Gareth O’Callaghan has opened up about his Multiple System Atrophy diagnosis, revealing he’s constantly looking for new treatments even though there’s no complete cure.
MSA is a rare neurodegenerative disorder which slowly attacks and destroys the body’s nervous system.
“If you can imagine, everything that you do every day, you’re slowly losing the ability to do that. It progresses until you are literally incapable of doing anything,” he said on Ireland AM.
“Your mind remains alert but you can’t speak. You can hear but you’re completely physically inactive. I’m hoping that that’s a long long way down the road because I still feel very strong.”
Gareth has turned to a Japanese treatment to try prolong his physical health.
“I feel nauseous at night time. But I have medication to overcome that. Because there’s nothing you can do for the illness, there’s absolutely nothing to stop it or cure it, I’ve been looking up some new treatments,” he said.
“We came across a hydrogen therapy treatment in Japan. This is a frontline medical treatment where you inhale molecular hydrogen through a cannula and I do that most nights.”
The radio presenter admits it’s so important to try keep his spirits up, and just take things one day at a time.
“It would be very easy to give up, and I think if you give up, really the only person you’re letting down, apart from your nearest and dearest, is yourself,” he said.
“What I do, and what I’ve learned to do, is I try to keep it within the day. Everything happens within the day. We tend to worry too much about next week and next month, whereas what I’ve done is I’ve simplified my life.
“I’ve had to leave work, so by simplifying my life and taking everything within the day, that’s where the joy is. And finding a sense of purpose in life was very difficult when I gave up work as well.”