Meg Maskell's eyes are as critical to her craft as her steady hands. As a Sydney jewellery designer, the precision required to create engagement and wedding rings demands keen vision and focus. So when her eyesight became blurry six years ago, she knew something was fundamentally wrong.
Initially, Maskell, now 36, thought bushfire smoke was to blame. But weeks later, even back at her workbench, the haziness remained. An optometrist offered no answers, so she went to the Sydney Eye Hospital's emergency department where she underwent rigorous testing.
The result was neither reassuring nor simple. "They told me it was either caused by a brain tumour, motor neurone disease or MS," Maskell told 7NEWS. "It was a big punch in the face." A spinal tap and MRI scan confirmed relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, the most common form of the neurological disease.
What the data actually tells us about MS is that Maskell's experience reflects a broader health challenge in Australia. MS is the most common acquired chronic neurological disease affecting young adults, often diagnosed between the ages of 20 to 40 and, in Australia, affects three times more women than men. The number of people with MS in Australia in 2021 was 33,335; an increase of 7728 from 2017 (30.2%) and 12,092 from 2010 (56.6%). Yet this rising prevalence masks a hopeful reality: earlier diagnosis, improved detection and longer survival have all contributed to the rise.
When MS strikes, it attacks the myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. The body's own immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the fatty material, resulting in a range of symptoms; as the myelin breaks down during a MS attack, patches of nerves become exposed and then scarred, rendering the nerves unable to communicate messages properly. The presentation varies dramatically from person to person. For Maskell, vision was the first casualty. For others, numbness in a fingertip, weakness on one side, or leg problems signal the disease's arrival.
What matters clinically is speed. There are now 15 disease modifying therapies available in Australia for people with MS, and most of these are listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The treatments are good at preventing what is called relapses, which are sudden changes in physical function, and relapse rates around the world have just dropped dramatically with treatment. Early intervention, therefore, changes the long-term trajectory significantly.
Maskell has adapted her daily routine to manage fatigue, a common MS symptom. "I get tired very quickly, way more than I used to before," she said. She has shifted to using magnification glasses at work and maximises her mornings when energy is higher. With the support of her husband Daniel and her team, she continues to run her jewellery business. Life with MS has not stopped her; it has simply required her to work differently.
The misconceptions, however, persist stubbornly in the public mind. MS has many symptoms, which can be variable and unpredictable, and no two people will experience exactly the same symptoms. The invisibility of many MS symptoms compounds this challenge. Someone with mobility issues is more obviously ill than someone experiencing cognitive fog or extreme fatigue. Yet both are real.
"When people hear MS, they think wheelchair. They think you can't work. They think it's a death sentence. But that's not everyone's story," Maskell said. "It doesn't define who you are."
Maskell is part of a broader campaign supported by MS Australia and pharmaceutical companies, aimed at reshaping how Australians understand the disease. Research shows that 65 per cent of Australians do not believe people with MS can maintain hope or a positive outlook, a striking disconnect from current medical reality.
MS Australia acknowledges that the diagnostic challenge remains real. The disease's variable symptoms and unpredictable course mean diagnosis can take time. In early MS, symptoms that might indicate any number of possible disorders come and go, and while no single laboratory test is yet available to prove or rule out MS, magnetic resonance imaging is a great help in reaching a definitive diagnosis.
The critical insight for patients and health professionals alike is that time genuinely matters. Earlier recognition of MS symptoms, clearer understanding of what the disease can look like, and faster access to disease-modifying therapies all combine to reduce long-term disability. Maskell's swift diagnosis and immediate treatment likely protected her from more severe progression.
What Maskell's story demonstrates is not that MS has become painless or burden-free. Rather, it shows that with modern treatment, early diagnosis, personal support, and a willingness to adapt, people can live active, purposeful lives. The disease shapes choices, but it does not have to define a person's entire future.