'It started as pins and needles ... now I have two incurable diseases'

“One of my hands was trembling constantly, the other one felt like all my fingers were stuck together," the Sydney mum said. “I couldn’t text, I couldn’t eat properly, I couldn’t hold a burger or cup of tea, I wasn’t in a good state.”

Emma Tinkler had just returned from her honeymoon in 2005 when she started getting pins and needles in her fingers.

She initially didn’t think much of it and only went to her doctor after a week of the symptoms, but she was told her test results were clear and everything was fine.

Five years later, Emma’s symptoms suddenly became nasty. She felt a “waterfall in her eye”, had numbness in her toes, and noticed her handwriting was wonky.

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The Daily Mailreports what the doctor told Emma was something she never expected: she could have multiple sclerosis.

A week later, scans at the hospital confirmed the worst.

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What started as pins and needles in her hand became a life-changing diagnosis for Emma. Picture: Daily Mail

"I ticked a lot of boxes for MS"

The diagnosis came as a complete shock to Emma, who had no family history of the disease and was planning to have children.

Fortunately for Emma, the side effects of MS were minimal, and she was able to continue living a normal life before having her two daughters.

“I ticked a lot of boxes for MS,” Emma told The Daily Mail. “I was a woman in my early thirties, and three out of four patients diagnosed with MS are women.

Then, in 2019, Emma noticed other strange things were beginning to happen to her body.

The Daily Mail reports the mother-of-two’s legs began “shaking” at a yoga retreat, and her left foot felt “floppy” and was difficult to lift when walking.

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Emma was shocked when she began to develop more nasty symptoms almost a decade after her diagnosis. PIcture: Daily Mail

"I wasn't in a good state"

She was initially diagnosed with functional neurological disorder, and was sent to have physiotherapy, psychology and rehabilitation, but her symptoms continued to worsen.

It wasn’t until she got a second opinion from another neurologist that she found out the truth: She had Parkinson’s Disease.

After living a normal life for nine years after her MS diagnosis, now Emma was using a mobility scooter after just 18 months living with Parkinson’s.

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“One of my hands was trembling constantly, the other one felt like all my fingers were stuck together,” she told The Daily Mail.

“I couldn’t text, I couldn’t eat properly, I couldn’t hold a burger or cup of tea, I wasn’t in a good state.”

RELATED: Mum diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when son three

Emma went from living a normal life to being in a mobility scooter in less than 18 months. Picture: Daily Mail

"My kids went through the journey with me"

Emma must manage the symptoms of both MS and Parkinson’s through medication for the rest of her life, and is passionate about doing whatever she can to help find a cure.

“I’m so passionate about advocating for Parkinson’s,” she said.

“It’s the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, yet a lot of people don’t know what it is.

“Because I went downhill extremely slowly, my kids went through the journey with me.

“When I told them I’d been diagnosed with Parkinson's, they didn’t know what that meant, so I had to explain it to them.

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Emma said it was difficult to explain her illness to her two daughters. Picture: Daily Mail

"The support I've had from friends and family has been incredible"

Now, the mum chooses to focus on the small wins during her health battles.

“Over Christmas I tied my shoelaces up and sent a picture to my mum … it was unbelievable,” Emma told The Daily Mail.

“After the holiday break I went to my daughter’s school and was able to walk to the front office. The woman at the desk started crying because the last time she saw me I was in a mobility scooter.

“The support I’ve had around me from friends, family and the NDIS has been incredible. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

To donate to Shake It Up, a charity involved with Parkinson's research, click here.

Originally published as 'It started as pins and needles ... now I have two incurable diseases'