? I'm fit, I'm healthy, I'm young, what are you talking about?
' Neves says she discharged herself from the hospital early to attend a Beyoncé concert and a friend's wedding. Her vision improved after the initial episode, she reports, but she developed new problems where her eyesight would fade whenever she became slightly overheated. She also experienced stumbling, colliding with objects, and accidentally cutting her fingers while preparing food, Neves says.
Additionally, Neves says she developed bladder problems, needing to urinate urgently and frequently, and had issues with fatigue. The specific diagnosis she ultimately received for her symptoms remains unclear, as does what caused her symptoms and whether there is a confirmed link to Multiple Sclerosis or another condition. Now 37 years old, Neves' story illustrates the challenges faced by individuals with neurological conditions.
The impact of her symptoms on her wedding, property business, and consultancy work is not detailed in available reports. Similarly, information about what treatments or management strategies she has used for her condition since the initial diagnosis, and how her condition has progressed over the past decade, is not provided. Her experience underscores the need for greater awareness about MS and similar conditions in the UK.