As landlady of a busy bar, Susan Newby thrived on the social scene and loved to be at the hub of the customers' chat. Twenty years on she lives alone in a care home and is confined to a wheelchair. But Susan is determined not to let multiple sclerosis get her down. Alexandra Phillips met her.

IT'S A CRAZY thing because you really can't describe what it is and what the symptoms are," said 57-year-old Susan Newby.

"Everybody is different. I remember one day walking along the bar and feeling pins and needles in my feet. Now I'm in a wheelchair and rely on other people because my hands often don't work.

"I used to love the busy life of a landlady but now I prefer peace and quiet."

Susan admits it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders when she was diagnosed with the disease four years after her first twinges. She had ignored the early signs but as things got worse she went to the doctors for tests.

"They did not tell me what it was in the beginning. Apparently they didn't in those days. They just told me it was a virus. But when my mum finally found out she broke it to me and I felt such relief. I could finally face up to my problems.

"I used to sit in a bath and burn myself because I could not feel how hot the water was. And when I was out people would look at me because they would think I was drunk when I was walking funny. I did not know why it was happening.

"That's why MS Awareness Week from April 9 is so important. It's good that people find out more about it and understand a bit more about the disease."

Susan has had to face many other setbacks in her life. She and her husband, who ran The Causeway Foot pub in Halifax together, split up before she was diagnosed with MS.

But she was fortunate enough to meet someone else to share her life with.

"Paddy was fantastic. I told him what was wrong with me and gave him a chance to leave but he didn't want to. We were together for nearly 19 years and he did everything for me."

But about a year and a half ago the man who provided her with continual love and support throughout her illness died suddenly. He was diagnosed with a neurological disorder and as doctors investigated his condition they also found he had cancer. He finally suffered a stroke at the age of 63.

"It was a bitter blow," said Susan as the tears welled in her eyes. "We were very close."

Susan also recalls the death of her father and how the combination of the two incidents seemed to cause a deterioration in her condition.

"I was doing OK, not brilliant but plodding along. But it came as a great shock when daddy died and then Paddy passed away. I remember my eyesight going strange and I was seeing duplicate and triplicate. It happened for about six weeks and it made me feel very ill. Big events seem to effect what happens to me."

Susan still makes the best of herself despite being confined to a wheelchair. She is dressed immaculately and has long, painted nails. When I ask her what she did to her foot, which has been bandaged up, she informs me that she tried to wear high heels at a Christmas party and now has an ulcer on her foot.

"I still try to make the best of myself and still enjoy wearing nice clothes. I suppose I'm just a bit vain," she joked.

Speaking about what she found most annoying about her situation Susan replied: "The frustration and the fact that I'm putting on weight because I have no exercise. Sometimes I get so frustrated I don't know what to do with myself, especially when my hands go out of action. But I don't feel angry or bitter because there's no point. You just have to get on with things."

Susan moved in to Fairmount Nursing Home, Shipley, last July. She had been living with her 91-year-old mother Dorothy in Menston when one day her legs gave way as she was making a meal in the kitchen. The doctor was called and she was admitted to hospital where she spent the following 15 weeks.

"I remember I had been struggling for a while and I was getting worse. When I was in hospital the doctors asked me if I felt depressed. I didn't, I was just bored."

While she was recovering it was decided that Susan could no longer look after herself or rely on her mother for help.

She moved into Fairmount where the staff are on hand 24 hours a day to provide constant care and attention.

"They have been fantastic, as have my family and friends," said Susan. "The Bradford MS Society has also been a wonderful support with its monthly meetings. It is good to talk to people who know how you feel."

Susan is a committee member of the Society and is grateful for their support. They provide shopping excursions and trips for members allowing them to lead as normal a life as possible.

Susan puts on a happy face and does not want to be a burden to anybody. But the disease means she has to rely on others for most things.

"It's like I'm not in control of my life. I suppose it's quite frightening when I think about it but I try not to. The days whizz by and I get lots of visitors."

And you can see why. Susan is a joy to be with and never complains about what has happened.

"I'm looking forward to the summer," she says. "We do a lot more when the weather is nicer. It's something to look forward to."

MS Awareness Week runs from Sunday, April 9 to Sunday, April 16. Individuals, companies and other organisations are being asked to bake or buy a cake on Friday, April 14 and make a donation to the MS Society for every slice eaten.

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