"MS and me: Mark Auld, 31, will not be bowed by an illness that is 150 years old":
"Living life to the full. Mark leads an active life and is determined that MS will fit in with his life instead of his life fitting in with it. It might not be in his nature, but he is fighting back in the best way he can. I was told in October last year that I had the most common strain of MS, an illness which is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young people between the ages of 20 and 40.

From that day to this, I still hold the view that this illness will fit in with my life and not my life fitting in with it. But that can be easier said than done at times.

I have taken up the ancient Chinese art of Tai Chi, which helps tremendously in MS and improving balance.

I have also succumbed to carrying a pedometer about my waist and walk as much as I can – normally about four to five miles in the course of a day.

I know that stress can be a major factor in MS flare ups, but if I have not walked the distance I have set myself, or spent 20 minutes on the exercise bike in the morning, I am normally in a cold sweat.

I try to set realistic targets and I get down if I can’t make them, but the alternative I dare not contemplate.

At times I feel withdrawn and depressed and, to my family and friends, I can only apologise and hope that is a temporary blip......."