If anyone knows the power of gratitude and focusing on the important things in life then it’s Natalie Florance.
At the age of just 39, the busy mum-of-three from Maryculter is six years into a battle with multiple sclerosis (MS).
And although Natalie is the first to admit that she has dark days about having the incurable neurological condition, her stoicism shines through as she chats about how she now finds happiness in the things most of us often take for granted.
“It has given me a gratitude for life and it’s really given me a hyper focus on what is important in life like spending more time with my children,” says Natalie.
“It has just brought into focus how I want to spend my time.”
‘I’ve always been fit and healthy’
From gratitude journals and groundbreaking clinical trials to going sober and simple lifestyle changes, in this inspiring interview, Natalie bravely opens up about her MS journey so far and how the motto ‘your health is your wealth’ resonates deeply.
Natalie’s journey begins in childhood, a time when she was happy, healthy and with the world at her feet.
Full of hopes and dreams for the future, Natalie successfully completed a degree in Communication at Robert Gordon University before securing a job in the oil and gas industry.
Natalie loved life as a restauranteur
Reflecting her curiosity about the world and her insatiable appetite to try out new challenges, Natalie decided to have a career change and became a chef.
“While working in oil and gas, I would spend my evenings and weekends working for free as a commis chef in restaurants in Aberdeen,” says Natalie.
“In 2013, I moved to Edinburgh where I got a placement with the chef Tom Kitchen before opening my own little restaurant in Edinburgh which I ran for six years.
“I absolutely loved it.”
‘I started to get pins and needles’…
Embracing the fast-paced world of hospitality and the 16-hour days, Natalie didn’t think life could get any better.
But the best was yet to come as Natalie and her husband Andrew welcomed their first daughter Emeli into the world.
It was about eight months after having her beautiful baby girl when Natalie started to experience pins and needles.
“I started to get pins and needles so I was back and forth to the doctor,” says Natalie.
“They put it down to being a new mum and your body getting back to normal.”
Diagnosed with MS at the age of 33
Instead of disappearing though, the pins and needles eventually developed into muscle weakness prompting Natalie to return to her GP.
“The pins and needles continued over months and led to real weakness and numbness in my right side to the point where I was having to drag my right foot,” says Natalie.
“So I was back and forth to the doctors again.
“I was referred to a neurologist and got MRI scans.”
In July 2018, Natalie’s world was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a lifelong neurological condition that causes damage to the nerves in the brain and spinal cord.
‘I just had to focus and get on with it’
After being blindsided by the MS diagnosis, Natalie went into autopilot.
“Reflecting back, when you’re in it, you’re just like ‘I need to get on with it’ as I had a young baby, I had a business, I had a husband that worked offshore and my family were in Aberdeen so I just had to focus and get on with it,” says Natalie.
While navigating this difficult period, Natalie and Andrew did experience moments of pure joy with the arrival of their son Alban.
“After having my son in January 2020, I had to consider the MS and my life choices”, says Natalie.
“The lease on the restaurant was due up in July that year so we decided not to renew it as I didn’t think it was going to work anymore and I didn’t think it would be good for my health.”
Managing MS through lifestyle
Keen to be nearer their support network, Natalie and Andrew relocated their family back to the north-east, settling in Maryculter before welcoming their third child, a beautiful baby girl they named Rae.
Up to that point, Natalie was able to manage her MS without medication instead making changes to her lifestyle.
One of the biggest changes she made was giving up alcohol.
“Giving up alcohol was a no brainer,” says Natalie.
“MS is a disease caused by inflammation and as alcohol increases inflammation in the body, I knew I needed to cut that out.
“Since quitting I feel so much better physically and mentally.
“Not dealing with hangovers has given me a sense of clarity about life that I just didn’t have when I was drinking.”
Your health is your wealth…
Thanks to support from SoberBuzz Scotland, an online support group, Natalie hasn’t touched alcohol since April 2022.
As well as giving up alcohol, Natalie also looked at diet and exercise.
“I really started to look at food and diets that would reduce inflammation,” says Natalie.
“So I’ve been eating as well as I can and I’ve tried to move more.
“I love getting outside with my kids and I love yoga.
“Being diagnosed with MS has really shown me that we have a lot of responsibility for our health.”
Coping with MS relapses…
To celebrate how far she’s come on her MS journey, Natalie hiked up Ben Nevis with 10 of her friends last year.
“It was my fifth year anniversary of being diagnosed with MS in July last year so I wanted to do something really positive,” says Natalie.
“I really wanted to prove to myself that I can do something like that.”
Unfortunately after the hike, Natalie’s MS symptoms flared up before she suffered two more horrendous relapses earlier this year.
“In March this year I had a relapse that led to really bad vertigo which meant that I couldn’t get out of bed for two weeks,” says Natalie.
“It was horrendous and that was the point when my husband and my family were saying ‘should we maybe start thinking about treatment now’.”
Groundbreaking clinical trial…
Natalie is now part of a ground-breaking clinical trial at The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic in Edinburgh.
Founded by the author J.K. Rowling in memory of her mother Anne, who died from complications related to MS, the clinic is where Natalie is on a trial called StarMS where stem cell transplants are being compared with four highly effective drugs in the treatment of MS.
“As part of the trial, I’m taking a drug called Kesimpta (ofatumumab),” says Natalie.
“I’m almost six months in and I actually feel so well.”
‘Being grateful makes a difference’
In fact, Natalie feels so good that she recently completed her first run in eight years.
“I’ve still got some weakness in my foot and leg and I sometimes get what they call foot drop where you’re not lifting your foot properly which can cause me to fall so I’ve always been scared of running,” says Natalie.
“But I thought I’m just going to try it and it was a great feeling to be running.”
Natalie, who works as an events and social media manager for Elsick Development Company, hopes to one day write a book about her experiences and dreams of hosting a TED Talk.
But for now, Natalie is just so grateful for each and every day and the incredible people she has in her life.
“I do honestly think that being grateful makes a difference,” says Natalie.
“There’s always something to be grateful for.”
For more information on MS, Natalie recommends the Multiple Sclerosis Trust website or for support and information for young adults diagnosed with MS in Aberdeen, check out the Instagram page @ms_voicesabz
Meanwhile, for those who are keen to go alcohol free, check out the SoberBuzz Scotland Instagram page @soberbuzzscotlandcic and for general health and wellbeing support, Natalie recommends Dr Rangan Chatterjee on Instagram @drchatterjee
Conversation