What are the personal and health care experiences of women with MS?

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition with current statistics highlightingthat, worldwide, women predominantly experience its impact at a rate of 4:1 (Jelinek,2010). There are currently no medical cures for the illness and people can becomeextremely physically disabled (Kalb, 2005). This research explores the livedexperiences of women who have a diagnosis of MS and the primary data in thisresearch were collected during semi-structured interviews with 16 of them agedbetween 21 to 71 years old. The research methodology chosen draws on feministinfluences for the framework of the research design whilst also being influenced bynarrative perspectives of data collection methods and analysis. The research isdescribed as being a qualitative feminist narrative study. As someone who has adiagnosis of MS this thesis also draws on my own self-ethnography and experientialknowledge. The data were analysed using thematic and narrative analysis. Thefindings highlighted that the presentation of MS symptoms to GPs were not initiallyrecognised and that a process of mis diagnosis occurred in the majority of cases for asignificant period of time with up to 27 years being reported in this study. Furtherfindings indicated that the women in this study were not all provided with choices,options and relevant information in relation to MS. The detailed narratives from thewomen about their experiences with MS highlighted a journey of personaldevelopment and insight into living and adjusting to the symptoms of a chronicillness. The women also offer their own interpretations about the onset of their MSsymptoms