Woman diagnosed with MS after suddenly losing her vision

A young Aussie was excited to have a Saturday off work when she jumped out of bed and realised she had something wrong with her right eye.

A young woman has revealed how she woke up one day to discover she had no vision in her right eye.

Holly Prassler, from Queensland, was 19 and excited to have a Saturday off work when she jumped out off bed.

But, she suddenly realised, she couldn’t see out of her right eye at all.

“I went to the doctor, and they said I needed to go to an optometrist,” Holly told news.com.au.

“And then I went to the optometrist and they said I needed to go to a hospital.”

Holly spent five days in hospital as doctors ran a series of tests - including MRIs and a spinal tap.

She was eventually told she was suffering from optic neuritis, which is swelling in a bundle of nerve fibres that transmits visual information from a person’s eye to their brain.

Holly, pictured with her partner, has been diagnosed with MS since she was 21. Picture: Supplied

Doctors suspected multiple sclerosis - also known as MS - but both Holly and her mother were adamant the medical professionals were wrong.

“When they came in said it might be MS I was like ‘Isn’t that what old people get?’” she said.

“And I guess it was just one of those things where I’d only ever known about MS through, having a friend whose mum was in a wheelchair or use a walking stick.

“And so I was like, ‘Well, that’s obviously not me. I’m 19. You’ve got it wrong.’ And I think my mum was the same at the time, too.”

It took three months for Holly’s vision to return to 95 per cent capacity.

But two years filled with doctors and hospital appointments after various signs - such as losing the sight of colour or other vision loss - caused doctors to make the diagnosis official.

By this point, Holly was just relieved to have a diagnosis so she could start treatment and live her best life.

There are multiple medications to help those living with MS manage their symptoms but Holly is given an IV with Tysabri once a month for a few hours at a time.

Holly doesn't want other young people with MS to feel alone. Picture: Supplied.

The creative account manager who works for an advertising agency said she definitely has flare ups brought on by stress or the heat but they are few and far between, and definitely not as severe as before her diagnosis.

Holly has also developed numbness in her left leg and arm from time to time.

But, at 24, she does occasionally consider what her future will look like.

“At the start, I asked questions like; ‘Am I gonna be in a wheelchair at 40?’ and ‘What does [my future] actually look like?’,” she said.

But as she got more involved with the MS community thanks to MS Queensland, which helped her absorb information in a way that wasn’t overwhelming, she realised no two paths are the same when it comes to MS.

She’s also been able to connect with other young people with MS.

“I was at an MS Queensland event, and I finished speaking about my story, I had about five young women come up to me, and they’ll be like, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t realise you’re like me’,” she said.

“I look around and I see people who are in their 30s and 40s with MS but being able to connect with other young people, it’s helped me put my mind more at ease.”

She said there is always a thought in the back of her mind about her future but surrounding herself with people going through the same thing eases any anxiety.

Holly Prassler lost vision in her right eye suddenly. Picture: Supplied

“You’ve really got to be at peace with it. Otherwise, I think it’ll just eat you up inside considering it’s out of my hands - there is nothing I can do to control it,” she said.

She added that her MS isn’t something to hide either, and she doesn’t want others with MS to feel like it’s meant to be kept a secret.

“I’m quite proud of it - not because I want to have the sympathy - but I’m proud of it because I feel like [I’m changing people’s perceptions of MS],” she said.

“It’s something that sort of shocks people yet many young people have it and it’s actually more common than you think.

“A lot of people that I speak to think of their mum’s friend but I think the more people speak about it, the less isolating it will be for young people.”

Holly has big plans over the next few years, wanting to travel around the world in the next few years.

She also wants to continue her fundraising and awareness for MS Queensland, most recently taking part in the Moonlight Walk for the third year in a row.

Holly took part in the 10km event with her mum and partner, raising more than $1700.

For more information on MS Queensland or to donate, visit here.