Turning a life-changing diagnoses into resilience-fuelled success

A multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis in 2011 turned Justine Martin’s life upside down.

Almost fifteen years on and several diagnoses later, the Geelong local is officially in full remission from the autoimmune disease.

Along with treatment for MS, a disease her mum also had, Ms Martin underwent three heart surgeries, had three primary cancers and a blood disease.

It is believed the chemotherapy she received for her cancers is what has put the MS into remission.

Ms Martin said receiving the news left her feeling in disbelief.

“I feel like I’m winning at the moment, so it’s Justine one, MS zero and that I’m in front of it, not trying to catch up to it to get in front of it.

“I still suffer with it daily, there’s a difference of being in remission and cured, there is no cure, so the damage that has been done to my central nervous system is still ongoing.

“There’s no active lesions, but the pathways are still damaged, my feet still have pins and needles and I still shoot out electricity and I still get very tired, very fatigued, my short-term memory is still terrible.”

 

While dealing with the impacts it has had on her life, Ms Martin is still required to be checked every six months, undergoing an MRI.

Being claustrophobic, she is sedated for all of her scans and as a result, it takes her more than a day to recover, however it is the only way to see if the disease is progressing.

“I know that for that small amount of discomfort that I’m going to feel, I’m going to be settled then mentally going ok, it’s not active again.

“I know when I go in there for the MRI and then to see the neurologist that if there’s nothing that fells new that’s happened in a symptom, then I’m okay.”

For Ms Martin, an integral part in her health journey has been self-care and ensuring she takes time out for herself.

Her routine ensures she is living the best quality of life that she can and includes going to the gym three days a week, removing highly refined carbohydrates from her diet and looking after her mind.

“My body is my vessel and if we don’t look after our vessels, then we have nothing, and I know what that feels likes to have all that taken away.”

 

As part of her MS diagnosis, Ms Martin was told she would never work again.

“When the doctor told me to stop work, the neurologist said to me ‘You better find a hobby, you are going to have a lot of time on your hands’,” she said.

“But I had crippling anxiety and it wasn’t a simple case of going back out in the world and saying what do I want to do now for the rest of my life.”

Among the treatments and tests, Ms Martin learnt to paint — a skill she had always wanted to master.

Every week she drove herself to the art studio, unable to go inside because of her anxiety, she would sit in her car.

“I drove home in tears every week until one day I just got really angry with myself and thought what’s the worst thing that can happen by walking in the front door.

“And I did, and I took to it like a duck to water and the rest is history.”

While there have been some tough moments in Ms Martin’s journey, she has turned many of them into positives, now running five businesses and speaking around the globe as the queen of resilience.

For more, head to justinemartin.com.au